Numerical Project for the Undergraduate Heat Transfer Course

Abstract

A numerical simulation project, described in this paper, was assigned in an undergraduate heat transfer course in the mechanical engineering curriculum. This project complemented the heat transfer lecture course and its corresponding heat transfer lab. It was used to help students visualize and better understand the difference between conduction heat transfer which occurs within a three-dimensional solid body and the convection and/or radiation which occur at the surface of the solid body. It also allowed the students to generate and compare results of one dimensional heat transfer calculations to three dimensional simulation results. The project contained well defined deliverables and an open-ended deliverable which allowed students to be creative. It gave the students reason to discuss the course outside the classroom. It allowed students to use SolidWorks heat transfer simulation and manage a MATLAB script without taking classroom time. It was appreciated and enjoyed by the students.