MANE-4020 THERMAL AND FLUIDS ENGINEERING LABORATORY
Fall 2005
Instructors: (course coordinator is Prof. Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc)
Lecture W 1-1:50 PM
Prof. Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc (ph:x2627, office:2030 JEC, borcat@rpi.edu,
mailbox: JEC 2049; Office Hours: W 2-5 PM or by appointment;
Sec. 1
M 9-12 noon Ms. Min Zhou (zhoum2@rpi.edu, mailbox: JEC 2049; Office Hours: Fri. 2-5
PM or by appointment, location JEC2010)
Sec. 2
M 2-5 PM
Sec. 3
W 9-12 noon Dr. Diana Borca-Tasciuc (x2175, JEC7307, mailbox: JEC 2049; Office
Hours: Monday 9-11 or by appointment)
Sec. 4
W 2-5 PM
Sec. 5
Th 9-12 noon Mr. Santosh Krishnamurthy (x3082, office: JEC2112, krishs2@rpi.edu,
mailbox: JEC 2049; Office Hours: Tuesday 9-12 or by appointment;
Sec. 6
Th 2-5 PM
Sec. 7
Tu 2-5 PM
Prof. Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc
Mr. Santosh Krishnamurthy (x3082, office: JEC2112, krishs2@rpi.edu,
mailbox: JEC 2049; Office Hours: Tuesday 9-12 or by appointment;
Prof Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc
Ms. Min Zhou (zhoum2@rpi.edu, mailbox: JEC 2049; Office Hours: Fri. 2-5
PM or by appointment, location JEC2010)
Textbooks: There are no required texts for this class, since all the necessary material will be provided
through handouts and lecture notes. However, you may find the book by Figliola & Beasley (Theory and
Design for Mechanical Measurements 2nd Edition, 1995, Wiley) to be a useful reference; a copy of it is on
reserve at the Library. The Library reserve for this class also contains the following books which may be
used to reinforce fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics: Fundamentals of
Thermal-Fluid Sciences by Çengel and Turner, Brief Introduction to Fluid Mechanics by Young, Munson
and Okiishi, Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics by Moran and Shapiro, Fundamentals of
Heat and Mass Transfer by Incropera and DeWitt, and Fluid Mechanics by White.
Objectives:
This lab course is intended to familiarize and introduce students to a variety of thermodynamic,
heat transfer, and fluid flow phenomena in the context of the operation of four major pieces of equipment.
Both fundamental concepts as well as practical/applied ideas will be explored.
Often when on-the-job we are assigned a task for which we may or may not have previous training
or experience; we are expected to use and/or learn whatever is needed to get the job done. This course
will follow that general approach. The topics to be covered will be a combination of new material
specific to this lab course and material previously covered in Thermal and Fluids Engineering I or which
will be covered in Thermal and Fluids Engineering II.
The specific objectives of the course are:
1. To demonstrate thermodynamic, heat transfer, and fluid flow principles.
2. To integrate theory and practice through the operation of experiments and through the
acquisition and use of experimental data.
3. To familiarize students with complex, realistic systems and the interactions among
thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid flow.
4. To introduce some new concepts and techniques in the three topic areas.
Four different experiments will be performed in the lab. These experiments (in the order in which they
will be performed) and the general concepts associated with each are listed below:
1. Hydraulic flow loop -- instrument calibration, friction factors (CII 5118)
2. Gas turbine system -- Brayton cycle, energy balances, isentropic efficiencies, ideal gases,
combustion process (CII 5222)
3. Air conditioning system -- refrigeration cycles, psychrometrics, heat transfer, energy
balances, refrigerant properties (CII 5222)
4. Wind tunnel -- field concepts including velocity field, hydraulic boundary layers, transition
to turbulence, heat transfer coefficients, multimode heat transfer (CII 5222)
Extensive handouts have been prepared on these experiments. These handouts include an introduction to
the project, theory, specific objectives, equipment description and operating instructions, and lab report
requirements. Three weeks will be spent on each project.
