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- Finite Element Analysis – O’Donnell
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- Who We Are
- Our Engineering Team
- Dr. William O’Donnell, PE, PhD
- Tom O’Donnell PhD, PE
- John Koltick, PE
- Senior Civil Engineer, PE
- Joe Turek – O’Donnell Consulting Engineers
- Dale Dodds, CWI – O’Donnell Consulting Engineers
- Tony Hedderman, PE
- Dave Forsyth
- Rob Siegwart, PE – O’Donnell Consulting Engineers
- Senior Mechanical Engineer, PE
- Biomechanical Engineer – O’Donnell Consulting
- Senior Weld Engineer 1
- Senior Weld Engineer 2
- Safety Engineer – O’Donnell Consulting
- Senior Engineer 2
- Senior Mechanical Engineer 2 – O’Donnell Consulting
- Bill O’Donnell, BSME, MA
- Industries Served
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- Our Engineering Team
- What We Do
- Engineering Services
- Mechanical Engineering
- Engineering Design and Analysis
- Engineering Troubleshooting
- Finite Element Analysis
- Weld Troubleshooting/ Consulting
- Materials & Metallurgical Consulting
- Non Destructive Testing
- Stress Corrosion Cracking Mitigation
- Elevated Temperature Design & Analysis
- Vibration Troubleshooting & Analysis
- Fitness for Service Evaluations
- Manufacturing Consulting
- Safety Consulting
- Construction Consulting
- Aerospace Engineering
- Civil / Structural Engineering
- Power Plant Consulting
- Nuclear Power Plant Consulting
- Cracking of Control Rod Guide Tube Support Pins in PWRs
- Portfolio of Nuclear Projects
- Technique for Bounding Primary Stresses in As Built Nuclear-Components
- Plastic Tensile Instability of Nuclear Fuel Rod Cracking
- Creep Tensile Instability Solutions for Shell Structures
- Development of Structural Evaluation Criteria for Elbows
- Development of Structural Evaluation Criteria for Bellows
- Elevated Temperature Design Criteria for Nuclear Components
- Failure of Nuclear Thermal Shield Subjected to Flow Induced Vibration
- Development of Pipelock on Stress Corrosion Cracks on Weldments
- Failure of Fractured 2 Inch Drain Line
- Mechanical Stress Improvement Process (MSIP)
- Plant Aging Mechanisms
- Petrochemical Consulting
- Mechanical Engineering
- Failure Analysis Services
- Expert Witness / Forensic Engineering
- Technical Services
- Engineering Services
- Portfolio
- Who We Serve
- Resources
- News
- Publications
- Mitigating Catastrophic Failures in Structures Used in Offshore Oil & Gas Production
- Mechanical and Thermal Processes for Mitigating Stress Corrosion
- Effect of Tubes on Stresses and Deflections in Tubesheets
- Effective Elastic Constants for Steam Generator Tube Sheets
- Publications – Pressure Vessels
- Low Fatigue Design Basis for Zircaloy Components
- Publications – Fatigue
- Mitigation of Stress Corrosion in Reactor Nozzles and Core Structures
- Publications – Heat Exchangers
- Creep Tensile Instability in Design Applications
- Publications – High Temperature Applications
- Creep Ratcheting Bounds for Piping Systems
- Rocket Engine Thrust Chamber Life Prediction
- Development of Improved Fatigue Design Methods on Vessels
- Creep Rupture Damage of Perforated Plates Subjected to Cyclic Plastic Straining
- Mitigating Stress-Corrosion
- Improved Fatigue Life Evaluation Methods for LWR Components
- Methods of Improving Resistance to Stress Corrosion Cracking
- Synthesis of S-N and da/dn Life Evaluation Technologies
- Reactor Water Effects on Fatigue Life
- Use of Mechanical Stress Improvement Process to Mitigate Stress Corrosion Cracking
- Publications – Weld and Other Applications
- Use of Mechanical Stress Improvement for Weldments with Cracks
- Methods for Evaluating Cyclic Life of Components in Reactor Water
- Primary Stress Evaluations for Redundant Structures
- Weight-Saving Plastic Design of Pressure Vessels
- Proposed New Steel Fatigue Design Curves
- Environmental Effects on Fatigue Life in LWR Applications
- Fatigue Design Curves for Austenitic Stainless Steels, Alloy 600 and Alloy 800
- Structural Design Safety Issues for ASME Sections III and VIII
- Code Design and Evaluation for Cyclic Loading – ASME Sections III and VIII
- Creep Rupture Design Manual for Sterling Cycle Engine for Power Generation
- Vessels for Elevated Temperature Service
- Corrosion Fatigue: Recent Developments and Future Needs
- Introduction to Fatigue
- Introduction to Corrosion
- Introduction to Metallurgy
- Codes & Standards
- Expert Witness Litigation Experience
- History of the ASME Code
- Background on the ASME Code
- Links to Various Resources
- Available Now: Handbook of Lessons Learned!
