Teaching Of Fluid Mechanics Research Articles

Transforming Experimental Teaching of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer Courses Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The academic situation due to the COVID-19 lockdown forced teachers to transform conventional lessons to a fully online mode. The experimental component of chemical engineering degrees is an essential part of the courses, wherein the students usually attend a pilot plant and develop practical skills in a hands-on way. The present study shows the different methodologies developed and implemented during three academic years in the experimental component of two courses: fluid mechanics and heat transfer. Therefore, the year 2018–2019 represents a conventional scenario, in which the lessons and evaluation were conducted in a traditional mode (face-to-face). Later, the cessation of on-site teaching in the middle of the year 2019–2020 compelled the teaching staff to adapt methodologies to a distance mode. This transformation was based on the creation of new learning material: explanatory videos, online seminars, solved exercises and online tests. Finally, the end of the lockdown in the year 2020–2021 allowed the return to a mixed mode (face-to-face lessons in addition to online lessons), which enabled the redesign of the experimental part of the courses. After the end of the courses, the usefulness of the implemented methodologies was evaluated by means of collecting academic marks and student surveys. The results show that, in general, the yields were similar during the three years studied, except in the lockdown period of the fluid mechanics course in which it was slightly higher than the others. With regard to the opinion of the students, their feedback about the transformations made was generally positive.

Usage of A Virtual Environment to Improve the Teaching of Fluid Mechanics

<p class="0abstract">In many fields of study, physical sub-areas are treated mathematically in order to teach students the tools for optimization in their professional lives. This often means that the understanding of the physical interrelationships is left out in the cold. Practical experiments are often unsuitable for clarification, since important quantities in the mathematical formulation cannot be made visible in experiments (or only with extreme effort). Numerical calculations may show these quantities, but students cannot carry them out for themselves. For this purpose, the software Unreal engine 4 is used to create a virtual environment for fluid mechanics and compared with other methods to improve the teaching of the fundamentals of fluid mechanics. The virtual environment enables the students to influence the flow in order to experience and examine the basic physical effects. The results were used and evaluated in exercises and tutorials associated to the fluid mechanics course. Benefits for the use of virtual reality (VR) in teaching were ascertained.</p>

Large-Scale, Multidisciplinary Laboratory Teaching of Fluid Mechanics

The nature of fluid mechanics makes experimentation an important part of a course taught on the subject. Presented here is the application of a novel, large-scale multidisciplinary model of practical education in a fluids engineering laboratory. The advantages of this approach include efficiencies through the economy of scale leading to better pedagogy for students. The scale justifies dedicated academic resources to focus on developing laboratory classes and giving specific attention to designing activities that meet learning outcomes. Four examples of applying this approach to fluid mechanics experiments are discussed, illustrating tactics that have been developed and honed through many repeated instances of delivery. “The measurement lab” uses a flow measurement context to teach identifying and managing general experimental uncertainty. In this lab, new students, unfamiliar with fluid mechanics, are guided through a process to gain understanding that can be applied to all future experimental activities. The “pressure loss in pipes” lab discusses the advantage of and process for sharing equipment and teaching resources between multiple cohorts. Here, the provision for students is adapted for context, such as the degree program or year of study. The “weirs big and small” lab provides a methodology for teaching the power of dimensional analysis to mechanical engineers using a field of fluid mechanics that is outside their usual theoretical studies. Finally, the “spillway design” lab discusses mechanisms for delivering independent, open-ended student experiments at scale, without excessive staff resource requirements.

Improvement in Learning on Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer Courses Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

This paper is concerned with the teaching of fluid mechanics and heat transfer on courses for the industrial engineer degree at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (Spain). In order to improve the engineering education, a pedagogical method that involves project-based learning, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), was applied. The project-based learning works well for mechanical engineering education, since it prepares students for their later professional training. The courses combined applied and advanced concepts of fluid mechanics with the basic numerical aspects of CFD, including validation of the results obtained. In this approach, the physical understanding of practical problems of fluid mechanics and heat transfer played an important role. Satisfactory numerical results were obtained by using both Phoenics and Fluent finite-volume codes. Some cases were solved using the well known Matlab software. Comparisons were made between the results obtained by analytical solutions (if any) with those reached by CFD general-purpose codes and with those obtained by Matlab. This system provides engineering students with a solid comprehension of several aspects of thermal and fluids engineering.

