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Session 2259

Data Acquisition System for an Undergraduate Fin Heat Exchanger Experiment

Mark A. Hinton, Rudolf Marloth, Rafiq I. Noorani Loyola Marymount University

I. Introduction

In an effort to meet ABET requirements for utilizing Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) in thermal science, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Loyola Marymount University has developed and incorporated a new experiment into the required junior-level thermal science laboratory course in mechanical engineering. The purpose of the experiment is to teach students what modern data acquisition systems are, and how a personal computer-based data acquisition system can be used to acquire, process and analyze data. The system under consideration consists of a 12”x12”, 1620W (120V, 13.5A) MirakTM hot plate, made by the Barnstead- Thermolyne Corporation, to which four different fins (one cylindrical, one conical, one rectangular, and one pyramidal) are attached in an upright position. Each fin is eight inches long, and a thermocouple is attached to the base of each fin, where the fin is mounted to the hot plate, as well as at one-inch intervals along the vertical axis of each fin. The thermocouples are connected to an input board that serves as an interface between the thermocouples and the data acquisition system.

The data acquisition system to be used is designed for the Windows PC, in conjunction with data acquisition hardware. The DAS uses the LabVIEW1 graphical programming language to create Virtual Instruments (VIs). The software and the DAS hardware are produced by National Instruments.

In the study of heat transfer from extended surfaces, students can investigate the characteristics of heat exchangers, including heat balance, heat transfer coefficients, and Nusselt-Reynolds correlation. The temperature profiles of the various fins will be plotted and their efficiencies calculated and compared. It is hoped that the information presented will be useful to those interested in developing similar data acquisition and control experiments.

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Marloth, R., & Noorani, R. I., & Hinton, M. A. (2000, June), Data Acquisition System For An Undergraduate Fin Heat Exchanger Experiment Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8258