Web-Based Instructional Tools for Heat and Mass Transfer

This paper demonstrates four web-based instructional tools for heat and mass transfer based on JAVA applets. These tools are closely related to topics in two chemical engineering courses: transport phenomena and chemical reactor design. They simulate four classic problems which are one dimensional unsteady mass diffusion, one dimensional unsteady-state heat conduction in slabs, cylinders and spheres, Heisler charts for unsteady state heat transfer, and reaction and diffusion in porous catalytic substrates. They provide students with a dynamic observation of heat and mass transfer process unavailable in traditional textbooks. Educators and instructors can use these tools to enhance students understanding of the concepts of heat and mass transfer.