Dr. Ponchaut performs investigations and analyses related to fires, explosions, chemical releases, and equipment failures. Dr. Ponchaut specializes in heat transfer problems involving phase changes such as LNG evaporation, water condensation, and fog formation. He also specializes in the area of computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer modeling. He has extensive experience in the development and the use of numerical codes for the purpose of studying fluid dynamics problems, multi-phase flow behaviors, and flow-structure interactions.
Dr. Ponchaut also has significant experience in turbomachinery and has been involved in the investigation of compressor surge events and blade vibration problems. He has capabilities in analyzing a variety of phenomena using experimental, numerical, and theoretical methods.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Ponchaut worked as a post doctorate fellow at McGill University and as a research assistant at the California Institute of Technology. He has been responsible for the development of various experimental measurement techniques in both subsonic and supersonic flows. He wrote several numerical solvers and used them to investigate the flow features in the explosion of reacting spheres. These solvers are still currently used in defense research laboratories. In addition to his expertise in fluid mechanics, Dr. Ponchaut obtained a minor in solid mechanics.
Hornung HG, Pullin PI, Ponchaut NF. On the question of universality of imploding shock waves. Acta Mech, December 2008; 201(1–4).
Ponchaut NF, Hornung HG, Pullin DI, Mouton CA. On imploding cylindrical and spherical shock waves in a perfect gas. J. Fluid Mech 2006; 560:103–122.
Ponchaut NF. Part I: 3DPTV: Advances and error analysis. Part II: Extension of Guderley’s solution for converging shock waves. Ph.D. Thesis, California Institute of Technology, June 2005.
Presentations
Ponchaut NF, Kytömaa HK. Transient spreading of LNG on water. Mary Kay O’Connor Safety Center. 2009 International Symposium, College Station, TX, October 2009.
Kytömaa HK, Myers TJ, Ibarreta A, Ponchaut NF. Anatomy of the failures that led to the Buncefield explosion and fire. Mary Kay O’Connor Safety Center, 2009 International Symposium, College Station, TX, October 2009.
Ponchaut NF, Chernovsky M, Gavelli F, Kytömaa HK. Modeling the spreading of large LNG spills on water. AIChE Spring Meeting, 9th Topical Conference on Natural Gas Utilization, Tampa, FL, April 2009.
Ponchaut NF, Zhang F, Lee JHS. Blast wave from the explosion of a reacting sphere. Combustion Institute/Canadian Section Spring Technical Meeting, Waterloo, ON, Canada, May 2006.
Ponchaut NF, Mouton CA, Hornung HG. Development of three dimensional particle tracking velocimetry for supersonic flow. 42nd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 2004.
Ponchaut NF, Mouton CA, Valiferdowsi B, Hornung HG. Design of a Mach 2.3 Ludwieg tube. Invited Presentation, Korea and Japan, March 2003.
Ponchaut NF, Mouton CA, Hornung HG. Implementation of 3D-Particle triangulation velocimetry. Invited Presentation, Korea and Japan, March 2003.