- Sample of Lessons
- Contact Us
Projects
- $16 Million Award for Collapsed Bauxite Conveyor System
- Failure Analysis and Redesign on a Cracked Thin Film Heat Exchanger (TFHE)
- Failure Analysis of Ruptured Refinery Bellows
- Repair of Cast ASTM A743 Grade CN6NM Turbine Blades Exhibiting Imperfections
- Failure Analysis on Commercial Sprinkler System
- Failure Analysis – Food Processing Pressure Vessel Accident
- Failure Analysis & Redesign of Bio-Gas Vessel
- API 579-1/ ASME FFS-1 Fitness for Service on Wood-Fired Boiler Components
- Fatigue Analysis of a Rail Coupler to AAR Specifications
- Engineering Investigation of Induction Furnaces Undergoing Upgrades
- Explosion of a Pressure Vessel used in the Manufacturing of Cell Phones
- Quartz Tube Failures in Water Purification System
- Failure Analysis of Gearboxes Controlling an Earth-Station Antenna
- Forensic Investigation of a Barge Involved in Collision
- Seismic Analysis on Fire Protection Systems to the Uniform Building Code
- ASME Section VIII, Division 1 Stress and Buckling Analysis on a Decanter
- Buckling Analysis on an Elevated Temperature Vessel under a Vacuum
- Structural Analysis of Fabrication Issues of a Water Treatment Film Evaporator
- Design and Analysis of Large Scale Pressure Vessels under High Energy Impact
- Failure Analysis & Redesign of Cracked Large Capacity Fuel Heater
- Modal Analysis on Linear Variable Displacement Transducers (Actuators)
- Structural Analysis of a Exhauster Base Skid in a Combined Cycle Plant
- Crane Seat Stress and Fatigue Analysis
- Wind Turbine Tower Baseplate Weldment Design to Code
- Design/ Application of Weld Overlay on a Refinery Vessel
- Design Optimization of Formula One Brake Rotors
- Weld Repair of Mis-Machined Cast Turbine Blades
- Structural Analysis of a Deflected Longwall Mining Relay Bar
- Forensic Investigation of Premature Weld Cracking in Stainless Steel Exhaust Ductwork
- Finite Element Analysis of a 16 Foot Diameter Refractory Lined Autoclave
- Failure Analysis & Redesign of an Oil/Gas Threaded Joint Casing
- Design Analysis of FRP Piping for a Flue Gas Desulfurization System
- Failure Analysis & Redesign of a Fracking Pump
- Failure Analysis on Corroded Irrigation Piping
- API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness For Service on Overheated Boiler Tubes
- Failure Analysis of a Seized Piston on a Monel Series 3800 Pressure Relief Valve
- Structural Analysis of a Ladle Turret Rotating Arm
- Failure Analysis and Design Recommendations on Cracked Monorail Guideway
- Stress and Vibration Analysis – Advanced Combustion Turbine
- Design and Analysis on Pressure Vessel Components for Cleanup of Radioactive Waste
- ASME/ AISC Code Evaluations of Shipboard Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers
- Fatigue Analysis on Threads of Base-Ported Pressure Filter
- Design/Construction Issues of Coke Oven Batteries in $560 M International Arbitration
- Failure Analysis on Leaking Nickel Cemented Tungsten Carbide (WC) Pump Seal
- Failure Analysis of a Boeing 737 Flight Control System
- Metallurgical Evaluation of a Damaged Compressor Bearing
- Weld Consulting on a Hydroelectric Shaft Exhibiting Flaws
- Collapse of the 15th Century Statue of Tullio Lombardo’s Adam
- Fitness For Service on Glass Lined Steel Brewery Tanks
- Failure Analysis on 30 Ton Automotive Forming Press
- Design Analysis of a High Temperature Vessel used in Glass Fiber Production
- Pitting Corrosion Investigation of Type 316L SS Rotary Valve Impellers
- Forensic Investigation of a Fifth Wheel Failure
- Fitness for Service Evaluation on a UREA Reactor
- Investigation of Shipboard Compressor Fire
- ASME Section VIII Design Calculations on Propane Storage Drum
- Fire/Explosion Investigation of LPG Dehydration System
- Inelastic Thermal Analysis of a Mold Plate in a Continuous Casting Process
- Structural Analysis on Offshore Process Skid used to Measure Water Concentration
- Failure Analysis on 3rd Stage Blade of a Gas Turbine
- Failure Analysis of Studs on an Electric Turbine Outer Head Cover
- Comparison of Saudi Standard to US, EU and Japanese Standards
- Independent Safety Review of International Paving Equipment
- Assessment of Welding Procedures Used to Attach Appendages to P91 Heavy Wall Pipe
- $64 M Award in Litigation over a Newly Constructed Collapsed Paper Rack Storage Facility
