Michael Bifano, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr. Bifano is a consultant in the chemical and petrochemical industries performing fitness-for-service (FFS) evaluations of in-service equipment using the rules of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1.  He is the Team Leader of the Rotating Equipment, Vibration, & Dynamics Team and serves as the Equity Technical Authority on vibration measurements, diagnostics, and piping and structural vibration fatigue assessments.    

He is a voting member of the API 579 FFS Committee and co-author of the upcoming API 579 Part 15 methodology on the assessment of Piping Vibration.  Additionally, Dr. Bifano specializes in transient thermal-mechanical fatigue analysis, computational fluid dynamics, elevated temperature creep and creep-fatigue simulations, and fracture mechanics using analytical and computational techniques. 

Prior to joining Equity, Dr. Bifano worked as a graduate research fellow in the Nanomechanics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University.  He has published multiple papers on guided wave vibrations and the role of wave confinement effects on heat transport and thermal properties of nanomaterials.

Publications:

1. Bifano, M.F.P. and Calko, T., “Fitness for Service of In-Service Thermowells via Experimental Damping Tests,” PVP2024-123554, Proceedings of the 2024 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, San Antonio, TX, 2024.
2. Kummari, S. and Bifano, M.F.P., “Proposed New Guidance for the Design of Fillet Welded Patches,” PVP2024-123337, Proceedings of the 2024 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, San Antonio, TX, 2024.
3. Kummari, S. and Bifano, M.F.P., “An Application of Random Response Analysis for Analyzing Vibration Fatigue Failures Due to Liquid Impingement Loads,” PVP2024-122624, Proceedings of the 2024 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, San Antonio, TX, 2024.
4. Libertowski, N.D. and Bifano, M.F.P., “Identifying and Understanding the Risk of Acoustic-Induced Vibration Failures,” Inspectioneering, Vol. 27-2, March/April 2021.
5. Kummari, S.R., Prueter, P.E., Bifano, M.F.P., Seijas, A., and Hantz, B., “Further Investigation into the Damage Tolerance of Different Coke Drum Support Skirt Designs,” PVP2019-93529, Proceedings of 2019 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, San Antonio, TX, July 14-19, 2019.
6. Gassama, E., Bifano, M.F.P, Feller, A.J., and Spring, D.W., “Updating the Master S-N Curve to Account for Run-Out Data: Application to Piping Vibration,” Procedia Structural Integrity 19, 711-718, 2019.
7. Bifano, M.F.P., Breaux, L., Feller, A. J., and Brodzinski, R., “New Fatigue Screening Criteria for the Fitness-for-service Assessment of In-Service Process Piping Vibrations,” PVP2018-84847, Proceedings of the ASME 2018 Pressure Vessel and Piping Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, July 15-20, 2018.
8. Kummari, S.R., Bifano, M.F.P., and Prueter, P.E., “Evaluating Large Aboveground Storage Tanks Subject to Seismic Loading Part II: Explicit Dynamic Analysis with Liquid Sloshing Effects,” PVP2018-84837, Proceedings of the ASME 2018 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, July 15-20, 2018.
9. Prueter, P., Bifano, M.F.P., Kummari, S.R., and Hantz, B., “A Comparative Study of the Thermal-Mechanical Behavior and Fatigue Life Predictions of Different Coke Drum Support Skirt Designs,” Proceedings of the ASME 2017 Pressure Vessels & Piping Division Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii, July 16-20, 2017.
10. Bifano, M.F.P. and Breaux, L., “Screening Practices for the Assessment of Piping Vibrations,” 7th Biennial Inspection Summit, API, Galveston Island, Texas, Jan 30-Feb 02, 2017.
11. Dewees, D.J., Prueter, P.E., Kummari, S.R., Brown, R.G., Smith, K.J., Bifano, M.F.P., and Osage, D.A., “Development of Revised Weld Residual Stress Guidance for Fitness-For-Service Assessments in API 579-1/ASME FFS-1,” The Welding Research Council, Inc., NY, 2014.
12. Kummari, S.R., Bifano, M.F.P., Dewees, D.J., “Large Eddy Simulation – Based Mixing Tee Analysis and Comparison with in-Service Failure Data,” AIChE 2103 Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety, San Antonio, TX, 2013.
13. Park, J., Bifano, M.F.P., Prakash, V., “Sensitivity of Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotubes to Defect Concentrations and Heat-Treatment,” J. Appl. Phys. 113, 034312, 2013.
14. Kaul, P., Bifano, M.F.P., Prakash, V., “Multifunctional Carbon Nanotube–Epoxy Composites for Thermal Energy Management,” J. Composite Mater. 47, pages 77-95, 2013.
15. Bifano, M.F.P., Park, J., Kaul, P., Roy, A.K., Prakash, V., “Effects of Heat Treatment and Contact Resistance on the Thermal Conductivity of Individual Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Using a Wollaston Wire Thermal Probe,” Journal of Applied Physics 111, 054321, 2012.
16. Park, J., Bifano, M.F.P., Prakash V., “Thermal Transport in 3D Pillared CNT-Graphene Nanostructures,” IMECE-89612, Proceedings of the ASME 2011 IMECE, Houston, TX, 2012.
17. Bifano, M.F.P., Park, J., Prakash, V., “Sensitivity of Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotubes to Defect Concentrations and Heat-Treatment,” IMECE-89625, Proceedings of the ASME 2011 IMECE, Houston, TX, 2012.
18. Bifano, M.F.P., Prakash, V., “Thermal Properties of Nanowires and Nanotubes with Acoustically Stiffened Surfaces,” Journal of Applied Physics 111, 034319, 2012.
19. Prakash, V., Kaul, P., Park, J., Bifano, M.F.P., “A Novel Device for In-Situ Nanomechanics of 1-D Nanostructures,” JOM. 63, 9, 2011.
20. Bifano, M.F.P., Prakash, V., “Thermal Properties of Nanotubes and Nanowires with Acoustically Stiffened Surfaces,” IMECE-13302, Proceedings of the ASME 2011 IMECE, Denver, CO, 2011.
21. Bifano, M.F.P., Kaul, P., Prakash, V., “Thermal Conductivity of Heat Treated and Non-Heat Treated Individual Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes,” IMECE-65406, Proceedings of the ASME 2011 IMECE, Denver, CO, 2011.
22. Bifano, M.F.P., Kaul, P., Prakash, V., “Application of Elastic Wave Dispersion Relations to Estimate Thermal Properties of Nano-Scale Wires and Tubes of Varying Wall Thickness and Diameter,” Nanotechnology, 21, 235704, 2010.
23. Bifano, M.F.P., Kaul, P., Prakash, V., Roy, A.K., “Application of Elastic Dispersion Relations to Estimate Thermal Properties of Nano-Scale Rods and Tubes of Varying Wall Thickness and Diameter,” Proceedings of the ASME 2009 IMECE, IMECE-13302, Lake Buena Vista, FL, 2009.

Industry Activities:

• Voting Member of the ASME FFS Joint Committee (API 579-1/ASME FFS-1)
• Co-author of the Part 15 development of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service guidance for the assessment of vibration fatigue in piping and piping components
• Contributor to the development of Fitness-For-Service Methodologies in API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service updated weld residual stress guidance