Thermal-fluid sciences laboratory course

At the Department of Engineering Technology at the University of Toledo we are working on introducing laboratory course in thermal-fluid sciences with the elements of controls. The objective is to create a course where the students will learn to see connections between the three branches of the thermal-fluid sciences and will learn to appreciate the integrated nature of modern systems. The proposed laboratory course will be structured around four "equipment centers" represented important areas of applications in the thermal-fluid sciences: 1) Armfield Modules (turbomachinery), 2) Steam Motor and Energy Conversion Set, 3) Modular Air Flow Laboratory, and 4) Experimental Heat Pump and Air Cooler. The students will take the course after they finish courses in Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics. The course will give our students an opportunity to observe how the concepts and principles learned in the classroom can be applied in a practical situation. To extend the instructional capability of the equipment and to give the students knowledge of modern instrumentation and control systems we use LabVIEW for computerization and automation of this laboratory. The experiments that have already been developed for the course as well as experiments that have been planned for the future are presented in the paper.