PNNL

Mychal Spencer joined the Applied Materials and Manufacturing group of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2019. He is an engineer and materials scientist who specializes in materials characterization, non-destructive examination, multiphysics simulations, and video and image processing. Prior to working at PNNL, he was a lead engineer at General Electric with a focus on solid mechanics and fluid-structure interactions. At PNNL, Spencer is currently leading projects on the evaluation of material degradation, effects of sterilization, offshore non-destructive examination, and digital twins. He is also a board member of the Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (2022–2024). 

• Material and component characterization
• Destructive and non-destructive examination
• Multiphysics simulations
• Video and image processing

• PhD in aerospace engineering, Pennsylvania State University
• MS in mechanical engineering, Purdue University
• BS in mechanical engineering, Washington State University

• Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Board member, Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (2022–2024)

• Monroe, J. A., and M. P. Spencer. Pressure Relief Valve. U.S. Patent 8,607,818B2, filed May 20, 2010, and issued December 17, 2013, https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/39/0b/2d/2b740deae4d5fb/US8607818.pdf.
• Spencer, M. P. Apparatus for Setting and Verifying Set Point on a Valve Assembly. U.S. Patent 9,528,630, filed October 16, 2013, and issued April 16, 2015, https://patents.justia.com/patent/20150102252.

2022

• Li D., A. Sriraman, Y. Ni, I.R. Ellis, M.P. Spencer, A. Zwoster, and L.S. Fifield. 2022. "Dose Rate Effects in the Aging of Nuclear Cable Insulation Subjected to Gamma Radiation." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2022), October 30-November 2, 2022, Denver, CO, 372-375. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-175819. doi:10.1109/CEIDP55452.2022.9985382
• Spencer M.P., A. Sriraman, S.W. Glass, and L.S. Fifield. 2022. "3D Frequency Domain Reflectometry Digital Twin of an Electrical Cable: A First Glance." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2022), October 30-November 2, 2022, Denver, CO, 103-106. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-175796. doi:10.1109/CEIDP55452.2022.9985387
• Spencer M.P., A.A. Alsaati, J. Park, R. Braga Nogueira Branco, A. Marconnet, and N. Yamamoto. 2022. "Tuning Interparticle Contacts and Transport Properties of Maghemite-Thermoset Nanocomposites by Applying Oscillating Magnetic Fields." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 14, no. 14:16601-16610. PNNL-SA-171075. doi:10.1021/acsami.2c00331
• Sriraman A., L.S. Fifield, S.W. Glass, M.P. Spencer, M.S. Prowant, and A.D. Guzman. 2022. "Temperature Dependence of FDR Response for Thermally Aged Low-Voltage Cables." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2022), October 30-November 2, 2022, Denver, CO, 57-60. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-175797. doi:10.1109/CEIDP55452.2022.9985311

2021

• Fuchs W.K., M.P. Spencer, D. Li, Y. Ni, A. Zwoster, and L.S. Fifield. 2021. "Correlation of Diffusion Limited Oxidation to Color Difference in Accelerated Aging of Electrical Cable Insulation." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2021), December 12-15, 2021, Vancouver, BC, 639-642. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-163670. doi:10.1109/CEIDP50766.2021.9705346
• Glass S.W., L.S. Fifield, and M.P. Spencer. 2021. "Transition to Online Cable Insulation Condition Monitoring." In 48th Annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE 2021), July 28-30, 2021, Virtual, Online, Art. No. v001t14a004. New York, New York:American Society of Mechanical Engineers. PNNL-SA-165308.
• Glass S.W., M.P. Spencer, A. Sriraman, L.S. Fifield, and M.S. Prowant. 2021. Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Cable Moisture Exposure using Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR). PNNL-31934. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Cable Moisture Exposure using Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR)
• Li D., M.P. Spencer, M. Pallaka, T.T. Bisel, Y. Ni, A. Zwoster, and M.K. Murphy, et al. 2021. "Principal Component Analysis of Nuclear Cable Insulation Subjected to Elevated Temperature and Gamma Radiation." In Electrical insulation conference (EIC 2021), June 7-28, 2021, Virtual, Online, 185 - 188. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-159344. doi:10.1109/EIC49891.2021.9612244
• Li D., M.P. Spencer, Y. Ni, M. Pallaka, A. Zwoster, and L.S. Fifield. 2021. "Application of Principal Component Analysis for the Monitoring of the Aging Process of Nuclear Electrical Cable Insulation." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2021), December 12-15, 2021, Vancouver, BC, 514-517. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-163496. doi:10.1109/CEIDP50766.2021.9705438
• Ni Y., T.T. Bisel, M.P. Spencer, W.K. Fuchs, M. Pallaka, and L.S. Fifield. 2021. "Color Change During Thermal Degradation of Polyolefin Electric Cable Insulations." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2021), December 12-15, 2021, Vancouver, BC, 129-132. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-163741. doi:10.1109/CEIDP50766.2021.9705427
• Pallaka M., M.P. Spencer, T.T. Bisel, Y. Ni, M.K. Murphy, and L.S. Fifield. 2021. "Monitoring Degradation of Nuclear Cable Insulation Subjected To Sequential and Simultaneous Thermal and Radiation Aging." In Annual Technical Conference (ANTEC 2021), May 10-21, 2021, Virtual, Online, Paper No. 170574. Brookfield, Connecticut:Society of Plastics Engineers. PNNL-SA-157876.
• Pallaka M., W.K. Fuchs, M.P. Spencer, A.L. Arteaga, A. Zwoster, and L.S. Fifield. 2021. "Detection of diffusion limited oxidation in thermally aged ethylene propylene rubber cable insulation material." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2021), December 12-15, 2021, Vancouver, BC, 526-530. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-163682. doi:10.1109/CEIDP50766.2021.9705460
• Spencer M.P., and L.S. Fifield. 2021. "Effect of Mechanical Deformation on the Dielectric Electric Field in Dynamic Umbilical Cables." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2021), December 12-15, 2021, Vancouver, BC, 651-654. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-163688. doi:10.1109/CEIDP50766.2021.9705442

2020

• Spencer M.P., A. Zwoster, T.T. Bisel, M.K. Murphy, and L.S. Fifield. 2020. "Sequential versus Simultaneous Aging of EPDM Nuclear Cable Insulation Subjected to Elevated Temperature and Gamma Radiation." In IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2020), October 18-30, 2020, East Rutherford, NJ, 470-474. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-153882. doi:10.1109/CEIDP49254.2020.9437502
• Spencer M.P., A. Zwoster, T.T. Bisel, M.K. Murphy, and L.S. Fifield. 2020. "Sequential versus Simultaneous Aging of XLPE Nuclear Cable Insulation Subjected to Elevated Temperature and Gamma Radiation." In IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC 2020), June 22-July 3, 2020, Knoxville, TN, 50-53. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-150824. doi:10.1109/EIC47619.2020.9158657