Engineering design experience of an undergraduate thermodynamics course

One important educational outcome required of any engineering programme, as per ABET 2000 Criteria 3, is the ability of engineering graduates to design a component or a system. Engineering design is an integral part of several mechanical engineering courses throughout the curriculum at King Faisal University (KFU). Presented in this article is an example of engineering design experience in an undergraduate first thermodynamics course. It presents a thermodynamics initial design of a refrigeration system that meets desired needs. Basic thermodynamics principles such as the first and second laws, isentropic efficiency, and coefficient of performance (COP) were employed in the analysis, leading to the initial design of this refrigeration system.This kind of experience serves to enhance the understanding of the various thermodynamics concepts and principles.