Student Designed Desktop Modules in a Thermodynamics Course

There has been much recent work on incorporating hands-on modules inside the chemical engineering classroom. Arce emphasizes the use of student-designed and built modules (which he calls experimental prototypes) in fluid dynamics. Likewise, Minerick has used desktop modules that are faculty designed but are literally small enough to fit on the desktop. Finally, Van Wie has shown the utility of an all-in-one hands-on device specifically designed by faculty for use in fluid dynamics. It is the intention of the author to try and synthesize the best features of each approach. In particular, the author would like to have student-designed and built modules that fit on a desk or table-top, which can be used to explore multiple concepts. As a first step in this approach, students in a thermodynamics course at Tennessee Technological University were assigned the task to design and build a desktop module. The purpose of this step was to identify those designs that might best lend themselves to repeated use and/or address multiple concepts. Once built, the students demonstrated their device to their classmates and were assessed by upperclassman who had already taken the course for efficacy at concept demonstration. In a follow-on year, the next groups of students were assigned the task to modify the existing desktop modules in order to better expose the most salient thermodynamic concepts of the particular desktop module. This paper provides an update on the approach to this point.