Erik W. Christiansen, Ph.D., P.E., CFI

Dr. Christiansen specializes in combustion chemistry, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer. He performs cause and origin investigations of fires and explosions, ranging from small residential fires to large-scale industrial incidents to multi-acre wildland fires. He also investigates thermal related failures of consumer appliances; commercial and residential cooking equipment; and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Dr. Christiansen’s project experience also includes natural gas and propane appliances and systems, oxygen equipment, welding and hot work activities, industrial ovens, furnaces and boilers, and runaway chemical reaction (spontaneous combustion). Additionally, he performs engineering analysis of fire protection systems, including the design, testing, and operation of automatic fire sprinkler systems and dry and wet chemical fire suppression systems. Dr. Christiansen has testified as an expert witness on various occasions.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Christiansen was a research assistant in the Combustion and Energy Laboratory at Princeton University where he conducted research on the effects of flame instabilities on extinction and the limits of flammability.

Martin RJ, Christiansen EW. New explosion relief standards impact coating equipment. Metal Finishing; 2007; 105:77–81. July.

Christiansen EW, Reza AA. Case study of a TFE explosion in a PTFE manufacturing facility. Process Safety Progress 2007; 26(1):77–82, March.

Christiansen EW, Tse SD, Law CK. A computational study of oscillatory extinction of spherical diffusion flames. Combustion and Flame 2003; 134:327–337.

Christiansen EW, Law CK. Pulsating instability and extinction of stretched premixed flames. Proceedings, Combustion Institute, 2003; 29:61–68.

Yoo SW, Christiansen EW, Law CK. Oscillatory extinction of spherical diffusion flames: micro-buoyancy experiment and computation. Proceedings, Combustion Institute, 2003; 29:29–36.

Christiansen EW, Sung CJ, Law CK. The role of pulsating instability and global Lewis number on the flammability limit of lean heptane/air flames. Proceedings, Combustion Institute 2001; 28:807–814.

Christiansen EW, Law CK, Sung CJ. Steady and pulsating propagation and extinction of rich hydrogen/air flames at elevated pressures. Combustion and Flame, 2001; 124: 35–49.

Christiansen EW, Sung CJ, Law CK. Pulsating instability in near-limit propagation of rich hydrogen/air flames. Proceedings, Combustion Institute, 1999, 27:555–562.

Presentations

Christiansen EW, Carnahan R, Reza A, Qin W, Ross B. A case study of two shiploader fires in a coal and pet coke facility. 11th International Conference, Fire and Materials, San Francisco, CA, January 2007.

Christiansen EW, Reza A. A case study of a TFE explosion in a PTFE manufacturing facility. Proceedings, 40th Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, April 2006.

Christiansen EW, Reza A. Chemical analysis of fire debris. 2004 Summer Meeting of the California Conference of Arson Investigators, Seaside, CA, July 26–28, 2004.

Christiansen EW, Tse SD, Law CK. A computational study on oscillatory extinction of spherical diffusion flames. 39th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 2001.

Christiansen EW, Sung CJ, Law CK. Pulsating propagation and extinction of rich hydrogen/air flames at elevated pressures. 37th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 1999.

Christiansen EW, Sung CJ, Sun CJ, Law CK. Pulsating instability and flammability limits of one-dimensional planar flames with one-step chemistry and constant properties. Technical Meeting of the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute, Hartford, CT, October, 1997.

• Principal Member: Technical Committee on Ovens and Furnaces, NFPA 86 Standard for Ovens and Furnaces, National Fire Protection Association
• Combustion Institute (member)
• National Fire Protection Association (member)
• Society of Fire Protection Engineers (member)
• California Conference of Arson Investigators (member)
• International Association of Arson Investigators (member)