Dr. Chernovsky applies thermal science principles to the investigation and prevention of fires and explosions in residential and industrial settings. Her industrial experience includes analysis and prevention of fires and explosions associated with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and cryogenic liquid systems. She assists LNG terminal owners and operators with compliance with LNG safety regulations as well as performs independent risk assessments of LNG facilities on behalf of the U.S. government. She applies CFD and analytical modeling tools to the prediction of LNG vapor dispersion and thermal radiation hazards, as well as to the atmospheric dispersion of gaseous releases to determine the potential consequences to the public and public property. She performs validations of CFD models for the analysis of LNG vapor dispersion hazards and experimentally studies the behavior of cryogenic spills on water for use in improving analytical models.
Dr. Chernovsky has investigated fires involving chemical industry mechanical and process equipment, high rise buildings, and consumer product failures. She also engages in analyses of fire simulation, heat transfer analyses of manufacturing processes, evaluation of detection and suppression system designs, as well as full-scale flammability and thermal management testing of residential and commercial products. She has experimental experience with the acoustical analysis of natural gas turbines used for power generation and evaluating heating ventilation and air conditioning requirements to maintain indoor air quality.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Chernovsky was a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Dr. Chernovsky has been involved in fire protection research for the past 13 years, starting with her undergraduate work at the University of Maryland in the Fire Protection Engineering program, where she studied smoldering characteristics of polyurethane foam. She has also worked on several National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) funded projects relating to performance of smoke alarms and evaluation of exhaust duct clearance to combustible materials.
Tang S, Chernovsky MK, Im HG, Atreya A. A computational study of spherical diffusion flames in microgravity with gas radiation Part I: Model development and validation. Comb Flame 2010; 157:118–126.
Gavelli F, Chernovsky MK, Kytomaa HK. Quantification of source-level turbulence during LNG spills onto a water pond. J Loss Prevention Process Industry 2009; 22:6:809–819.
Gavelli F, Chernovsky MK, Kytomaa HK. Modeling pool fire hazards from large-scale LNG spills. Explor Prod Mag 2008; 6(2).
Chernovsky MK, Atreya A, Im HG. Effect of CO2 diluent on fuel versus oxidizer side of spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. Proceedings, Combustion Institute 2007; 31:1005–1013.
Anderson MK (maiden name), Sleight RT, Torero JL. Downward smolder of polyurethane foam: ignition signatures. Fire Saf J 2000; 35:131–147.
Anderson MK, Sleight RT, Torero JL. Ignition signatures of a downward smolder reaction. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2000; 21:33–40.
Published Abstracts of Presentations
Ponchaut N, Chernovsky M, Gavelli F, Kytomaa HK. Modeling the spreading of large LNG spills on water. American Institute of Chemical Engineers Spring National Meeting, Tampa, FL, April 2009.
Gavelli F, Chernovsky MK, Kytomaa HK. Quantification of source-level turbulence during LNG spills onto a water pond. Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center International Symposium, College Station, TX, October 2008.
Kytomaa HK, Chernovsky MK, Gavelli F. A new experimental study on the spreading of liquefied nitrogen over water. Offshore Technology Conference, May 2008.
Gavelli F, Chernovsky MK, Bullister E, Kytomaa HK. Modeling of LNG spills into trenches. Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center International Symposium, College Station, TX, October 2007.
Tang S, Chernovsky MK, Im HG, Atreya A. Evaluation of radiation models for simulation of spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Combustion, Nagoya, Japan, May 2007.
Gavelli F, Chernovsky MK, Bullister E, Kytomaa HK. Validation of a CFD model for vapor dispersion from LNG spills into an impoundment. American Institute of Chemical Engineers Spring National Meeting, Houston, TX, April 2007.
Tang S, Chernovsky MK, Im HG, Atreya A. A numerical study of microgravity spherical diffusion flame structure with various radiation approximations. 5th Joint Meeting of the U.S. Sections of the Combustion Institute, San Diego, CA, March 2007.
Chernovsky MK, Atreya A, Sacksteder K. The effect of inert substitution on transient spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. Central States Spring Technical Meeting of the Combustion Institute, Cleveland, OH, May 2006.
Chernovsky MK, Atreya A, Sacksteder K. Transient measurements of radiation, temperature and soot in spherical microgravity diffusion flames. 44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Conference, Reno, NV, January 2006.
Chernovsky MK, Tang S, Im HG, Atreya A. A computational and experimental study of transient spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. Eastern States Fall Technical Meeting of the Combustion Institute, Orlando, FL, November 2005.
Chernovsky MK, Atreya A, Sacksteder K. Effect of enhanced CO2 concentration on radiative properties of unsteady spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. 4th Joint Meeting of the US Sections of the Combustion Institute, Philadelphia, PA, March 2005.
Berhan S, Chernovsky MK, Atreya A. Radiant extinction of gaseous diffusion flames. 7th International Workshop on Microgravity Combustion and Chemically Reacting Systems, Cleveland, OH, June 2003.
Berhan S, Chernovsky MK, Filatyev S, Atreya A, Sacksteder K. The effect of chemical kinetics and radiation on flame radius and temperature prediction of unsteady spherical diffusion flames in microgravity – a comparison with experiments. 41st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Conference, Reno, NV, January 2003.
Atreya A, Berhan S, Chernovsky MK, Sacksteder K. Unsteady spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. 6th International Microgravity Combustion Workshop, Cleveland, OH, May 2001.
Berhan S, Atreya A, Chernovsky MK, Sacksteder K. Effect of fuel dilution by CO2 on spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. 39th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Conference, Reno, NV, January 2001.
Cleary T, Anderson MK, Averill J, Grosshandler W. Evaluating multi-sensor fire detectors in the fire emulator/detector evaluator. 8th International Interflam’99 Fire Science and Engineering Conference, Edinburg, Scotland, June 1999.
Cleary T, Chernovsky A, Grosshandler W, Anderson MK. Particulate entry lag in spot-type smoke detectors. 6th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, University of Poitiers, France, October 1998.
Presentations
Gavelli F, Chernovsky MK, Kytomaa HK. LNG pool fire models: Similarities and differences. American Institute of Chemical Engineers Spring National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2008.
Chernovsky MK. Guest Lecture at the University of Maryland, Department of Fire Protection Engineering, 2007 and 2009.
Technical Reports
Chernovsky MK. An experimental study of temperature and radiation characteristics of transient spherical diffusion flames in microgravity. Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2006.
Milke JA, Anderson MK, Bowen MW. Determination of recommended clearance of duct surfaces to combustibles “Phase II” – continuation of technical committee support project. National Fire Protection Research Foundation, May 1998.