A Project Centered Approach To Teaching Of Thermal Fluid Systems Analysis And Design

In the fall of 1998, the Thermal-Fluid Systems faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin introduced a new junior-level course, ME343 Thermal-Fluid Systems, which replaced a long-standing second course in thermodynamics. This course caps a three course sequence in fundamentals of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. It is intended to deepen students’ understanding of material covered in the three fundamentals courses, to extend their knowledge base in selected areas, and to tie the fundamental areas together in the context of engineering systems. We also wish to enhance students’ ability to apply computer tools, to research engineering literature, to self-teach, and to communicate.