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By Richard D. LaRoche, University Program Manager
Computing technology has made a large impact on many areas of engineering
education, yet it has been slow to penetrate undergraduate fluid mechanics
and heat transfer courses, which have been taught in much the same way
for over fifty years. General-purpose CFD software has been successfully
deployed for both graduate and undergraduate research projects, but the
learning curve has made it difficult to integrate these tools with the
introductory engineering curriculum. FlowLab (flowlab.fluent.com), the
CFD-based educational software package recently released from Fluent,
attempts to fill this void. FlowLab allows students to solve fluid dynamics
problems without requiring a long training period. Its mission is broader
than just introducing CFD technology to undergraduates; it uses CFD to
excite students about fluid dynamics and entice them to learn more about
transport phenomena of all kinds.
FlowLab provides students with a “Virtual Fluids Laboratory,”
in which CFD is used to teach and visually reinforce concepts in fluid
flow and heat transfer. Using carefully constructed examples, students
are introduced to the effective use of CFD for solving fluid flow problems,
and are exposed to software tools that have become increasingly important
in industry. FlowLab allows students to get started immediately without
having to spend the large time commitment to learn geometry and mesh creation
skills required by traditional CFD software. Teachers can create their
own examples or customize the pre-defined ones, so that they tie directly
into the course curriculum.
Photo courtesy of Iowa Institute Hydraulic Research, University of Iowa
The number and range of pre-defined examples is growing. Fluent is working
with university professors worldwide to develop a library of FlowLab exercises,
which will be available freely through the Internet. Below are the overall
educational goals for the FlowLab framework:
- To reinforce the basic concepts of fluid mechanics and heat/mass
transfer using computer simulation
- To augment and complement the existing laboratory-based curriculum
through the use of computing exercises
- To expand the learning experience with real-world applications
of fluid flow and heat/mass transfer
- To expose students to CFD concepts – an increasingly important
skill in today’s job market
The Division of Undergraduate Education of the National Science Foundation
has recently awarded a three-year grant to the University of Iowa, Iowa
State University, Cornell University, and Howard University for a collaborative
project to integrate simulation technology into undergraduate education.
This multi-university project team, headed by Prof. Fred Stern at the
University of Iowa, will develop teaching modules for undergraduate fluid
mechanics courses and laboratories using CFD, experimental fluid dynamics
(EFD), and uncertainty analysis (UA). The project team has partnered with
Fluent to use FlowLab for the CFD component of these teaching modules.
Fluent is also working with the CACHE Corporation (Computer Assisted
Chemical Engineering Education) to explore ways to integrate CFD tools
in the chemical engineering curriculum. CACHE is a nonprofit organization
whose purpose is to promote cooperation among universities, industry,
and government in the development and distribution of computer-related
educational aids for the chemical engineering profession. CACHE’s
CFD taskforce includes Prof. Jennifer Sinclair Curtis of Purdue University,
Prof. Rodney Fox of Iowa State University, and Dr. Richard LaRoche of
Fluent.
FlowLab was chosen as the CFD Workshop platform for the 2002 Summer School
for Chemical Engineering Faculty, sponsored by the Chemical Engineering
Division of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). The
purpose of the Summer School is to disseminate innovative and effective
teaching methods to a wide spectrum of chemical engineering undergraduate
programs. Prof. Jennifer Sinclair Curtis led the CFD Workshop in which
chemical engineering faculty explored how FlowLab can be deployed for
undergraduate fluid mechanics and heat transfer courses. Fluent continues
to work with Prof. Curtis to refine FlowLab exercises and develop instructor
materials.
The University program at Fluent is eager to collaborate with faculty
members to develop new ways to use CFD to enhance the undergraduate engineering
curriculum. It is hoped that FlowLab exercises, one component of this
effort, will be developed, peer-reviewed, and shared within the academic
community. As a result of the programs currently underway, graduating
students will be better prepared to enter the workforce in the years to
come.
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