Abid Kemal, Ph.D.

Dr. Kemal's responsibilities include the analysis and investigation of fires, explosions, and detonations. He carries out work related to combustion, thermodynamics, gas dynamics, macro- and micro-scale heat transfer, feedback control of complex dynamic plants and micromachining. Dr. Kemal studies air-breathing propulsion systems and stationary gas turbines and has experience in applying advanced control techniques to optimize the performance of such plants. He has designed and built a CMOS-compatible micromachined sensor for the measurement of pollutant emissions in combustion exhausts. Dr. Kemal also maintains an interest in international environmental law and policy and has recently authored the first ever fire laws for the government of Pakistan.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Kemal was a Research Assistant in the High Temperature Gas Dynamics Laboratory at Stanford University. As part of his graduate work he taught numerous classes on thermodynamics, gas dynamics and combustion, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. He performed independent peer reviews of research proposals and of publications in the Combustion Institute’s journal Combustion and Flame. He also worked as an independent consultant for Alzeta Corporation and for NASA Ames. Before joining Stanford, he worked in Pakistan as a Programmer and Operator of CNC machines (Spinning Machinery Company, Lahore); as a Management Trainee (ICI Soda Ash Plant, Khewra); and as a Production Engineer (Career Telephone Industries, Islamabad, a subsidiary of Siemens A.G.).

Kemal A, Mattison D, Murray S, Loose M. Degradation and ignition of polyvinyl chloride wire insulation. Proceeding, Fire and Materials, San Francisco, CA, 2007.

Reza A, Kemal A, Markey E. Runaway reactions in the aluminum, aluminum chloride, HCl and steam system: An Investigation of the 1998 Condea Vista Explosion in Baltimore, Maryland. AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium, New Orleans, LA, November 2001.

Kemal A. Adaptive control and its applications to combustion systems. 26th International Nathiagali Summer College, Nathiagali, 2001.

Kemal A. Active real-time control of air-breathing combustors. Ph.D. Thesis, Stanford University, July 1998.

Kemal A, Bowman CT. Real-time adaptive feedback control of combustion instability. 26th Symposium International on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, August 1996.

Kemal A, Pinnillia M. Feedback control of an adaptive treadmill. Consulting Report for NASA Ames, Mountain View, CA, August 1997.

Presentations

Kemal A. Fire and explosions—Analysis and investigative techniques. Invited Lecture, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, April 2005, April 2006, and April 2007.

Kemal A, MacDonald M, Hebert J, Kytömaa HK. Explosion hazards due to delayed ignition in gas turbines. Electric Power Conference, Baltimore, MD, March 2004.

Kemal A, Dorn J, Bowman CT. Control of nitrogen oxide emissions from air-breathing combustors using partial premixing of fuel and air. The Combustion Institute, Western States Section, Fall Meeting, Diamond Bar, CA, October 1997.

Kemal A, Bowman CT. Active adaptive control of combustion. The Combustion Institute, Joint Technical Meeting, San Antonio, TX, September 1995.

Kemal A, Bowman CT. Active adaptive control of combustion. 4th IEEE Conference on Control Applications, Albany, NY, April 1995.

• Independent Thermosciences Consultant, 1999–2002
• Research Assistant, High Temperature Gas Dynamics Laboratory, Stanford University, 1993–1998
• Teaching Assistant, Thermosciences Division, Stanford University, 1996–1998
• Production Engineer, Career Telephone Industries, Islamabad, Pakistan (subsidiary of Siemens, A.G.), 1989–1991
• Management Trainee, ICI Soda Ash Plant, Khewra, Pakistan, 1990
• Programmer and Operator of CNC machines, Spinning Machinery Company, Lahore, Pakistan, 1988
  

• The Combustion Institute (member)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (member)
• Pakistan Engineering Council (member)
• National Fire Protection Association (member)