Making Clean Energy Safer with Science
We are passionate about using science and engineering to make the world safer from fires and explosions, especially those associated with lithium-ion battery systems.
Services
Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Runaway Hazards
We provide services to OEMs, owners, operators and public safety to help identify and assess thermal runaway hazards caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Energy Storage System Fires and Explosions
We offer specialized expertise in lithium-ion involved fires and explosions to aid in energy storage system planning, design, retrofit and emergency planning.
Expert Witness Consulting
We offer expert witness consulting services for fires, explosions and lithium-ion battery thermal failure events.
Team
Get to Know Us
Ofodike Ezekoye, PhD, PE
Partner / Senior Principal Engineer
Dr. Ezekoye is an expert in heat transfer, combustion, fire dynamics and thermal hazards of lithium-ion batteries. He has 30 years of experience as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He has served as principal investigator for projects sponsored by NSF, NIST, FEMA, the Air Force and others. He has published more than 200 scientific articles on combustion, fire dynamics, heat transfer and lithium-ion battery failures.
Kevin Marr, PhD, PE
Partner / Principal Engineer
Dr. Kevin Marr is an expert on fire and thermal safety of batteries and fire forensic methods. Dr. Marr has expertise in a wide range of experimental and analytical techniques. He has analyzed and assessed fire and explosion hazards encountered in various industries, including consumer products, agriculture, and petrochemical and manufacturing refineries. Dr. Marr has authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals and is a co-author of a book chapter on vapor cloud explosions.
Erik Archibald, PhD, PE
Partner / Senior Engineer
Erik Archibald is a licensed professional engineer with expertise in explosions, lithium-ion batteries and fire dynamics. Erik's research and consulting work focuses on models and experiments of lithium-ion explosion, fire and toxicity hazards. Erik has conducted lithium-ion battery fire and explosion experiments from single cell to room scale. Erik has experience as a structural engineer designing buildings to resist explosions and impact. Erik serves as a structural specialist on Texas Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue team and was previously a volunteer firefighter in Pennsylvania and Mississippi.
Sam Matthews
Partner / Staff Engineer
Sam Matthews is a mechanical engineer with a background in fire and explosion safety. While earning his bachelor's degree, Sam interned with Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants in their Blast Effects department conducting large scale vapor cloud explosion tests. Since graduating in 2019, Sam has been a Research Engineer with The University of Texas Fire Research Group, conducting testing and analysis of fire and explosion hazards associated with lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.