Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2019
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2016
  • B.A., Physics, Bates College, 2008
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, California, #40299
  • Professional Engineer, Pennsylvania, #PE095026
  • 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Certification (HAZWOPER)
  • Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)
Professional Honors
  • TechnipFMC Educational Fund Fellowship, 2017
  • David Hinde Award, 2017
  • IBM Thomas J. Watson Memorial Scholarship, 2004-2008
Professional Affiliations
  • ASTM International (Metrology subcommittee member E11.50)
  • American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
  • -TC 6.2 Subcommittee on District Energy
  • -TC 6.8 Subcommittee on Geothermal Heat Pump and Energy Recovery Applications
  • -TC 6.9 Subcommittee on Thermal Storage
  • National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
  • Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
Languages
  • Spanish

Dr. Davies is a licensed professional mechanical engineer who specializes in failure analysis and design assessments for thermal and fluid processes and equipment. He has expertise in pipelines for liquid and gas, heat exchangers, HVAC systems, upstream oil and gas, and two-phase flow. 

Dr. Davies applies this expertise to the investigation of fires, explosions, floods, and equipment failures. His project experience includes failure analysis of piping, valves, pumps, HVAC systems, consumer products, and power plants He also investigates issues with piping fabrication, and performs design reviews and analysis of heat exchangers, consumer products, and oil and gas equipment.. 

Dr. Davies has conducted fire origin and cause investigations involving appliances, electrical systems, consumer products, and other combustion equipment. Dr. Davies has conducted flooding and water loss investigations involving HVAC equipment and pumping stations. Dr. Davies' investigative work includes field assessments, laboratory testing, and analytical modeling. Dr. Davies has designed and built experimental systems for the analysis of HVAC components, consumer electronics, utility piping, and power-plant components. He models natural gas systems using the Synergi Gas software.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Davies was a research assistant in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). His work focused on reducing water use in power plants. He designed and built facilities to test air-cooled condensers, including measurements of heat transfer, pressure drop and two-phase void fraction. He also designed and built an anemometer calibration facility. 

Prior to graduate school, Dr. Davies was a General Field Engineer for Schlumberger Wireline. In this role, he led crews in acquiring petrophysical well and geotechnical reservoir data on both land and offshore rigs. He designed and led data-acquisition operations using seismic, pressure-testing, coring, and other well-testing equipment. He was certified and led operations with radiation and explosives for international clients. 

Dr. Davies' additional experience includes analysis of water hammer using the AFT Impulse software, analysis of flow-induced vibration in both single- and multi-phase flows, analysis of automotive radiators, analysis of injection wells, analysis of geothermal systems, pressure testing, analysis of plate heat exchangers, and analysis and testing of kitchen appliances.