- Weld Troubleshooting & Repair of a Heater with Limited Fatigue Life
- Property Characterizations of Miner Torque Shafts
- Corrosion Investigation on Various Structures in a Refinery
- Forensic Fire Investigation on a Commercial Building
- Failure Analysis and Repair of a Contactor Vessel used Remove Hydrogen Sulfide
- Stress, Vibration and Fatigue Analysis of Bellows
- Forensic Investigation of an Injury from a Forklift Accident
- $98.8 M Award in Litigation over Engineering and Contractual Issues
- Thermal Analysis of a 400-Ampere Busway System
- Defects on Blades of a 304 Stainless Steel Mixer
- Fire Investigation – Commercial Grain Dryer
- Finite Element Analysis of ASTM SA516 Grade 70 Condensate Receiving Tanks
- Leaking Stainless Steel Ball Valve in a Pipeline
- Cracked Cylinder Liner on an Engine used to Compress Natural Gas
- Engineering Analysis on Skate Ramp Modifications
- Machine Foundation Design and Analysis for Turbomachinery Test Facility
- Failure Analysis of Hunting Bow
- FEA and Structural Assessment of Mining Bulkhead Door
- Failure Analysis and Redesign on Cracked Ductwork
- Finite Element Analysis of a Vapor Recovery Base Skid
- Failure Analysis and Repair of an Overpressurized Storage Tank
- Root Cause Investigation – Gas Well Pipe Rupture
- Failure Analysis and Redesign of Threaded Closure of a Wellhead
- Failure Analysis & Repair of a Panel Coil in a Sterilization Process
- Engineering Review of Design Changes in Taiwan Nuclear Plant
- Vibration Analysis on the Framework of Hubble Space Telescope
- Structural Analysis & Redesign on a Cracked 1,400 Ton Hydraulic Press
- Prediction of Thrust Chamber Life on NASA Space Shuttle Main Engines
- Structural Evaluation of Austenitic Stainless Steel Elbows in Reactor Piping
- Analysis and Design Modification of Control Valves in Reactor Coolant System
- Development of Elevated Temperature Design Criteria for Nuclear Components
- API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness For Service Evaluation on an Aging Ash Silo
- Engineering Analysis on Components in U.S. Submarines
- Failure Analysis of Cement Rotary Kiln During Startup
- $200 M Litigation – Engineering Analysis on Coke Oven Battery Construction Issues
- Leaking 2 inch Ball Valve in Midstream Pipeline
- Engineering Review of Tubesheet/Shell for a Replacement Steam Generator
- Recertification of Aging Pressure Vessels/ Systems at NASA Facility
- Engineering Analysis of Above-Ground Tanks not Meeting API 650 Code
- Fatigue Life Analysis of High Cycle Vessels used to Produce Hydrogen
- Analysis and Redesign of a Refinery Control Valve Piping Loop that Failed in Startup
- Finite Element Analysis & ASME Code Section VIII Division 2 Calculations on Feedwater Heaters
- Failure Analysis on Conveyor Chain in a Gypsum Kiln
- Metallurgical & Engineering Evaluation of Cracks in Aircraft Landing Gear
- Failure Analysis of Cracked Brass Fittings in a Chilled Water HVAC System
- Vibration Analysis of ASTM A514 Grade B Steel Industrial Impeller
- Failure Analysis on Cracked Tube to Tubesheet Welds on Chemical Reactor
- Finite Element Analysis of a Vessel Processing Nuclear Waste
- API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness for Service on a Brewery Tank
- Failure Analysis on Cracks found in Pressure Swing Absorber Vessels
- Engineering Analysis of Design Errors in Electrostatic Precipitator
- Engineering Solution to Stress Control Cracking on Low Pressure (LP) Turbine Discs
- Analysis of Replacement Reactor Coolant Pump Seals
- Cracking and Failure of Control Rod Guide Tube (CRGT) Support Pins
- Failure Analysis & Repair – Cracks in Ligaments of Incinerator Recuperator
- Forensic Investigation of an Accident Involving a Steel Tube Chair
- Forensic Investigation – Propane Pump Explosion
- Structural Analysis of HDPE Clarification Tank to NSF Codes
- Failure Analysis of a Cooling Fan used on Electronics
- Failure Analysis & Redesign of a Cracked NASA Heat Exchanger
- Failure Analysis of a Barge Mooring in Pittsburgh
- Failed Turbine Exhauster on High Speed Three-Stage Centrifugal Compressor
- ASME B31.3 Analysis of a Skid Mounted Heat Transfer System
- Failure Analysis of Mining Lift Hook
- ASME B&PV Section VIII Div. 2 Code Analysis of a Feedwater Heater
- Structural Analysis on Hydroelectric Turbine Shaft Exhibiting Flaws
Posts
- AISTech 2016 in Pittsburgh
- A Campaign to Transform How Young People….
