Abstract
This paper presents the development of an educational design app for turbomachinery applications. The app is operating in multiple computational platforms and is used to assist students in the understanding of turbomachinery design. The user can easily extract useful results and velocity diagrams by importing some dimensionless sizes, input-output flow angles, and general geometric features. Furthermore, this app provides the ability to compare cases with various input parameters. The thermodynamic and fluid mechanics principles have been used to develop enhanced comprehension of blade design in turbomachinery. The primary reason for the development of this app is to introduce turbomachinery education in the new era of widespread use of mobile apps among the student community. Through a quick and easy analysis of velocity triangles through a turbine or a compressor stage, the student may experiment and thus gain improved understanding of turbomachinery stage operation.
The student interaction has been assessed using assignments and group projects. Overall, students showed extreme interest. The interaction between the students the teaching assistants and the professors has been assessed using an online questionnaire. The prime reaction of the students was that they would appreciate similar apps in the context of other engineering courses. Results showed that students would promote the use of the app to other individuals. The students came up with several brilliant ideas towards the improvement of the app. The first steps have been taken towards opening new communication channels between established engineering education practices and new generation skills and preferences.
