Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2015
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, 2012
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer, Georgia, #PE048670
  • Professional Engineer, North Carolina, #053885
  • Professional Engineer, Tennessee, #128905
  • Professional Engineer, Texas, #153178
Professional Affiliations
  • The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

Dr. Perrella uses his fluid dynamics expertise and broad knowledge of mechanical engineering to solve complex, multi-disciplinary problems in a wide variety of industries. He has supported his clients in matters involving product improvements, product recalls, product defect litigation, construction defect litigation, regulatory compliance, insurance disputes, and international arbitration. His experience encompasses consumer products and medical devices (e.g. pressure cookers, coffee makers, heating pads, peristaltic pumps, and ventricular assist devices), HVAC and construction defects (e.g. humidity and biologic growth, forced air and radiative cooling, hydronic and domestic water piping, pipe ruptures, water loss, and water infiltration), industrial and manufacturing equipment (e.g., centrifugal pumps and compressors, fans, excavating and construction equipment, and commercial food processing) and cryogenic technology for the defense and private sectors (e.g., Stirling cryocoolers, liquid natural gas, liquid nitrogen, and cryocooler failure analysis and reliability).

As a consultant, Dr. Perrella uses his technical expertise to determine the root cause of consumer product failures and help improve existing designs. He is knowledgeable of the pertinent regulations and industry standards and assists clients in producing and maintaining products that are safe and effective for their consumers. Dr. Perrella has extensive experience investigating and analyzing large-scale HVAC and hydronic systems and evaluating designs against applicable building codes and industry best practices. He has helped his clients diagnose and mitigate issues such as high humidity, uncontrolled temperature, and biologic growth. Dr. Perrella also applies his broad mechanical engineering knowledge to evaluate the safety and functionality of industrial and manufacturing equipment.

Dr. Perrella is a seasoned experimentalist who specializes in developing custom experimental setups. He is proficient in a variety of measurement techniques and is well-versed in measurement uncertainly and repeatability analysis. Dr. Perrella adapts novel, scientific techniques from the laboratory to industry by condensing complex concepts into practical, targeted solutions that address the diverse needs of his clients. Dr. Perrella applies fundamental engineering principles to nebulous real-world problems to efficiently identify the core issues underlying a challenge and quickly develop solutions. He also has expertise in the detailed modeling of complex thermal and fluid systems incorporating multi-mode heat transfer, buoyancy effects, pipe flow, and porous media hydrodynamics.

Dr. Perrella has applied his expertise in fluid dynamics and cryogenic refrigeration to solve problems involving the design, testing, and production of cryogenic cooling devices, linear electric motors, and thermal management systems. Before joining Exponent, Dr. Perrella worked as a cryocooler engineer who led the design and sustainment of multiple tactical cryocooler product lines and was intimately involved in all stages of the manufacturing process. His experience with the development and manufacture of defense articles for prime contractors spans conceptual design, detailed design, material procurement, production readiness assessment, and verification testing. Dr. Perrella is proficient at troubleshooting Stirling cryocoolers and similar devices and possesses hands-on experience with performance evaluation, reliability testing, root-cause analysis, and failure analysis due to material defects, vendor defects, and workmanship. He is conversant in geometric tolerancing, machining best practices, and evaluating components against various MIL-STD and ASME specifications. His doctoral research involved the development of hydrodynamic resistance parameters for oscillating fluid flow through the porous media of cryocooler regenerators at cryogenic temperatures and the theoretical modeling of novel pulse-tube cryocooler concepts for space applications.