Teaching combustion thermochemistry with an interactive Matlab application

Abstract

[EN] Computer¿aided¿learning has been found to improve notably the learning efficiency as compared with classical teaching. In this study, an interactive Matlab application has been developed to be used when teaching combustion thermochemistry in engineering degrees. The use of this tool in practical sessions allows the students to concentrate on understanding the links between the boundary conditions of a combustion process and the corresponding outputs in terms of species composition and temperature. Moreover, the students can check the differences between the results obtained from a complex calculation (with the interactive tool) and those obtained by means of the simplified calculations performed during the theoretical lessons and written exams. The analysis of the outcomes after several years using this tool revealed that the students are generally satisfied with the practical session, and the analysis of the marks confirms the robustness of the methodology proposed