KNUDSEN ASSOCIATES
Your Certified Expert Witness for Legal Matters
Offering Chemistry and Engineering Consulting Services
Christian W. Knudsen, ScD, PE
I began my career in the laboratory industry in 1983. During the 1980s, my laboratory won NASA and US Department of Energy SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) contracts worth about $2M.
These contracts led to the first two patents awarded by the US Patent and Trademark Office. These patents cover Carbotek’s invention of the processes to make liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and a heavy hydrogen isotope called tritium.
Tritium is an essential element needed for fusion nuclear reactors planned for use on the moon and on earth. The oxygen and hydrogen fuel combination powers travel to and from Mars, as well as other space exploration projects.
All chemistry and chemical engineering categories covered: organic & inorganic chemical, specialty chemical, fine & pharmaceutical chemical, coal, oil shale, tar sands, rubber, polymer (plastics), food, paper, metals & materials science matters; facilities accidents (fires & explosions incl cause & origin); process design & construction including computer process simulation & control; operations & maintenance; oil, gas, chemical & energy highway, rail, ship & pipeline transportation; laboratories, manufacturing plants & petroleum refineries; Intellectual Property (IP) and patent analysis; Environment, Health, Safety & Security (EHS&S); laboratory accidents; environmental & Superfund cases.
Seven expert cases, split between plaintiff and defendant types — all successful; several cases pending. Scientific quality, professional integrity and rapid results to retaining attorney lead to desirable client outcomes in highly adversarial expert environment. Best analytical lab results and interpretations; excellent complementary experts known. Sophisticated computer process simulations when needed. Latest technology information — constant chemistry and engineering professional activities — continuing expert witnessing education, e.g. 2011 SEAK Expert Conference, Naples, FL — ongoing fascination with chemistry and new developments. Strong IP capability: patent analysis and infringement cases.
ABOUT
DR. KNUDSEN
Dr. Knudsen is a 1961 graduate of Rice University and a 1969 graduate of M.I.T. with experience in the refining, petrochemical, gas processing, chemical process, synthetic fuels, electric power and marine industries. His knowledge and experience includes 42 years of process engineering design, economic analysis and cost estimating; project, program and executive management; plant operations and technical service; process research and development; environmental permitting and safety management; and business development, contract negotiation and marketing. Oil and gas experience includes onshore and offshore operations. Chemical experience includes the industrial, specialty and fine chemical areas with experience in both continuous and batch chemical operations. Synthetic fuels experience includes processing of coal, tar sands, oil shale and biomass. Power generation includes cogeneration from gas, oil and coal.
Dr. Knudsen’s expertise includes conceptual process design and economic evaluation for new technology in the above areas. He built and operated a successful chemical process development company for 15 years that completed over $20 million in bench- and pilot plant-based projects for government and industry. Many of these projects led to successful first-of-a-kind commercial plants. Along with process plant development, design and construction, Dr. Knudsen also has extensive knowledge of air and water effluent processing and permitting, hazardous facilities design to proper engineering codes, fire prevention, safety and building code regulations, ISO 9000 procedures for improved design and manufacturing operations, Responsible Care procedures for the chemical industries, and chemical Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
In addition to his technical expertise, Dr. Knudsen has negotiated many contracts with U.S. and overseas private, public and governmental organizations and prepared numerous business and technical reports. He has authored over 25 technical papers and has been awarded eight U.S. patents, including the first two pertaining to lunar technology. Dr. Knudsen was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 1989, a distinction limited to less than 10 percent of institute members with more than 10 years of membership.
Dr. Knudsen has dealt with many foreign corporations and government entities—in England, Scotland, Germany, France, Japan and South Africa, primarily. He has had contact with many U.S. corporate, university and government laboratories, including the national energy and nuclear laboratories and Department of Defense contract laboratories plus the NASA centers and laboratories. He has held cryptographic top-secret and nuclear top-secret government clearances while serving in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific and with the Department of Energy in Washington, DC.
