Li, W., & Ladeinde, F. (2024, October), Incorporating Advanced Industry Practices into the Undergraduate Thermal System Design Course  Paper presented at 2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference, Farmingdale State College, NY, New York. 10.18260/1-2--49443

\bibitem{asee_peer_49443}
  Li, W., \& Ladeinde, F. (2024, October), \emph{Incorporating Advanced Industry Practices into the Undergraduate Thermal System Design Course}
  Paper presented at 2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference, Farmingdale State College, NY, New York.
  10.18260/1-2--49443

Wenhai Li and Foluso Ladeinde.  "Incorporating Advanced Industry Practices into the Undergraduate Thermal System Design Course".  2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference, Farmingdale State College, NY, New York, 2024, October.  ASEE Conferences, 2024.  https://peer.asee.org/49443 Internet.  25 Mar, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_49443}
  Wenhai Li and Foluso Ladeinde.
  "Incorporating Advanced Industry Practices into the Undergraduate Thermal System Design Course".
  \emph{2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference, Farmingdale State College, NY, New York, 2024, October}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2024.
  https://peer.asee.org/49443 Internet.  25 Mar, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_49443
author = "Wenhai Li and Foluso Ladeinde"
title = "Incorporating Advanced Industry Practices into the Undergraduate Thermal System Design Course"
booktitle = "2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference"
year = "2024"
month = "October"
address = "Farmingdale State College, NY, New York"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/49443}
number = {10.18260/1-2--49443}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Abstract:

The extraordinary computing capabilities available in today’s data centers and the high-performance demands in the automotive and aviation industries have escalated the need for advanced thermal management solutions. Traditional thermal system design courses at the undergraduate level, however, have largely remained focused on fundamental heat transfer theories and classical benchmark problems. This conventional approach leaves a significant gap between the knowledge students gain in the classroom and the practical skills they need to design realistic thermal systems in their professional careers.

The traditional thermal system design course, typically offered at the senior level, does not include modern heat transfer surfaces, such as those used in cutting-edge technologies like supersonic jet engines. These engines, for instance, utilize modern cooling technologies with thousands of heat transfer passages capable of reducing immense amounts of heat within microseconds. Such innovations, made possible by advances in additive manufacturing and 3D printing, allow for the creation of extraordinarily complex geometries, offering high heat transfer rates and surface area-to-volume ratios that are critical for effective thermal management.

Given this context, we have identified two primary reasons for the gap between academic learning and industry practice:
1.	The latest innovative developments in thermal system design are not included in the current curriculum.
2.	There is a lack of accessible commercial thermal system design software that allows students to engage in realistic problem-solving and gain hands-on experience.

To address these challenges, we propose a comprehensive redesign of the existing undergraduate thermal system design course. Our redesigned course will include a new two-week module focused on bridging this educational gap. This module will:
1.	Introduce the Latest Industry Advances: Students will explore cutting-edge thermal management technologies, including triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS), topologically optimized surfaces, helical heat exchangers (HEXs), and manifold-microchannel HEXs. These topics reflect the current state of the art in industry, driven by innovations in additive manufacturing.
2.	Incorporate Practical Design Experience with INSTED: To complement the theoretical knowledge, students will be introduced to INSTED, an intuitive, cloud-based thermal system design software developed by TTC Technologies. This tool is specifically designed to be user-friendly, allowing students to apply their learning by designing realistic thermal systems that reflect the complexities they will encounter in industry. Through hands-on projects, students will gain valuable experience in solving practical thermal design challenges, thereby better preparing them for their future careers.

This course redesign aims to equip students with both the theoretical foundation and the practical skills necessary to meet the evolving demands of the thermal systems industry. By incorporating the latest technological advancements and providing access to state-of-the-art design tools, we ensure that our graduates are not only knowledgeable but also capable of contributing effectively to their professional fields.

AU  - Wenhai Li
AU  - Foluso Ladeinde
CY  - Farmingdale State College, NY, New York
DA  - 2024/10/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Incorporating Advanced Industry Practices into the Undergraduate Thermal System Design Course
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/49443
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--49443
ER  -