Course overview
The course is fundamental for mechanical engineering students and provides basic understanding of fluid properties, fluid statics and dynamics, and fluid flow. It focuses on fundamental laws governing the behavior such as Euler and Lagrangian specification of fluid flow, Bernoulli’s equation, Nikuradse experiments, Moody’s diagram.
Participants in piloting
The course is fundamental for mechanical engineering students and enrolled 150 students in the 1st year of undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Mechanical and Precision Engineering. The course is mandatory in the formal curriculum of the Department of Power Engineering of the Technical University of Gabrovo.
Use of ALIEN services and tools
The laboratory part of the course is based on problem-based learning and is performed on workbenches with instrumentation and on stands. It involves performing laboratory exercises for better understanding by the students of the basic principles of mechanics of fluids in a pipe system.
Three teams were formed to define the basic hydraulic parameters of the flow – initial energy/head, piezometric pressure/elevations, dynamic pressure/elevations, geodetic elevation, hydraulic losses at different flows of the flowing fluid according to a given configuration of a pipe system. The first team solved the problem analytically by using Bernoulli equations. The second team solved the problem by directly measuring the quantities by using an experimental stand. The third team solved the problem by modelling and simulating in SolidWorks Flow Simulation.
Finally, the teams presented and compared their results.
The active learning activities allowed students to use SolidWorks Flow Simulation for educational and professional purpose, to analyze data and compare results. It also improved their team work, analytical skills and critical thinking, communication and presentation skills.
