Carruthers, B. E., & Clingan, P. A. (2011, June), Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course  Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18715

\bibitem{asee_peer_18715}
  Carruthers, B. E., \& Clingan, P. A. (2011, June), \emph{Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course}
  Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Vancouver, BC.
  10.18260/1-2--18715

Barbara Elizabeth Carruthers and Paul Alan Clingan.  "Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course".  2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC, 2011, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2011.  https://peer.asee.org/18715 Internet.  25 Apr, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_18715}
  Barbara Elizabeth Carruthers and Paul Alan Clingan.
  "Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course".
  \emph{2011 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Vancouver, BC, 2011, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2011.
  https://peer.asee.org/18715 Internet.  25 Apr, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_18715
author = "Barbara Elizabeth Carruthers and Paul Alan Clingan"
title = "Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course"
booktitle = "2011 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2011"
month = "June"
address = "Vancouver, BC"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/18715}
number = {10.18260/1-2--18715}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -        Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course                                              [authors]        Advancements in chemical, biomedical, and aerospace engineering have created a needfor college graduates with a strong foundation in micro- and nanotechnologies1,2. To meet thisneed, universities have begun to include microfluidics and nanotechnology courses in theundergraduate curriculum. And considering the increasing speed and accuracy of computationalmodeling tools, a parallel emphasis has been placed on the use of FLUENT® and similarsoftware in these courses3,4.       Currently, the integration of FLUENT® software is most often seen only in higher levelcourses at the undergraduate level2,5,6. In this case, students are equipped with the basics of fluiddynamics from their core classes, which allows them to focus on the implementation of suchproblems and the rote mechanics of operating in the FLUENT® environment3. This approach,while helpful in preparing students for industry, robs them of a visualization tool which couldhave supplemented traditional course material throughout their undergraduate careers.        The [institution] has created a “cornerstone” design course, available to first-yearstudents, in which basic micro-fluid dynamics concepts are presented, using FLUENT® softwareas a visualization and verification tool7. This allows first-year students to identify and developan interest in fluid dynamics at the start of their undergraduate career, shaping their progressionthroughout the curriculum.        In this “cornerstone” design course, students follow a process designed to mirroruniversity research, following a project-based learning approach15. After learning the basicconcepts governing fluid flow in a pipe, teams of four students design a unique microfluidicchannel, which is created physically in a silicone chip. The chip is then tested to determine theshear flow required to shear a yeast cell from the bottom of the channel. The experimentalresults from the model are compared to analytical results calculated by hand, and then to resultscalculated in FLUENT® by the teams.        Success in teaching advanced concepts is achieved through tried-and-true teachingmethods8,9,10. The [institution’s] teaching program in the first year utilizes undergraduateteaching assistants who have completed the course in prior years to create tutorials and helpguide the students through FLUENT®’s steep learning curve11. This process supplements theinstructor’s lecture12 and provides teams with frequent one-on-one support. Traditional printedclass materials are supplemented with research papers to familiarize students with thepresentation of data14. Additionally, student feedback is encouraged throughout the course withthe use of electronic “journals” in which students receive a few bonus points to submitanonymous responses to a provided prompt13.        Overall, results were seen in the high quality of the work produced by students, as well asthe enthusiastic student reviews for the course. The course concludes with a poster presentation,judged by industry professionals in the fields of chemical, mechanical, civil, and aerospaceengineering as well as biology, chemistry, and medicine. These judges are encouraged tocomment on the quality of the research as a whole, and often do – frequently commenting on theuse of FLUENT® software by first-year students. Anecdotally, the [institution] has found thatindustry is interested in hiring young students with FLUENT® experience. Students have, aftercompleting the course, had success in using FLUENT® in an industry setting as intern orcooperative education students.References:   1. Fonash, Stephen. “Education and Training of the Nanotechnology Workforce.” Journal      of Nanopoarticle Research © 2001.   2. Wendy C. Crone, Robert W. Carpick, Kenneth W. Lux, Buck D. Johnson. “A Course in      Micro- and Nanoscale Mechanics” ASEE Annual Conference © 2010.   3. Pines, David. “Using Computational Fluid Dynamics to Excite Undergraduate Students      about Fluid Mechanics” ASEE Annual Conference ©2004   4. Barber, T. “The Use of Advanced Simulation Tools in Capstone Design Projects”      WSEAS International Conference on Engineering Education © 2009   5. Bhaskaran, Rajesh and Collins, Lance. “Integration of Simulation into the Undergraduate      Fluid Mechanics Curriculum using FLUENT” ASEE Annual Conference © 2003   6. Tim Ameel, Bruce Gale, and Ian Harvey. “A Three-semester Interdisciplinary      Educational Program in Microsystems Engineering” ASEE Annual Conference © 2003   7. Clingan, P.A., Tomasko, D.L., Allam, Y. “Work in Progress: Micro-/Nano-technology      `Lab-on-a-chip' Research Project for First-Year Honors Engineering Program” Frontiers      in Education Conference, © 2006.   8. Madiera, Luis; Alves, Manuel; Rodrigues, Alirio. “Teaching Non-Ideal Reactors with      CFD Tools.” ASEE Annual Conference © 2004.   9. Filipa Carneiro, Celina P. Leão, Senhorinha F. C. F. Teixeira. “Teaching differential      equations in different environments: A first approach” Computer Applications in      Engineering Education Journal. © 2009   10. Wiesner, T.F., and Lan, W., “Comparison of Student Learning in Physical and Simulated       Unit Operations Experiments,” Journal of Engineering Education, © 2004.   11. Stern, F. and Xing, T. “Hands on CFD Educational Interference for Engineering Courses       and Laboratories.” Journal of Engineering Education, ©2006   12. Wankat, P.C., “Integrating the Use of Commercial Simulators into Lecture Courses,”       Journal of Engineering Education, © 2002.   13. Campbell, J.O., Bourne, J.R., Mosterman, P.J., and Brodersen, A.J., “The Effectiveness       of Learning Simulations for Electronic Laboratories,” Journal of Engineering Education,       © 2002.   14. Ian Papautsky and Erik T. K. Peterson. “An introductory course to biomedical       microsystems for undergraduates.” Biomedical Microdevices Journal. ©2008   15. H.A. Hadim, S.K. Esche, "Enhancing the engineering curriculum through project-based       learning," Frontiers in Education Conference, © 2002
AU  - Barbara Elizabeth Carruthers
AU  - Paul Alan Clingan
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Use of FLUENT Software in a First-Year Engineering Microfluidic Design Course
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/18715
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--18715
ER  -