An Interview with Steve Kreuzer

The Amp Hour · 16 Jul 2018 · 1h 18m · Episode 399

What this episode covers

Steve Kreuzer, a mechanical engineer and PhD from UT Austin, explains his transition from academic biomechanics to consulting at Exponent, where he analyzes failures in physical products. He details how Exponent uses finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate issues like battery thermal runaway and BGA solder joint failures in electronics. Kreuzer discusses the specific mechanical risks of lithium-ion cells, the importance of protecting cells from environmental stress and containing thermal events, and how simulation guides design fixes like stiffeners and spacing.

Mentioned

Companies
Exponent, Samsung, Intertek, GE, Case Western, UT Austin, Duke, Tesla, CPSC
Products
18650
Tools
Abaqus, SolidWorks, Ansys, COMSOL, MatWeb
Materials
FR4

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