GET RELIABLE TESTIMONIES FROM
An Experienced Specialist
I’m Christian W. Knudsen, a chemistry consultant for legal matters, as well as the owner and manager of Knudsen Associates. Specializing in fossil fuels and patent analysis, my experience in engineering, consultancy, and legal matters spans more than 53 years.
I hold a doctorate degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Since 2006, I have been providing lawyers with expert witness services as an accomplished chemical engineer and consultant.
My expert witness testimonies have, so far, been instrumental in helping lawyers win around 20 to 30 court cases for their clients.
Areas of Expertise
- Patent Analysis
- Intellectual Property
- Research and Development
- Laboratories and Testing
- Oil and Gas
- Petrochemicals
- Coal and Synfuels
- Specialty and Fine Chemicals
- Forensic Science
- Failure Analysis
- Environmental Safety
- Plastic and Rubber
- Toxic Chemicals
Consult an Expert
Confer with me on matters where my testimony as an expert witness is required. I’m eager to contribute the technical knowledge and expertise essential to helping lawyers build their cases in court.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- B.A., B.S.
Chemical Engineering – Rice University 1960/1961 - S.M.
Chemical Engineering – M.I.T. 1965 - Sc.D.
Chemical Engineering – M.I.T. 1969 - Registered Professional Engineer
Texas, Serial #36135 (1974) - Fellow
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1989) - Member
American Chemical Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
- 1999 – 2011
Christian Knudsen - 1985 – 1999
Carbotek Development Laboratories - 1981 – 1985
Halcon/Scientific Design Company - 1979 – 1981
General Electric Company - 1974 – 1979
U.S. Department of Energy - 1968 – 1974
Exxon Corporation - 1964 – 1968
M.I.T. Graduate School - 1961 – 1964
U.S. Navy
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETIES
- Tau Beta Pi (engineering) – Rice University
- Phi Lambda Upsilon (chemistry) – Rice University
- Sigma Xi (research science and engineering) – M.I.T.
Career
1968 M.I.T. chemical engineering doctorate led to now 43 year career:
- Petroleum refining research and development
- Coal and oil shale synthetic fuels R&D
- Chemical and petrochemical R&D
- Electric power R&D
- Lunar materials R&D for NASA
- Manufacturing plant process design, engineering and construction of previous categories — all with environmental, health, safety and security priorities.
’56 Rice U, undergrad — ’61 US Navy, sea duty ops officer — ’64 MIT, grad school — ’68 Exxon Research & Engineering, research assoc. — ’74 US
Department of Energy, Synfuels head — ’79 General Electric, Tech Dir — ’81 Halcon Scientific Design, Tech Dir — ’83 Carbotek Development
Laboratories, owner — 2000 Christian Knudsen, industry consulting and expert witnessing. Special honor: 1989 election to Fellow, American Institute of
Chemical Engineers.
Educational Activities
Seminars
SEAK National Expert Witness Conference – Naples, FL – April 2011
- Expert Report Writing Workshop – April 12
- Deposition Skills for Experts – April 13
- Conference Program – April 14 and 15
Short Courses
University of Wisconsin – Department of Engineering Professional Development
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- Flow Analysis – Pumps and Process Piping – January 25-26, 2011 — Houston
- Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment – February 23-24, 2011 – Houston
- Chemical Engineering Topics – March 14-16, 2011 – Houston
AIChE (Amer. Inst. of Chemical Eng’s) Webinars – 2010 / 2011
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- Process Flow Diagrams
- Process Safety Hazard Assessments
- Inherently Safe Design
- Chemical Process Principles
- Coal Gasification
- Reactive Chemical Hazards
- Pinch Analysis in Heat Transfer Networks
AIChE – South Texas Section – First Thursday Monthly Section Meetings
Dinner meeting technical presentations
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- Pre-meeting process engineering and computer-aided design workshops
- Rice Alumni College Weekend – March 18-20, 2011
- BioScience research collaboration with the Texas Medical Center
- Nanotechnology in chemical and biomolecular engineering
Advances in neuroscience