Bobby Ashworth

Lead Engineer @MPR Associates, Inc.

Subject matter expert for seismic qualification to industry standards (ASME QME-1, B31.X, B16.X; 323, 344, 382, 387, 693, C37.98; SQUG GIP; ASCE 4, 7 and 43). Authored qualification plans; witnessed tests; performed civil-structural analyses and dynamic FEA.+ Managed commercial grade dedication for replacement parts and services per EPRI NP-5652 and later versions. Efforts included technical evaluations; procurement, critical characteristic selection; tests/inspections, and qualification (aging, seismic, environmental, EMC).+ Data collection and evaluation of construction noise and ground vibration levels. Effort included review of acoustic and seismic recordings to support operations at DOE research facilities and residential zoning requirements.+ Completed root cause investigation and failure analysis of power generating equipment such as pumps, motors, piping, heat exchangers, bolts and welds, bus bar joints, pump seals, valves, hydraulic control systems, switchgear, capacitors, O-rings, circuit boards, and electrical insulation. Efforts included review of laboratory results for metallurgical and chemical analysis (corrosion, fatigue, SEM, thermography, signature analysis).+ Completed equipment reliability studies for power plant systems and SPV components, including INPO AP-913 methodology. Efforts included FMEA; operating experience review; failure rate determinations; system models, and maintenance interval reviews.+ Designed HVAC system, racks, and fire protection for lithium-ion battery storage. Effort included mechanical layout, fire protection, thermal modeling, and CFD analyses for air-cooling.+ Designed specialty test fixtures and tooling. Effort included material selection, dimensioning and tolerancing on design drawings, and calculations.+ Completed structural analyses of piping systems using ANSYS and AutoPIPE per ASME design codes. Effort included support/damper design, and leak before break stability calculations.