Professional Role
Cliff Knight is the CEO and Chief Engineer at KnightHawk Engineering, Inc. He has accumulated 41 years of experience in the engineering field. As the lead technical professional, he heads major multidiscipline investigations into industrial static and rotating equipment failures.
Experience & Specializations
- Dow Chemical, U.S.A.: Spent ten years, achieving the position of Sr. Mechanical Engineering Specialist and Group Leader.
- Finite Element Method, Numerical Modeling, Heat Transfer, Pipe Stress Analysis, and Computational Fluid Dynamics: Over 30 years of experience.
- Developed proprietary analysis tools and methods for pelletizing dies, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and centrifugal compressors.
- Created KnightHawk’s Integrated Systems Approach for failure analysis and troubleshooting.
- Five U.S. patents for static and rotating equipment.
Education & Certifications
- BSME from Louisiana State University (1980).
- Registered Professional Engineer in 36 states.
- Certified by The United States Council for International Engineering Practice for the International Registry of Professional Engineers.
- Specialized Professional Engineer for Nuclear work under ASME Section III.
Published Works & Thought Leadership
Cliff Knight has contributed numerous articles to prestigious industry journals, including:
- Inspectioneering Journal: Discussed topics like transient computational fluid dynamics, erosion corrosion control, fracture analysis, and turbine failures.
- BIC Magazine: Authored case studies and articles on centrifugal compressor failures, steam conditions challenges, polymer lubricated bearings, and more.
Selected Articles
- "Transient Computational Fluid Dynamics": Explores the impact of transient conditions on equipment.
- "My Turbine Has Run For Years... Why Did It Fail Now?": Examines the common causes of turbine failures post-maintenance.
- "Erosion Corrosion Control": Delves into the mechanical and chemical factors affecting material degradation.
- "Fracture Analysis": Discusses methodologies to investigate and prevent compressor wrecks.
Company Leadership
At KnightHawk Engineering, Cliff Knight leads the charge with a focus on practical, multidisciplinary engineering solutions, making significant advancements in equipment design, failure analysis, and reliability assessments. Under his leadership, the company has also recently announced the purchase and relocation to newly remodeled corporate headquarters, expanding their operational capacity.
Contact Information
- Phone: 281-282-9200
- Email: hawkwork@knighthawk.com
KnightHawk Engineering provides comprehensive engineering expert witness evaluations and consulting services for complex engineering failures, emphasizing client satisfaction and innovative problem-solving approaches.