- Ford Goes ‘All In’ on Electric Cars With $11 Billion Investment
- Is DOE’s Advanced Reactor Program a Bust?
- See our Portfolio Page to read about our various engineering challenges
- NASA pushes back launch date for James Webb Space Telescope
- Fabtech 2016
- Major Players in World Nuclear Market Merge
- Pennsylvania Turnpike Embraces Accelerated Bridge Construction
- DUG East in Pittsburgh
- Celebrating 60 Years of Groundbreaking US Space Science
- Construction Adds 36,000 Jobs in January
- SAME November Small Business Conference in Pittsburgh
- Sensors Are Making Cycling Safer
- Marcellus Midstream 2018 Conference in Pittsburgh
- OCE in the News
- The State of U.S. Manufacturing 2017
- Trump Budget Backs Nuclear, Coal…..
- Superfund Push Yields Few Results
- Cracked Heat Shield won’t Delay Mars 2020 Mission
- March of Dimes 8th Annual TB&C Awards Luncheon
- Report: Technology, Renewables Will Grow Turbine Market
- Quantifying Fitness-For-Service – Article by Bill O’Donnell, Sr.
- DOE, Lawmakers Looking at Energy Storage R&D, Funding
- Scientists are Predicting a La Niña Winter
- Bill Sr. Presenting to the ASM Pittsburgh Chapter in January 2018
- See Resume Summaries of our Senior Engineers
- Construction Gains 24,000 Jobs in November
- NERC Report: Natural Gas, Renewable Generation Will Offset Coal…
- Invisibility Cloaks and Metamaterials
- Links Page Updated
- See our Contact Page to Submit an Inquiry
- Public-Private Partnerships: When Will Reality Meet the Promise?
- Fastest Growing Black Hole Ever Has Been Discovered by Astronomers
- Report Says More Nuclear Plants in Financial Trouble
- ENR 2016 Best Projects Award
- House Proposed Tax Bill Ends Wind PTC…
- There’s A Mysterious Void Inside The Great Pyramid Of Giza
- Rethinking Maintenance: Transitioning TO A Proactive Approach
- See Our Links Page for Engineering Resources
- 19 Great Inventions That Revolutionized History
- More U.S. Coal Units Closing
- Todays Workforce Trends…
- Most Expensive U.S. Hurricane Season
- Fast Company’s 2019 Innovation By Design Awards
- See stories of the various projects we have worked on…
- FERC Interim Plan to Prop Up Coal, Nuclear Plants
- Xmas Shopping for Billionaires
- Goodbye, Georgia Dome
- Happy Holidays from O’Donnell Consulting
- Small Modular Reactors Gain Momentum in Europe
- Marcellus Midstream in Pittsburgh December 2019
- Additive Manufacturing is Leaving the Island
- Shale Insight 2016 in Pittsburgh
- See Our Mural Page for Stories of a Few of our Projects
- U.S. Trade Gap Widens to Post-Recession High
- The Big Picture: Energy Storage Mandates
- 7 of the World’s Most Stomach-Dropping Cable Cars and Gondolas
- Realizing Power Plants of the Future
- Nano: Engineering’s New Frontier
- Opportunity Takes Extensive Imagery…
- Vogtle Nuclear Construction Cleared for Completion
- Links Page for Engineering Resources
- OCE Article on Weld Defects in Stainless Steel World
- Nuclear Power Roundup: New Milestones Reached on Several Reactors
- Book Release – Handbook of Lessons Learned in Engineering
- NSC Northeast Conference in Pittsburgh March 2020
- Journey to the Beginning of Time
- IEA World Energy Outlook 2019
- World’s Largest Radio Telescope
- 15th Century Statue of Adam Reconstruction
- Extreme microscopes inspire new materials
- Modern Materials for Sports & Recreation
- See Portfolio to Read About Our Projects
- Gaining Steam: Combined Heat and Power
- US DOT Picks Winners for $900M in New BUILD Grants
- Weld Defects and Failures – Quantifying FFS
- Nuclear Unit Wins Plant of the Year
- Tesla is Building a Powerful Battery System
- More to Life Than the Habitable Zone
- See Events Page for Upcoming Conferences
- Coal: The Next Chapter
- 2018 Most Innovative Companies
- How Things Break (And Why Scientists Want to Know)
- Outlook 2018: OPEC’s Alliance Triumph to Face Stiff Tests in 2018
- Voyager 1 fires up thrusters after 37 years
- Accelerated Analysis of the Stability of Complex Alloys
- US Manufacturing Stays Strong in November
- Opportunities Abound for the Power Industry
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