Integration Of Computational Tools In Engineering Thermodynamics Curriculum

Computational tools have become readily available to assist in solving many engineering problems. Thus, it is important for engineering educators to incorporate computational tools in their curriculum so that students will have first-hand knowledge and hands-on experience with these tools in their studies. This paper describes the integration of computational tools in an Engineering Thermodynamics course at Lamar University in order to emphasize the design and analysis phases of the curriculum. The computational tools employed for the course include CyclePad, a virtual laboratory software for analyzing thermodynamic power and refrigeration cycles, PsyCalc, a psychrometric calculator to determine the properties of air-vapor mixtures, and Gaseq, a chemical equilibrium program to solve equilibrium properties of gases involving chemical reaction. The reactions of students to the use of these computational tools in their coursework have been very positive. The main benefits for the students are improved understanding and insight in the design and analysis aspects of thermodynamics, and hands-on knowledge and experience of modern computational tools.