Other handouts have been prepared to provide information on i) uncertainties in experimental data
and ii) the philosophy behind large-scale experimental investigations. These two handouts should be
studied as carefully as the ones on the individual experiments.
The students (twelve maximum) in each section will be divided into groups of four students each.
During the four segments of the course, each group will be in the laboratory one week. The other two
weeks will involve activities outside of the lab; these activities will be both group and individual
assignments. Each group will submit a single report on each of the four projects.
Grading:
The course grade will be based on the scores earned on the following items:
Laboratory reports (group)
3 @ 10% each and 1 @15%* 45%
Pre-lab assignments (individual) 4 each @ 4%
16%
Quizzes (individual)
6 each @ 4%
24%
Final exam (individual)
15%
TOTAL
100%
Note, the level of difficulty in this course normally necessitates the use of a “curve” for the final grade.
* On each the four lab reports to be written by each group a different person will be the “lead author” and
the grade for that report will count as 15 % of that person’s grade and 10% of the other members of the
group.
Laboratory Reports:
Each project will have its own specific requirements and objectives. Listed in each handout is
what must be included in the report. The report will be graded on two bases. Technical content will
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comprise 70% of the total grade. Writing quality, appearance and format will account for 30%. The
report grading criteria are detailed in the handout, Writing Engineering Reports.
Pre-lab Assignments:
Much more can be gained from an experiment if you have background knowledge about the
project and concepts governing the processes to be studied before you attempt to perform the experiment.
Hence, at the beginning of the lab period when you actually perform the experiment, you will turn in an
assignment, which will have covered some of the theory and concepts to be studied in the project. This
assignment may take the form of textbook-type problems. To complete the assignment, you will need to
read the experiment handout, use other textbooks, or go to the library to look up information. Since a
limited amount of time is available for both the pre-lab quizzes (10-15 minutes) and the experiment itself,
tardiness will be penalizes. If you are 5 minutes late to class, 25% will be subtracted from the assignment
grade; 10 minutes late, 50%; 15 minutes late, 100%, but it still must be handed in before you are allowed
to perform the lab. (It will be the student’s responsibility to arrange an alternative time to do the lab.)
Pre-lab Quizzes and Quizzes on Lectures:
At the beginning of the lab session, you will be given a timed, closed-note quiz on the project, its
objectives, procedures, etc. There will be ten to fifteen minutes to complete the quiz. The time period
begins when the instructor starts the clock, whether or not you are there, so please do not come to the lab
late. In addition to the 4 pre-lab quizzes, 2 quizzes will be given in the lecture following the coverage of
the material (see the schedule, attached.)
Final Exam:
The final exam will be a comprehensive test of the material covered (new or reviewed) in this
course. Theory, techniques, procedures, and anything else covered in any of the handouts associated with
this course are fair game for inclusion on this exam. The exam will be held during finals week. Do not
make travel plans until you know the exam schedule.
Academic Integrity and Rules of Behavior:
The Dean of the Undergraduate College has asked each instructor to delineate carefully a policy
concerning academic honesty for his or her course. These statements are intended to cover most, but not
all, forms of academic dishonesty. An extensive and general discussion of this subject is contained in the
Rensselaer Handbook.
Collaboration: You are, of course, expected to collaborate with the members of your laboratory
group with respect to the conduct of your experiments and the preparation of your reports (whether as a
lead author or otherwise). However, your report and the experimental results, which are described
therein, must be those of your own group. Plagiarism will be penalized according to the severity and
deliberateness of the act, from reduction of report grade to recording a grade of zero for the course
segment in question.
Each member of the group is expected to participate in a manner that benefits the group as a
whole. Failure to do so will be reflected in the subjective evaluation criterion described in the course
policy statement and probably in the peer review category, as well.
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