Thermo/Fluids Curriculum Development in a New Mechanical Engineering Program

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Jokar ◽  
Stephen Solovitz
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Dual Approach ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Hands On

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.

An Introductory Course in Thermal Fluid Engineering

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Sorensen ◽  
M. Ellis ◽  
C. Dancey ◽  
B. Vick ◽  
D. Jaasma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Team Teaching ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Faculty ◽  
Organizational Skills ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Faculty Teaching ◽  
Laboratory Report ◽  
Hands On

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.

Improving Students’ Understanding of the Impact of Engineering Solutions in a Global and Societal Context

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bannerot ◽  
Chad Wilson ◽  
Ross Kastor
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Capstone Course ◽  
The Past ◽  
College Course ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Step Over ◽  
The Impact

ABET 2000 imposes the requirement that engineering programs demonstrate that graduates “have the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context”. (Criterion 3h) The implication is that providing the “exposure” to the impact of engineering should be sufficient. However, demonstrating learning takes the process another step. Over the past few years, we have added material to several existing, traditional mechanical engineering courses and added one entirely new course in response to the requirements of ABET 2000 in general and Criterion 3h in particular. We have also introduced additional surveys, assignments and testing into these courses to assess specific aspects of student learning. This paper describes the changes in the sophomore design class, the second course in thermodynamics, the heat transfer course, and the capstone course as well as the new College course in technical communications related to the impact of engineering solutions. The assessment processes are also described.

scholarly journals Self Evaluation for Compliance with the 12 CDIO Standards

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Platanitis ◽  
Remon Pop-Iliev
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Engineering Ethics ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Engineering Program

Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, collaboration began between universities, industry, and government to improve the quality and state of engineering education. Their paramount goal was to provide better ways to help students become successful engineers, possessing the necessary technical skills and expertise, exhibiting creativity, and having awareness of social, lawful, ethical, and environmental impacts as related to their profession. Traditionally, engineering programs emphasized the theoretical aspects required, while placing little emphasis on practical applications. An approach that has been introduced to provide a better learning experience for engineering students and to educate them as well-rounded engineers to be able to develop complex, value-added engineering products and processes is the CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) approach. This approach has been adopted by several universities within their engineering departments. At UOIT, the Mechanical Engineering curriculum has been developed around and continually evolves to line up with the goals of CDIO in terms of course and curriculum offerings for core and complementary engineering design courses, science, math, communications, engineering ethics, and humanities courses. Herein, we present an evaluation of the Mechanical Engineering program at UOIT against the twelve CDIO standards.

scholarly journals CAPSTONE DESIGN IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph O. Buchal
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Career Goals ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University ◽  
Centres Of Excellence ◽  
Capstone Design

All engineering programs in Canada must culminate in a significant design experience. This paper describes the capstone design course in the Mechanical Engineering Program at the University of Western Ontario. Self-selected student teams choose from several types of projects: faculty-defined projects, student-defined entrepreneurial projects, student design competitions, and industry-sponsored projects. These choices accommodate a wide range of interests and career goals. The primary sources of project funding are industry sponsorship fees and matching funding through the Ontario Centres of Excellence Connections Program. The majority of project expenses are for parts, materials, prototype construction and testing.

An Innovative Offshore Delivery of an Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Program

2012 ◽  
pp. 233-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firoz Alam ◽  
Aleksandar Subic ◽  
Gregory Plumb ◽  
Mark Shortis ◽  
Reddy P. Chandra
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Flexible Learning ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Learning Modes

In the era of globalisation, traditional onshore education providers have the opportunity to offer offshore education to meet student needs. Although a number of many non-engineering programs have been offered offshore for some time, the engineering programs generally lag behind due to insufficient laboratory and workshop facilities off campus and the difficulties encountered when trying to emulate this learning experience. RMIT University’s offshore mechanical engineering program is designed to overcome these difficulties by combining traditional teaching and learning with flexible learning modes. The program represents a hybrid approach and has drawn significant interest among students, educational developers, and professional bodies.

Integrating Universities and Industry—A German Approach

1988 ◽  
Vol 202 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17
Author(s):  
H Winter
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Federal Republic Of Germany ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Machine Element ◽  
University Of Munich ◽  
Machine Elements ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
The Relationship

Starting from a list of topics which were suggested by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers this paper surveys the situation at German technical universities in the field of mechanical engineering. The details of teaching and research activities described here refer to the Institute for Machine Elements, Technical University of Munich, but the principles of the organization and the structure are mostly comparable with corresponding institutes at other universities in the Federal Republic of Germany. The following subjects will be discussed: 1. The organization of German technical universities, in particular the Institute's structure of a Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. 2. Undergraduate courses in engineering based on ‘vocational’ education; the means to ensure an education of approximately equal academic standard at different universities. 3. Machine element teaching at undergraduate level; efforts to ensure an equal level of knowledge in this field. 4. The structure and funding of postgraduate engineering research centres and institutes. For example the relationship between the Gear Research Centre (FZG) and the gearing and transmission industry in Germany will be discussed. 5. A summary of the research carried out at the FZG (gears, clutches, tribology)

scholarly journals Design Philosophy and System Integrity for Propagation of Hands-on Desktop Learning Modules for Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Negar Beheshti Pour ◽  
David Thiessen ◽  
Bernard Van Wie ◽  
Kitana Kaiphanliam ◽  
Aminul Islam Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Design Philosophy ◽  
System Integrity ◽  
Hands On

Design of Mobile HDPE Water Tanks: A Practical Design Exercise for Senior Students in Mechanical Engineering

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Seibi ◽  
T. Pervez
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Sultan Qaboos University ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Engineering Department ◽  
Water Tanks ◽  
Oral Presentations ◽  
Senior Students

Engineering design is becoming an integral part of any engineering program seeking international recognition and accreditation. Design practices are becoming a necessary experience to senior students nowadays in all engineering programs. The final year design project offered at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman gives senior students the chance to integrate their knowledge accumulated through already taken courses in the Mechanical Engineering Department to design particular products, experiments, and/or mechanical systems. In addition to gaining hands on experience of the design process, students were able to develop their communication skills and team work spirit. Throughout the whole year, students knowledge and expertise are enhanced through direct contact with their project advisor(s), project related memos, oral presentations, memos, posters, and written progress and final reports. The present paper describes the design process followed by a group of three senior students starting from understanding the problem and developing conceptual designs to the end product. CAD tools such as AutoCAD and ABAQUS were used to complete the design, build a prototype, and test it.

Teaching of Multimode Heat Transfer Through Laboratory Experiments

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Rodgers ◽  
Shrinivas Bojanampati ◽  
Valerie Eveloy ◽  
Afshin Goharzadeh ◽  
Arman Molki
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Test Configuration ◽  
Hands On

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.

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