Thermal Sciences Design and Lab
Overview
Thermal Sciences Design and Laboratory (EML4147C) at the University of Florida provided advanced coverage of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics through hands-on laboratory experimentation and engineering design. The course emphasized applying fundamental thermal science principles to real-world systems, including turbomachinery, pipe flow, and heat exchanger performance. Students designed, analyzed, and tested thermal-fluid systems while developing strong experimental, analytical, and technical reporting skills.
Key Skills
- Turbomachinery Design: Pump selection, performance analysis, system matching, and impeller design/testing.
- Fluid Systems Analysis: Pipe flow characterization, pressure and head loss prediction, flow measurement.
- Heat Transfer Systems: Double-pipe heat exchangers and cooling tower thermal performance evaluation.
- Experimental Methods: Conducted thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics experiments.
- Engineering Design: Designed practical thermal-fluid systems based on performance and cost considerations.
- Technical Reporting: Structured lab and design reports including abstracts, results, and conclusions.
Lab Reports
A collection of selected thermal sciences experiments and engineering design reports.
Pipe Loss Experiment
Pipe Flow & Frictional Loss Analysis
Characterized frictional losses in a hydraulic piping system by measuring flow rate, pressure difference, and temperature using LabVIEW-based data acquisition. Calculated head loss, Reynolds number, friction factor, loss coefficients, and pipe roughness to evaluate system performance and energy losses.
Skills: Fluid system analysis, LabVIEW data acquisition, uncertainty analysis, Reynolds number calculation, head loss modeling
Fan Performance Experiment
Centrifugal Pump & Impeller Performance Analysis
Evaluated centrifugal fan performance by analyzing backward-inclined and radial impeller designs. Measured pressure and flow parameters using VDAS data acquisition to calculate head rise, efficiency, and operating cost for fan sizing and system optimization.
Skills: Turbomachinery analysis, pump performance evaluation, data acquisition, efficiency analysis, fluid system optimization
Heat Exchanger Analysis
Heat Transfer Performance & LMTD Evaluation
Evaluated the performance of a double pipe heat exchanger under parallel and counterflow configurations by calculating LMTD, overall heat transfer coefficient (UA), and fouling factors. Analyzed internal flow properties and compared experimental and theoretical heat transfer results.
Skills: Heat transfer analysis, LMTD evaluation, thermal system performance testing, data acquisition with LabVIEW, uncertainty analysis
Cooling Tower Analysis
Mass & Energy Balance Evaluation
Characterized cooling tower performance using mass and energy balances by analyzing air and water temperature data. Determined heat dissipation rates, humidity properties, and cooling effectiveness across multiple operating conditions and compared experimental results with theoretical predictions.
Skills: Mass and energy balance analysis, heat transfer evaluation, thermodynamic property analysis, experimental data acquisition, uncertainty comparison