MAJOR RESEARCH AREAS
EDUCATION
| Dec. 1982 | Ph.D. Heat and Mass Transfer | University of California, Los Angeles |
| March 1979 | M.S. Heat and Mass Transfer | University of California, Los Angeles |
| June 1976 | B.S. Engineering | University of California, Los Angeles |
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan
State University
Consulting Engineer, Thretford Corporation. Developed thermal
models for heat transfer in travel trailers. Evaluated potential
design for air conditioning systems.
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan
State University.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Louisiana
State University.
Consulting Engineer, Pickard, Lowe, and Garrick, Inc. Refined
heat transfer models for fires in nuclear power plans. Particular
interest in fire propagation through electrical cable trays.
MOST RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
Somerton, C.W., McDonough, J.M., and Catton, I., "Natural
Convection in A Volumetrically Heated Porous Layer," Journal
of Heat Transfer, Vol. 106, p. 241-244, 1984.
Somerton, C.W. and Wood, R., "The Effect of Walls in Modeling
Flow Through Porous Media," Journal of Hydraulics,
Vol. 114, No. 12, p. 1431-1448, 1988
Somerton, C.W. and Knight, F., "A Porous Media Model for
Animal Fur," accepted for publication in Applied Scientific
Research.
Somerton, C.W. and Goff, J.D., "Experiments on Natural Convection
in a Two Layer Porous Media with Varying Permeabilities,"
1985 National Heat Transfer Conference, Denver, August 1985.
Somerton, C.W. and Roebers, J. "Computer Simulation of a
Natural Convection Driven Packed Bed Chemical Reactor", 1988
National Heat Transfer Conference, Houston, July 1988.
Genik, L., Somerton, C.W., and Beck, J., "Estimation of the
Permeability and Forchheimer Coefficient for High Flow Rates through
a Porous Media," Sixth Inverse Problems in Engineering Conference,
Cincinnati, June 1994.
Thelen, W. and Somerton, C.W., "Rankine 3.0: A Steam Power
Plant Computer Simulation," ASME International Congress,
November 1994.
RECENT RESEARCH GRANTS
Schock, H. and Somerton, C.W., "Stratified Charge Rotary
Engine Combustion Studies," NASA, January 1, 1988 - December
31, 1988, $200,000.
Somerton, C.W., "A Computer Simulation of Simultaneous Heat
and Mass Transfer in Packed Beds," Ford Motor Company, January
1, 1994 - December 31, 1994, $41,000.
RECENT TEACHING ACTIVITIES
ME 201 Thermodynamics (MSU, Spring 1996)
ME 412 Heat Transfer Laboratory (MSU, Fall, Spring, Summer 1989-97)
ME 416 Computer Assisted Design of Thermal Systems (MSU, Fall
1990-97)
RECENT SERVICE ACTIVITIES
ASME Faculty Advisor (MSU, 1986-97)
Department Graduate Advisor (MSU, 1993-96)
Department Coordinator Quarter to Semester Conversion (MSU. 1990-93)
Department Coordinator Transition to EC 2000 (MSU, 1996-97)
DETAILED INFORMATION