Challenges and Remedies in Interdisciplinary PG Programme

Abstract

The world currently is reeling under acute shortage in essential resources for human existence due to growing population and elevated living standards. Today society at large demands more contributions from engineering community in terms of devising better and cost effective solutions to address existing problems. The engineering practice hence demands better skill sets that are honed to meet present day societal expectations. This situation demands improved teaching-learning methods that prepares engineering graduates to operate in multidisciplinary teams to accomplish the targeted solution or goal.

The present work showcases implementation of effective pedagogical approach in Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) laboratory course prescribed for interdisciplinary PG Programme in Energy Systems Engineering. The course intends to enable students in usage of computational tools that includes commercial and open source software packages for fluid flow analysis. The CFDcourse has application in diverse engineering domains as a precursor for selection and optimization of functional elements in products that involve fluid flows.The course delivery posed several challenges due to diversity within student group and need of mathematical proficiency. The exercises designed in CFD lab-course related to execution of complete cycle of analysis taking into account formulation and solution of fluid flow and heat transfer aspects. The course thereby related to attainment of Programme outcomes (POs) covering areas of Research capabilities, Competence on use of modern computational tools, Multi-disciplinary team activity and communication aspects.

The results obtained provide useful inputs to develop measures that will improve the delivery of the course for next batch of students opting the course.