Tara L. Henriksen, Ph.D.

Dr. Henriksen uses her knowledge of chemical engineering to investigate and prevent accidents. She specializes in the evaluation of engineering and safety issues related to hazardous chemicals accidents and chemical technology. She also uses her knowledge of fire dynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, chemistry, and chemical engineering in conducting fire origin and cause investigations and explosion analyses. Dr. Henriksen’s investigations involve the evaluation and failure analysis of chemical processes and industrial equipment, dust explosions, and chemical releases. Her research expertise also includes the optimization of chemical process operations, hazard analysis and risk assessment.

Dr. Henriksen’s doctoral research encompassed the study of hydrocarbon pool fires, inverse diffusion flames, premixed flames, and laminar diffusion flames. She specializes in the application of laser diagnostics in the analysis of combustion reactions, refractive index, and the evaluation of the puffing frequency of pool fires. She used laser-induced incandescence to study soot concentration, and laser induced fluorescence to study the location of the reaction zone relative to soot sheets in turbulent pool fires. Dr. Henriksen has experience designing and conducting small- and medium-scale fire tests and evaluating fire induced flows using flow visualization and design software.

Dr. Henriksen also volunteers as the National Safety Coordinator for the annual CHEM-E-car competition series, which is sponsored by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The competition involves innovative chemically-powered cars designed by student teams from colleges and universities across the United States. She is responsible for enforcing the safety standards of the program, drafting sample job safety analysis templates for entrants, and updating competition safety standards as appropriate.

Henriksen TL, Nathan GJ, Alwahabi ZT, Qamar N, Ring TA, Eddings EG. Planar measurements of soot volume fraction and OH in a JP-8 pool fire. Combust Flame 2009; 156(7):1480–1492.

Henriksen TL, Nathan G, Ring T, Eddings EG. Puffing frequency and soot extinction correlation in JP-8 and heptane pool fires. Combustion Science and Technology 2008; 180(4):699–712.

Henriksen TL, Nathan G, Alwahabi Z, Spinti J, Smith PJ, Eddings EG. Soot volume fraction from extinction in JP-8 and heptane pool fires. 4th Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustion, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, December 7–9, 2005.

Presentations

Henriksen T, Ring T, Call D, Sarofim AF, Eddings EG. Determination of soot refractive index as a function of height in an inverse diffusion flame. 5th US Combustion Meeting, Western States Section of the Combustion Institute, San Diego, CA, March 25–28, 2007.

Henriksen TL, Nathan G, Alwahabi Z, Spinti J, Smith PJ, Eddings EG. Soot volume fraction from extinction in JP-8 and heptane pool fires. WSS/CI Fall Meeting, Stanford, CA, October 17–18, 2005.

• Research Assistant, University of Utah, 2004–2007
• Research Analyst, National Science Foundation, 2000–2002
  

• American Chemical Society (member)
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (member)
• AIChE CHEM-E car National Safety Coordinator
• Society of Women Engineers (member)
• International Association of Arson Investigators—IAAI (member)
• International Association of Arson Investigators—IAAI, Illinois Chapter (member)
• National Fire Protection Association—Hydrogen Technology Committee Member
• National Fire Protection Association—Vehicular Alternative Fuel Systems Committee Member