Christopher Damm, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
- Milwaukee WI UNITED STATES
- Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Damm's consulting interests relate to combustion and carbon monoxide generation, transport, and exposure.
Multimedia
Education, Licensure and Certification
Ph.D.
Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Berkeley
2001
M.S.
Brown University
Physics
1995
M.S.
Mechanical Engineering
University of Minnesota
1993
B.S.
Mechanical Engineering
University of Minnesota
1991
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Karl O. Werwath Engineering Research Award, MSOE
2011
Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award
Sierra Nevada College, 2002-2003
Society of Automotive Engineers
Doctoral Scholar, 2000 - 2001
University of California Earl C. Anthony Regents Fellow
1996-97
Future Faculty Development Fellow
US Department of Education, 1993-1994
Affiliations
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) : Member
- Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) : Member
- Chris Damm and Associates: President and Chief Engineer
- Skogen Engineering Group : Consultant
Social
Media Appearances
SAE wins outstanding collegiate branch award
MSOE News
2019-02-11
MSOE’s student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was the Class 2 recipient of the 2018 SAE Honeywell Outstanding Collegiate Branch Award. They are only one of two recipients of this award, out of 251 SAE chapters worldwide. The award, established in 1963 by the Bendix Corp., recognizes SAE Collegiate Branches for exemplary performance in the areas of technical meetings, networking opportunities, promoting SAE membership, activities including the Collegiate Design SeriesTM competitions, and community service programs like A World in Motion®.
Supermileage team surpasses expectations
MSOE News
2018-06-28
Team Carbonair is composed of 21 students—freshman through junior level—representing all majors. The team is advised by Dr. Christopher Damm, professor and director of the Mechanical Engineering program. “It’s a fairly small team to be designing and building two vehicles,” Boyce said. “But this meant everyone had a pivotal role to play in the team’s success. I’m proud of the way each member of the team stepped up and took ownership of the project.”
MSOE SAE wins Outstanding Collegiate Branch award for fourth time
MSOE News
2017-02-24
“We are honored to receive this award. It’s a testament to the hard work and commitment of the students in our SAE chapter,” said Dr. Christopher Damm, head of MSOE’s mechanical engineering program and faculty advisor to the student chapter. “The SAE student officers and competition teams continue to excel in providing the MSOE community with meaningful exposure to the engineering profession.”
Event and Speaking Appearances
Development of a Web-based Decision Tool for Selection of Distributed Energy Resources and Systems (DERS) for Moving College and Corporate Campuses toward Net-Zero Energy
ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Columbus, OH, 2017
Biodiesel-fueled Engine Generator with Heat Recovery
ASME International Conference on Energy Sustainability Jacksonville, FL, 2008
Baselining the Energy Consumption of an Existing College Campus in a Feasibility Study of Achieving a Net-Zero Energy (NZE) Goal
Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) Conference Proceedings Milwaukee, WI, 2015
An Assessment of Motor Vehicle Particulate Matter Emissions Measurements
13th International Scientific Symposium on Transport and Air Pollution Boulder, CO, 2004
Building as a Power Plant: Modeling and Selection of a Combined Heat and Power System for an Advanced Commercial Building
114th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Honolulu, Hawaii, 2007
Research Grants
Developing a Model of an NZE (Net Zero Energy) Campus in a Micro Grid Environment
Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (mWERC)
2014
Collaborators: Dr. Bass Abushakra (PI, MSOE), Jeong Woo (co-PI, MSOE), and Adel Nasiri (co-PI, UWM)
Performance Characterization and Optimization of Integrated Renewable Energy and Efficient Building Energy Supply Systems
Desert Research Institute
2013
Support for Summer Research
Advanced Microgrid Test Facilities in Milwaukee and Madison
Wisconsin Energy Research Consortium
2012
A collaboration with UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and Marquette University
Solar Thermal Energy Education, Design, and Implementation on MSOE Dormitory
Focus on Energy Gran
2011
Principal Investigator
Solar Thermal Engineering Experimentation at MSOE
We Energies
2011
Principal Investigator
Selected Publications
Development of the Renewable Energy Deployment and Display (REDD) Facility at the Desert Research Institute
ASME 2014 8th International Conference on Energy SustainabilityDamm, C., Strobach, E., Robbins, C., Broch, A., Turner, R., Hoekman, S. K.
2014
The Desert Research Institute (DRI) has developed a Renewable Energy Deployment and Display (REDD) Facility as an off-grid capable facility for exploration of integration, control, and optimization of distributed energy resources (DER) with an emphasis on solar and wind energy. The primary goal of the facility is to help grow DRI’s capabilities and expertise in areas of renewable energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment. The facility is powered by four solar PV arrays (6 kW total) and two wind turbines (3 kW total) during off-grid operation. Energy storage is achieved via two 2.5 m3 hydrogen storage tanks and a 9 kWh battery bank. The hydrogen is produced via a 5 kW electrolyzer and is used to fuel an internal combustion engine (ICE) with an alternator when needed.
Development of a Fluids Laboratory Experience in Dimensional Analysis and Similitude Applied to Vortex Shedding From a Cylinder in Cross-Flow
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and ExpositionAnderson, M., Shiltz, D., Damm, C.