Ambientes virtuales para la enseñanza de la mecánica de fluidos: Algunos ejemplos simplificados aplicando ANSYS

Para que un ambiente de enseñanza virtual pueda soportar un aprendizaje real, dichos ambientes deben proveer interacciones enseñanza-aprendizaje de alto nivel. En este artículo, se muestra como una herramienta computacional como ANSYS puede proveer un ambiente virtual para el aprendizaje de la mecánica de fluidos no sólo a nivel de pregrado si no también a niveles superiores. Las simulaciones computacionales, --aplicando ANSYS/FLOTRANCFD o cualquiera otro software de capacidades similares--, en el contexto de la enseñanza de la mecánica de fluidos son de interés fundamental dado que soportan un ambiente de simulación poderoso que puede aplicarse no sólo a la comprensión de ideas y conceptos fundamentales sino tambien al diseño y optimización de procesos de aplicación práctica.

Sensitivity of cellular Stokes flow to geometry

We present some experiments and calculations that illustrate the establishmentof a cellular Stokes flow between two parallel plates. The structure of thisflow is composed of successive closed eddies. The study of the influence of anadditional plate mounted midway between the channel walls shows thesensitivity of these eddies to the variation of the geometry. We suggest thatthis flow might be introduced in the specialized teaching of fluid mechanics,to show examples of transfer by cellular motion.

Fluid Mechanics from a Solid Mechanics Perspective

This paper is concerned with the teaching of fluid mechanics to first and second year mechanical engineering undergraduate students. In particular, attention is focused on, the apparent difficulty students have with the concepts of control volume (CV) theory and its implementation in practical calculations. It is argued that by developing the theory, relating to control volumes, from a solid mechanics standpoint, a higher degree of physical insight is achieved. An elemental mass approach, based on basic Newtonian principles, is discussed, so that the ideas of control volume theory are more readily understandable. The ideas are extended to aid the student with practical calculations.

An Undergraduate Introductory Course on Computational Fluid Dynamics

Introducing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) into undergraduate teaching of fluid mechanics is easily justified by the recent explosion in general access to high-quality commercial software. However, the ready availability of powerful CFD software also has its dangers from a pedagogical viewpoint if students are simply encouraged to tackle real problems without understanding the validity and limitations of these tools. The objectives of the Newcastle approach are to emphasize the underlying physical and mathematical concepts which will underpin CFD as commercial software continues to develop in the future. This emphasis has had a significant (and possibly controversial) impact on the choices adopted for applications, solution methods and teaching techniques, including the use of software. Inevitably the sheer breadth and multi-disciplinary nature of the subject means that great selectivity has had to be applied to topics addressed in a general-purpose undergraduate course.

Computer assisted teaching of fluid mechanics and heat transfer

A computer-assisted course in fluid mechanics and heat transfer was offered in the sessions 1974/5 and 1975/6 to final-year B.Sc. students in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, London. This paper describes the course, the use made of the computer, and the results of the evaluation of the course.

Fluid Mechanics Teaching and Research: A View from a Dean's Office

Teaching and research in a field such as fluid mechanics must be administered by the dean to form an integral part of a many-membered curricular structure characterized by balance, coherence, and stability. The undergraduate aspects of the subject are inherently collegiate, and the graduate, properly departmental—whatever the basis for professional division. However, the civil engineering topics in fluid mechanics have their counterparts in most of the other professional fields, so that all stand to gain by generalization of approach.

An international symposium on instruction in the machanics of fluids on the teaching of fluid mechanics in Italy

An international symposium on instruction in the machanics of fluids on the teaching of fluid mechanics in Italy

工学基礎科目「流体の力学」における視聴覚器材の活用とその実験授業について

工学基礎科目「流体の力学」における視聴覚器材の活用とその実験授業について