Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics: Transforming Thermo Lectures Into A Dynamic Experience

One of the more challenging subjects for engineering undergraduates is thermodynamics. From students’ comments in both chemical engineering and other engineering disciplines at the three different institutions where I have taught, it is often viewed as ‘voodoo’ magic (the students’ terminology) at worst and at best, limited in its applicability to problems they encounter in other courses. However, fundamental thermodynamic principles arise in so many areas of chemical engineering that a sound background in thermodynamics is of immense value to the undergraduate student. Providing the student with real world examples and applications of thermodynamic principles from other chemical engineering courses/concepts can help them to better integrate their understanding of thermodynamics with these other topics and affords them the ability to draw on this understanding to explore new and unfamiliar topics.