Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 2022
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Slovenia, 2017
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Slovenia, 2015
Licenses & Certifications
  • 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Certification (HAZWOPER) (CA)
  • Certified Forklift Operator for Sit-Down Counterbalanced Forklifts (CA)
  • FAA Part 107 Certified Commercial Drone Pilot
Professional Honors
  • Zois Fellowship for Academic Excellence at University of Maribor, Slovenia, 2012-2017
  • The Sole Recipient of the Best Student Award, University of Maribor, Slovenia, 2017
  • The Frank Kerze and Therese Kerze-Cheyovich Research Assistantship for the Study of Transport
  • Phenomena in Complex Systems, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, 2017-2022.
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  • The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS)

Dr. Frajnkovic specializes in thermodynamics, heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics, and transport phenomena in complex electrochemical systems. Dr. Frajnkovic has also performed experimental and numerical analysis of advanced electrochemical energy storage systems. He has experience with measuring the heat generation rate during cycling of batteries and capacitors via isothermal operando calorimetry technique.

Dr. Frajnkovic has experience with experimental techniques such as galvanostatic cycling (GC), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT), and isothermal operando calorimetry. These techniques can be used to investigate the charge/discharge mechanisms of electrochemical energy storage systems and monitor the generated heat rate during their operation. He also has extensive experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and finite element method (FEM) simulation using commercial software packages, such as Star-CCM+, Ansys CFX and Fluent, Comsol, Simulia Abaqus, and LAMMPS, as well as 3D-CAD modeling software packages such as Catia and SolidWorks. Examples of project work include performance evaluation of internally finned heat exchangers and modeling steam release through pressure relief valves (PRVs).

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Frajnkovic was a research assistant at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he carried out his doctoral work. His focus was on measuring and identifying the thermal signature of physicochemical phenomena occurring in hybrid supercapacitors during cycling. Dr. Frajnkovic also used numerical simulations to develop expressions for irreversible heat generation rates which exceeds Joule heating in hybrid supercapacitors. Moreover, he measured entropic potential evolution to elucidate the kinetics and structural evolution of novel battery electrode materials.