Many mechanical engineering programs offer thermal systems design as either a required or elective class, typically during the senior year. The course integrates the subjects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer in the design of a system. There are a few different thermal systems design textbooks available. The topics that are most commonly included are: the design process, numerical modeling and simulation, economics, optimization, in addition to topics such as piping system design, heat exchangers, etc. The paper describes the changes made in a senior level thermal systems design course over a period of approximately seven years. The course is taught in the lecture/laboratory mode and the principal changes were made in the laboratory. In the past, the lab component was a computational lab that solved individual weekly problems using Engineering Equation Solver (EES). EES is a commonly used software application for solving thermal systems problems, such as system simulation problems with several unknowns and optimization problems with one or more independent design variables. Over the years, the laboratory has been used to test other types of projects including longer term projects that are more applied, such as the design of a solar domestic hot water system for a dormitory and the design and construction of small thermal systems, such as a soft drink cooler. This paper presents a survey of how thermal systems design is taught in mechanical engineering programs. The paper also outlines the author's personal experiences with teaching thermal systems design, what has worked and what has not worked.
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