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Mr. Acorn provides expert evaluations, thorough analyses and where necessary, effective testimony in dispute resolution settings. These services have been provided for some of the most complex of projects all over the world. Mr. Acorn is fluent in the techniques of discovery and investigative analysis of building and engineering failures to assist clients in resolving liability or claims that may result in legal or adversarial positions. Mr. Acorn’s clients are secure in the knowledge that the opinions and assertions Mr. Acorn provides are founded upon unbiased analysis, data and broad experience.  
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CLIENT: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Livermore, CA Evaluation of the design and construction of HVAC systems for the largest laser facility in the world. The purpose of the evaluation and the report and recommendations was to determine the reasons for inadequate performance of the HVAC systems responsible for controlling the environment (strict temperature, noise and vibration control is required). Field studies, in-situ testing and theoretical/practical evaluation of the various HVAC systems in this building with more than 200,000 SF of area were accomplished. The field tests were correlated to theoretical evaluations to determine if the test results could be relied upon as a basis for recommendations. A detailed report was developed to explain the methodology and the findings to a highly technical client that was not conversant with the details of HVAC system design, construction or operation. The report provided prioritized recommendations for potential implementation by LLNL.
CLIENT: Confidential Client, Phoenix, AZ Evaluation of the optimum means to correct temperature and humidity control deficiencies (that were reducing product yield) in this wafer fabrication facility. The evaluation included field investigation of the existing facility and HVAC systems for the cleanroom, development and supervision of in-situ field testing and quantitative analysis of a variety of potential retrofit opportunities. Evaluation of potential remediations were conducted from the perspective of implementation cost, feasibility of retrofit in an operational factory and energy cost implications of each option.
CLIENT: Bergstrom AFB and Corps of Engineers, Austin, TX Evaluation of the cause of massive failure of a large distributed product refrigeration system in the newly constructed commissary facility. The refrigeration systems were designed by a nationally known manufacturer of grocery store refrigerated display cases under performance specification contract to the Corps of Engineers. The analysis revealed design and construction defects in the controls for the manifolded, multi-pressure refrigerant compressor racks and in the arrangement and sizing of the refrigerant piping distribution system. The results of this evaluation were used as the basis for re-writing the specifications of the Corps of Engineers for such systems. William Acorn went on to evaluate another such failure at Williams AFB in Chandler AZ and to successfully design a commissary refrigeration system at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ.
CLIENT: Confidential Client, Phoenix, AZ Evaluation of large chilled water and glycol/water (low temperature) distribution systems at a manufacturer's campus. The chilled water system had an aggregate capacity in excess of 20,000 tons of refrigeration effect and the glycol/water (34F) system capacity was approximately 3,000 tons. These chilled water systems and the miles of piping they included served several hundred air handling units ranging to 100,000 CFM in capacity. The systems were incapable of efficiently delivering chilled water to all of the terminal devices and the operating costs were beyond norms for systems of this type. William Acorn supervised the quantitative analysis of these systems utilizing computer simulation techniques and prepared a report providing prioritized retrofit recommendations to the owner. This report was later used as the basis for design of retrofit of the central plant and the piping distribution systems by Mr. Acorn's engineering firm.
CLIENT: University of Texas, Austin Campus Evaluation of the cause of catastrophic failure of air to air heat exchangers associated with research laboratory HVAC systems. This assignment involved review of design documents, on-site observation and evaluation of failed components and technical evaluation of the aerodynamic forces (turbulent flow) associated with the installation of the heat exchangers in field built air handling units (approximately 50,000 CFM/each). An engineering report and recommendations were issued prior to litigation, resulting in a definitive plan of remedial action and resolution. |
PROJECT: LLNL National Ignition Facility (NIF), Livermore, CA
PROJECT: Evaluation of Humidity Control Issues, Wafer Fab
PROJECT: Refrigeration System Failure Evaluation
PROJECT: Evaluation of Chilled Water Distribution Systems on Manufacturing Campus
PROJECT: University of Texas Neural and Molecular Sciences Building