Use of daily life observations and numerical simulation in teaching of thermal energy engineering

We suggest that forcing the students to do observation in their daily life and creation of mental pictures of the involved processes in combination with use of strong, but yet, simple to use computer simulation tools improves students learning of a very broad field as engineering thermodynamics. Summing up in the CDIO context: The students conceive the thermodynamic processes by pictures from daily life and creation of mental pictures of the involved processes. They design a relevant system from standard components and processes; they implement the design by mathematical modelling and finally they operate the system (model) doing simulation studies.