An Introductory Course in Thermal Fluid Engineering

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Sorensen ◽  
M. Ellis ◽  
C. Dancey ◽  
B. Vick ◽  
D. Jaasma ◽  
...  

Abstract Experiences related to a new sophomore level course, “Introduction to Thermal Fluid Engineering,” are described. Several hundred students have taken the course and are currently enrolled in the follow-on courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. The introductory course is structured as a two-hour per week lecture with a laboratory that meets three times during the semester. Although thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer subjects are introduced sequentially during the course, the overlap and inter-relationships between topics are emphasized. It has been beneficial both for students and the faculty teaching the course to see the bigger picture of the three courses as a whole rather than as separate topics. The open laboratories are manned by a graduate student or senior who guides the students through hands-on experiments. Each of the three simple experiments is designed to illustrate important principles and reinforce the computational skills of the students. A web site has been established to help guide the students in preparing the written portion of the laboratory report. Team teaching of some sections has been tried and compared to the standard one teacher per section approach. Feedback from the students indicated a surprising acceptance of having several teachers for a course when they were well coordinated. One advantage mentioned by the students was to introduce them to more of the mechanical engineering faculty early in their studies. Because this is the first course requiring engineering analysis taught by the mechanical engineering faculty, it provides the opportunity to direct them in their problem solving and organizational skills that will be useful throughout the rest of their courses. Student evaluations are included as part of the results presented.

Author(s):  
Amir Jokar ◽  
Stephen Solovitz

This study describes a model for developing a thermo/fluids curriculum in a new mechanical engineering program. Hands-on experience and applied engineering research are the center of this development. The efforts in creating undergraduate, elective, and graduate level courses and laboratories in the fundamental topics of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer are reviewed and explained in detail. A dual approach has been taken in developing the curriculum, so that both undergraduate and graduate students can utilize the facility in their research activities. This development has been revised and optimized since its initiation in 2005, and it has successfully been accredited by ABET. The good results obtained from this model can be used in developing mechanical engineering programs, especially for smaller-sized institutions.


1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Ochterbeck ◽  
J. L. Gaddis

Abstract Pursuant to implementation of a new mechanical engineering curriculum at Clemson University, results of the new introductory course in thermal-fluid science are presented. This course is situated in the second semester of the sophomore year for mechanical engineering majors, and is a prerequisite for the subsequent courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. In addition to introducing thermodynamic property analysis, the course develops conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy and provides an emphasis in design. Discussion is presented of the motivation, placement in the overall curriculum, interaction with other curriculum elements, and the selection of textbooks.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Negar Beheshti Pour ◽  
David Thiessen ◽  
Bernard Van Wie ◽  
Kitana Kaiphanliam ◽  
Aminul Islam Khan ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Peter Rodgers ◽  
Shrinivas Bojanampati ◽  
Valerie Eveloy ◽  
Afshin Goharzadeh ◽  
Arman Molki

Hands-on laboratory skills play a vital role in providing mechanical engineering students with a sound understanding of the scientific fundamentals and their application in solving real-life engineering problems. This paper describes a hands-on laboratory thermofluid project which is taught as part of a one-semester, junior-level mechanical engineering course titled Core Measurements Laboratory. The experiment focuses on characterization of heat transfer from a cartridge-heated, isothermal cylinder inside a circular enclosure, by conduction, natural convection and radiation. The project consists in the design and fabrication of the test facility, data acquisition and comparison of experimental results with analytical predictions, with a formal report submitted on completion. The project is undertaken by a team of four students over a five-week period. Emphasis is placed on highlighting potential discrepancies between measurement and analytical predictions, which are inherent in the test configuration considered, reflecting realistic engineering situations. Sample measurement and analysis results are reported. The teaching strategy employed to integrate fundamental theories with hands-on experiences is described. The effectiveness of the laboratory project in enhancing student learning of heat transfer, engineering analysis of discrepancies between predictions and measurements, and project management skills was demonstrated by monitoring student performance improvements over the duration of the project.


Author(s):  
Marvin Drewel ◽  
Leon Özcan ◽  
Jürgen Gausemeier ◽  
Roman Dumitrescu

AbstractHardly any other area has as much disruptive potential as digital platforms in the course of digitalization. After serious changes have already taken place in the B2C sector with platforms such as Amazon and Airbnb, the B2B sector is on the threshold to the so-called platform economy. In mechanical engineering, pioneers like GE (PREDIX) and Claas (365FarmNet) are trying to get their hands on the act. This is hardly a promising option for small and medium-sized companies, as only a few large companies will survive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already facing the threat of losing direct consumer contact and becoming exchangeable executers. In order to prevent this, it is important to anticipate at an early stage which strategic options exist for the future platform economy and which adjustments to the product program should already be initiated today. Basically, medium-sized companies in particular lack a strategy for an advantageous entry into the future platform economy.The paper presents different approaches to master the challenges of participating in the platform economy by using platform patterns. Platform patterns represent proven principles of already existing platforms. We show how we derived a catalogue with 37 identified platform patterns. The catalogue has a generic design and can be customized for a specific use case. The versatility of the catalogue is underlined by three possible applications: (1) platform ideation, (2) platform development, and (3) platform characterization.


Author(s):  
A. H. Epstein ◽  
G. R. Guenette ◽  
R. J. G. Norton

A short duration (0.4 sec) test facility, capable of testing 0.5-meter diameter, film-cooled, high work aircraft turbine stages at rigorously simulated engine conditions has been designed, constructed, and tested. The simulation capability of the facility extends up to 40 atm inlet pressure at 2500°K (4000°F) turbine inlet temperatures. The facility is intended primarily for the exploration of unsteady, three-dimensional fluid mechanics and heat transfer in modern turbine stages.


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