Search

This paper describes various techniques employed in a novel approach to instruction and assessment of an undergraduate sequence in thermo-propulsion at the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy. Integrated motivational contexts aid development of foundations in thermodynamics, compressible gas dynamics, and propulsion while reinforcing engineering problem solving skills. Students are first oriented to the context of new material. Subsequent lessons fortify the context, giving students the opportunity to collaborate on team design projects and interact with industry and government guest speakers. Real-world, practical examples and homework further motivate and help students grasp key concepts. Tests are administered in both oral and written formats with open-ended, scenario-based questions to assess student understanding of fundamentals. Grading procedures focus on analytical methods as opposed to numerical results. Specific performance criteria validate the achievement of course educational outcomes. Student course critique scores and written comments further support the assertion that a contextual framework is highly effective in teaching fundamental thermo-propulsion concepts.

This paper describes the development and assessment of a sophomore-level, aero-thermodynamics class structured to meet the needs of both the Department of Aeronautics and Department of Astronautics at the United States Air Force Academy. The course was developed following ABET EC2000 guidelines. Because of the large core class requirement placed on students at the USAF Academy, this single course was developed as an alternative to students taking traditional separate thermodynamics and gas dynamics courses. Benefits and tradeoffs of this approach are presented. The general philosophy in developing the course was to provide solid foundations in thermodynamics and compressible gas dynamics while motivating and inspiring students to their chosen engineering profession. To that end, the course is loaded with practical applications and hands-on laboratories. Engineering rigor was maintained by inclusion of an unsteady, three-dimensional control volume formulation of the governing equations, emphasizing assumptions and their implications, and enforcing engineering analysis methods. Quantitative assessment of specific performance criteria demonstrates achievement of educational outcomes. Student course critique scores provided additional quantitative data. Finally, an initial assessment of course impact on two different undergraduate propulsion classes demonstrates the intended result — improved understanding of fundamentals allowing for expanded coverage in other areas. In short, the propulsion tracks in both departments appear to be improved.Copyright © 2005 by ASME