Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2023
  • MSME, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2018
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, California, #42616
Professional Honors
  • STLE Walter D. Hodson Best Paper Award, 2024
  • STLE Captain Alfred E. Hunt Best Paper Award, 2023
  • Young Presenter Award, Rolling Element Bearing Section, STLE Annual Meeting 2023
  • Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Chicago Section Scholarship, 2022
  • Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Chicago Section Scholarship, 2021
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2019 - Present
  • Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), 2019 - Present

Dr. Russell is a tribologist and mechanical engineer who investigates the effects of lubrication, friction, wear, and fatigue on the performance of machines in transportation, energy, industrial, aerospace, medical device, and consumer product applications. He specializes in rolling element bearing and hydrodynamic bearing analysis, and has investigated these components in wind turbines, marine gearboxes, train wheelsets, industrial compressors, and other critical machinery. Dr. Russell also leverages his expertise in machine design to investigate machinery safety incidents, conduct risk assessments, and design custom experimental test fixtures to assess the performance and reliability of mechanical systems.

Rolling Element Bearing Analysis

Dr. Russell has conducted analyses on various types of rolling element bearings, including deep groove ball bearings, angular contact ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, thrust bearings, and needle roller bearings. In performing these analyses, he interprets assembly drawings and technical documentation, analyzes SCADA and operational data, and assesses the effects of lubricant supply on system performance. Dr. Russell uses optical microscopy, surface profilometry, and other non-destructive laboratory analysis methods to identify evidentiary features on components that reveal operational history and failure mechanisms. He has completed Basic Safety Training from the Global Wind Organization (GWO) and has hands on up-tower experience inspecting wind turbine bearings and other components.

Hydrodynamic Bearing Analysis

Dr. Russell performs analytical and computational investigations of hydrodynamic bearing systems, including bushings, plain bearings, slider bearings, sleeve bearings, and tilting pad bearings, under hydrodynamic, elasto-hydrodynamic, and hydrostatic lubrication. His work includes film thickness modeling, bearing leakage analysis, and rotor dynamic analysis to predict the coupled response of shaft-bearing systems. Dr. Russell's work in this space has been used to help clients identify and address consequential design factors and inform root cause analyses for arbitration and litigation proceedings.

Machinery Safety Investigations and Risk Assessments

Dr. Russell performs machinery safety investigations across the construction, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, agricultural, oil and gas, and consumer product industries. He has examined cases involving mobile cranes, tunnel boring machines, horizontal directional drills, pile drivers, material handlers, factory assembly lines, loading docks, tractors, and gym equipment. He also has expertise in identifying and evaluating potential hazards through the development of task-based risk assessments in accordance with industry standards.

Experimental Testing and Custom Test Fixture Design

Dr. Russell designs and constructs custom test stands ranging from simple fixtures for mechanical property evaluation to fully custom apparatuses for the evaluation of in-situ component behavior or accelerated life testing (HALT). He is experienced with various methods of instrumentation including multi-axis sensors, thin-film pressure sensors, high-speed videography, computer vision, viscometry, and commercial tribological test stands. Dr. Russell is experienced with LabView, Matlab, Python, and C for data collection and analysis. Additionally, Dr. Russell has experience operating manufacturing equipment including manual and CNC mills, lathes, waterjets, laser cutters, and 3D printers.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Russell was a Research Assistant in the Mechanical Engineering Tribology Laboratory at Purdue University. His Ph.D. research focused on experimentally and analytically characterizing the lubrication mechanism of ball bearing cages. He constructed a specialized test rig for investigating ball bearing cage friction and developed models of cage performance including cage pocket lubrication, external drag force, and dynamic motion in a full bearing. In addition to his thesis research, Dr. Russell assisted with projects studying high pressure lubricant viscosity, anaerobic lubricant behavior, and the friction and wear behavior of nickel-based superalloys at elevated temperatures.

Dr. Russell served as a Journal Assistant to the Editor in Chief of the ASME Journal of Tribology from 2022 — 2023 and continues to peer review articles on machine component tribology and failure analysis.