Publications
- California Title 24 - The new requirements and what they mean for your data center
- Performance of REBAM During Ball Bearing Failures - Orbit Magazine Article
- Automobile Accident Reconstruction Primer
Mechanical Engineer (HVAC/MEP) – Case Support
Contact this Expert Witness
- Additional States: California
- Company: Colwell ECS, PLLC
- Phone: 775-300-3146
- Cell: 408-209-5731
- Website: www.colwell-ec.com
Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness
General Specialties:
Mechanical Engineering and HVACKeywords/Search Terms:
HVAC Design, Data Centers, Data Center Infrastructure, Data Center Cooling, Commercial HVAC, Ventilation, Chillers, Air Handlers, HVAC Controls, Mechanical Code Compliance, Heating, Cooling Towers, Pumps, Fans, Compressors, Air Distribution, Refrigeration, hydronics, energy efficiency, economizationEducation:
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo; Graduate Courses, Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PAYears in Practice:
35Additional Information
Three+ Decades of Technical Leadership ● 1992 (age 27) – Solo research project proving proximity transducers detect rolling-element bearing failures far earlier than accelerometers. Published in Orbit magazine; codified in API 670 & ISO 20816 for global diagnostics standards. ● 1993 – Presented Orbit research at Symposium on Industrial Applications of Gas Turbines, Canadian Gas Association, Banff, Alberta. ● 2007–2020 – Designed 100+ energy-efficient U.S. data centers, including state-of-the-art HVAC/power systems exceeding ASHRAE & Title 24. ● 2015 – Lectured/conducted vibrations lab, Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering Dept., San Luis Obispo, CA. ● 2015 – Published plain-English guide to CA Title 24-2013 data center cooling in Data Center Journal, resolving confusion and enabling compliant data center expansions. ● 2021–2025 – Designed large-scale HVAC for commercial/military facilities, exceeding IMC, UFC, & IBC for performance/efficiency. Core Expertise ● HVAC design/construction/failure & code compliance (UMC, IMC, IBC, Title 24, ASHRAE) ● Data Center / Mission-critical facilities - cooling, PUE, economization, reliability ● First-principles physics – Defensible analyses from fundamentals ● Machinery/mechanical failure (bearings, guarding, industrial accidents) ● Building/energy code disputes & product/premises liability ● HVAC performance vs. design Case History ● 2013: Commercial Tenant Facility Dispute – Chiller/air handler failure analysis (plaintiff) ● 2015: Federal Facility Defect – Attic walkway/HVAC integration analysis (defense) ● 2015: Big Rig vs. Sedan (Red Bluff, CA) – Reconstruction (plaintiff) ● 2017: Kyoto Cooling v. Nortek – Data center cooling patent litigation (plaintiff)