Integration of a Liquid Crystal Thermography System into Undergraduate Heat Transfer Instruction

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This proposal seeks funds to purchase a Liquid Crystal (LC) Thermography system consisting of (1) a liquid crystal image processing system (personal computer, image processing board, CCD camera, lighting system and Windows based software) to record, process and store thermal images and perform quantitative temperature measurement; (2) a liquid crystal preparation kit to process thermochromic liquid crystals and apply them to heat transfer surfaces; and (3) a liquid crystal calibration unit to calibrate liquid crystals. The PI proposes to integrate the LC Thermography system into the mechanical engineering curriculum at Union College from freshman year to senior year as a tool for teaching heat transfer fundamentals and for stimulating curiosity about heat transfer applications. Students will learn how to use hi-tech equipment to visualize heat transfer processes and the mechanical engineering department will replace demonstration type, cook-book lab exercises with hands on learning about heat transfer. Specifically, the LC Thermography system will permit full-field, accurate, quantitative temperature measurement with a method for electronically recording and storing thermal images. These capabilities will improve students ability to perform heat transfer design, develop students intuition about the effects of boundary conditions on temperature distribution and it will excite students about heat transfer. All equipment will be used in undergraduate engineering labs and to promote undergraduate research. The project is exciting beyond Union College because it presents a model for integrating the use of a LC Thermography system into a four year undergraduate curriculum.