Abstract:

The adaptation of the engineering degrees to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) motivated strong changes in the teaching process in order to enhance the experimental learning. On the other hand, the widespread availability of laptops, cell phones and internet for students, which are nowadays used in their daily work to perform calculations of certain level and communicate, have made of these devices their main tool for the solution of problems and the exchange of information.

Most of the Chemical Engineering laboratory courses are necessarily face-to-face due to their experimental nature. Until now, the students received some notes that they had to study before carrying out the experiments. Although they were useful, the system could be improved to enhance the learning level of the students in these experimental lessons. This contribution summarizes the adaptation and updating process of the Heat Transfer course currently taught on the 2nd year of BsC Chemical Engineering, University of Malaga, which has been performed by including the use of new technologies through different computer tools (Excel spreadsheets, Matlab routines) and the inclusion of images and animations.

Interactive simulations will be available through the virtual campus prior to the start of the lessons. So that, the student before entering the laboratory will have the knowledge about the system, its mechanism and the theoretical background. Thus, the old printed notes are replaced or complemented by an interactive guide. In particular, interactive simulations of the following experimental systems were carried out:
- Tube bundle heat exchangers
- Heat transfer by unidirectional conduction in solids
- Concentric tube exchangers associated in series
- Numerical and analogic resolution of the heat conduction equation

The simulations allow the modification of parameters of the tests, such as conductivity, diameter, flow or initial temperatures, showing thermal profiles according to the equipment geometry and the time evolution. The simulations have been designed to be used at three levels in an increasing degree of complexity. First, it is an interactive practice guide. Second, it is a tool for solving exercises, since the students learn to modify the parameters that control the behaviour of the system to figure out simple optimization problems. Finally, it allows the acquisition of skills in the field of programming, due to the fact that they can implement the routines in different software used for the simulation.

Keywords:

Chemical engineering, heat transfer, simulation, laboratory, new technologies.