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Thermal Science Capstone Projects in Mechanical Engineering

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Conference

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Vancouver, BC

Publication Date

June 26, 2011

Start Date

June 26, 2011

End Date

June 29, 2011

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Capstone Courses and Design Education

Tagged Division

Mechanical Engineering

Page Count

9

Page Numbers

22.1518.1 - 22.1518.9

DOI

10.18260/1-2--18859

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/18859

Download Count

765

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Paper Authors

biography

Nihad Dukhan University of Detroit Mercy

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Nihad Dukhan is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy, where he teaches courses in heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and energy systems. His ongoing research interests include advanced cooling technologies for high-power devices with focus on metal foam as the cooling core, service learning and other engineering education pedagogies. Dr. Dukhan earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo.

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biography

Mark Schumack University of Detroit Mercy

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Mark Schumack is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy, where he teaches courses in heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and energy systems. His ongoing pedagogical interests include developing ways to teach energy conservation and sustainability principles. He has held several leadership positions in the Energy Conversion and Conservation Division of ASEE. His research interests include thermal/fluid modeling using computational techniques, with applications in the automotive, manufacturing, and energy fields. Dr. Schumack earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

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Abstract

Thermal Science Capstone Projects in Mechanical EngineeringAbstract – It is perceived that the majority of capstone projects for senior mechanicalengineering students usually deal with designs that do not include issues related to thermalsciences, i.e., thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics. This may lead students tofalsely think that the thermal sciences are usually not critical in practical designs, since thecapstone course is supposed to mimic actual engineering designs in the industry; actually, thiscourse often includes real-life projects furnished by the industry. The thinking that thermalissues are incidental is dangerous since vital industries relay heavily on thermal design such asthe oil, electronics, power generation and conversion and cryogenics, to name but a few.Actually one of the biggest current challenges is energy- its sources and conservation, whichfeeds into any kind of sustainable design. Lack of thermal projects in capstone courses alsoprevents interested students from making thermal sciences their focal area, and future career, bynot having a capstone experience where thermal issues are important aspects of the design. Thelack of thermal science projects in capstone courses may be due to the fact that the instructorsassigned to teach these courses are specialists in other areas of mechanical engineering.This paper explores this issue through tracing the history of capstone projects in mechanicalengineering at a private university in the Midwest, interviewing thermal science and non-thermalscience faculty and suggesting strategic ways of implementing more thermal science aspects intocapstone projects. It also describes some thermal science projects that were successfully carriedout by capstone students and the interactions between students, course instructors and thermalscience faculty, as well as the roles of each.

Dukhan, N., & Schumack, M. (2011, June), Thermal Science Capstone Projects in Mechanical Engineering Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18859

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