Societal Impact of Thermo Fluid Design

ABET accreditation criteria include non-technical topics such as knowledge of contemporary issues and the consideration of design within a larger context.Mechanical engineering criteria require students be able to work professionally in both mechanical and thermal systems.Students in the WPI Thermodynamic Analysis and Design course work in project teams on design projects such as geothermal heat pumps, co-generation systems, and solar thermal power plants.Discussions focus not only on the technical issues (pipes, pumps, heat transfer, the thermodynamic cycle), but also include the environmental impact on local ecosystems, transmission (distributed versus local power), base vs. peaking power demands, and a myriad of social perceptions and misperceptions of power.Students report increased understanding of thermo fluid science, prompted by having to make their own choices in design calculations.They see this aspect of engineering as being intrinsically linked to complex sociopolitical questions.