2014
A fluids laboratory experience that introduces students to dimensional analysis and similitude was designed and performed in a junior-level first course in fluid mechanics. After students are given an introduction to dimensional analysis, the technique is applied to the phenomenon of vortex shedding from a cylinder in cross-flow. With help from the instructor, lab groups use dimensional analysis to ascertain the relevant dimensionless pi terms associated with the phenomenon. After successfully determining that the pi terms are the Strouhal number and the Reynolds number, experiments are performed to elucidate the general functional relationship between the dimensionless groups. To conduct the experiments, a wind-tunnel apparatus is used in conjunction with a Pitot tube for measurements of free stream velocity and a platinum-plated tungsten hot-wire anemometer for rapid (up to 400 kHz) measurements of velocity fluctuations downstream of the cylinder. Utilizing an oscilloscope in parallel with a high-speed data acquisition system, students are able to determine the vortex shedding frequency by performing a spectral analysis (via Fourier transform) of the downstream velocity measurements at multiple free stream velocities and for multiple cylinder diameters (thus a varying Reynolds number). The students’ experimental results were found to agree with relationships found in the technical literature, showing a constant Strouhal number of approximately 0.2 over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. This exercise not only gives students valuable experience in dimensional analysis and design of experiments, it also provides exposure to modern data acquisition and analysis methods.
Design, Installation, and Performance Characterization of a Laboratory-Scale Solar Thermal System for Experiments in Solar Energy Utilization
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and ExpositionDrozek, S., Damm, C., Enot, R., Hjortland, A., Jackson, B., Steffes, B., Rode, K.
2013
The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of a laboratory-scale solar thermal system for the Renewable Energy Systems Laboratory at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). The system development began as a student senior design project where students designed and fabricated a laboratory-scale solar thermal system to complement an existing commercial solar energy system on campus. The solar thermal system is designed specifically for educating engineers. This laboratory equipment, including a solar light simulator, allows for variation of operating parameters to investigate their impact on system performance. The equipment will be utilized in two courses: Applied Thermodynamics, and Renewable Energy Utilization. During the solar thermal laboratories performed in these courses, students conduct experiments based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 93-2010 standard for testing and performance characterization of solar thermal systems. Their measurements are then used to quantify energy output, efficiency and losses of the system and subsystem components.
A Micro-Combined Heat and Power Laboratory for Experiments in Applied Thermodynamics
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and ExpositionFlotterud, J. D., Damm, C. J., Steffes, B. J., Pfaff, J. J., Duffy, M. J., Kaiser, M. A.
2012
The purpose of this paper is to describe a micro-combined heat and power system, sized for residential distributed power generation, which was designed, constructed, and installed in the Advanced Energy Technologies Laboratory at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The installation began as a Mechanical Engineering senior design project, in which students evaluated potential methods for distributed residential combined heat and power systems. Potential systems were evaluated based on cost-effectiveness in supplying the energy requirements of a typical residence in Milwaukee, WI, and they were also judged on their environmental impacts. Initial feasibility studies, undertaken with consideration of Milwaukee’s climatic conditions, found that a natural gas-fired, reciprocating engine-generator set with heat recovery exchangers could best meet the energy needs of a typical residence in a cost-effective manner. Following the design, fabrication, and installation of the system in the laboratory, the team designed and performed experiments to quantify the system performance. The system is currently configured to deliver 2 kW of electric power and 6 kW of thermal power, achieving an overall efficiency of 72%. The system is now used in two courses: Applied Thermodynamics, and Advanced Energy Technologies. During the cogeneration laboratories performed in these courses, students decide which measurements are needed and use the collected data to compute performance parameters, to complete an energy balance, and to perform a second-law analysis of the system.
Building as a Power Plant: Modeling and Selection of a Combined Heat and Power System for an Advanced Commercial Building
ASME Experiences in Teaching Energy CoursesEgan, B., Dechant, S., Damm, C.
2007
In this Mechanical Engineering senior project, combined heat and power (CHP) systems were evaluated based on their effectiveness in supplying the energy requirements of a planned building on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. Initial feasibility studies found that three system types could potentially meet the energy needs of the building in a cost-effective manner: a diesel engine-generator system with heat recovery exchangers, a gas microturbine with an exhaust gas boiler, and a high temperature fuel cell with heat recovery exchangers. Using engineering equation solver (EES) software, the thermodynamics of each system was modeled to assess its useful thermal output for different system sizes. The thermodynamic analysis determined the necessary system size needed to meet the predicted maximum thermal load of the building. The required system sizes are (reported as maximum electrical power output): two 115 kW diesel engine-generator sets, a 250 kW microturbine, or two 250 kW high temperature fuel cells.
After sizing the systems, a cash flow analysis model was constructed to evaluate each system under varying assumptions regarding utility rates, fuel costs, and renewable energy incentive programs. Systems utilizing commonly used fuels (natural gas and diesel fuel), as well as biofuels (biogas and biodiesel) were considered in the analysis. Potential systems were also compared to a traditional system comprised of a natural gas fueled HVAC system with building electrical energy needs being supplied by the local utility. The economic model incorporates realistic system and fuel pricing from quotes received from system manufacturers and distributors. The economic model uses operating parameters for each system, along with three different utility rate structures, and calculates the internal rate of return assuming a 20 year system life. Based on the results obtained from the economic analysis, a natural gas fueled microturbine and diesel fueled engine-generator set are best choices for the combined heat and power system. They offer comparable rates of return in each scenario, and are unaffected by the unpredictability of renewable energy buyback incentives. The microturbine offers more adaptability while the diesel engine-generator offers a lower capital investment.
