Thermal Related Project Ideas for Mechanical Engineering

Are you a mechanical engineering student looking for thermodynamics project ideas? Are you passionate about learning and researching more about mechanical engineering thermal systems? Then we have to say that you have found the right blog. Here we are discussing a few thermal project ideas for mechanical engineering students. Whether you are a B.E. / B.Tech Mechanical engineering student or a mechanical engineering diploma student, the information in this article will be handy at the time of project selection. We present a range of compelling heat transfer project ideas that will challenge and inspire you to learn more. Read on to learn more about thermal project ideas for mechanical engineering students.

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Thermal Project Ideas for Mechanical Engineering: Introduction

Matter is made up of different kinds of molecule that are constant state of vibration. This vibration is the source of thermal energy. Rise in temperature causes the molecules vibrate faster resulting in collisions and hence higher thermal energy is produced. The higher the temperature, the faster the molecular motions and hence higher is the thermal energy. Molecules slow down when the temperature is reduced, and hence thermal energy reduces. Even though thermal energy is called heat energy is should not be confused with thermal energy. A gradient in thermal energy causes it to flow from object having higher thermal energy to the object having lower thermal energy. This flow of thermal energy is called heat.

Thermal Engineering

The three specializations of mechanical engineering are design, thermal and manufacturing. Thermal engineering is a specialization of mechanical engineering that focuses on thermal energy or heat energy and its transfer. This transfer could be from one medium to another or even into other forms of energy. Heat transforms from one medium to another by the methods of conduction, convection and radiation.

A thermal engineer should have good knowledge of thermodynamics to get ideas on how to convert thermal energy generated by a thermal source into mechanical, chemical and electrical energy. Choosing thermal project ideas for mechanical engineering students will allow you to put into use the thermodynamics theoretical knowledge you gained through your studies. Moreover, there is no better way than a project to learn practical applications of a theory.

Why Focus on Thermal Projects?

Thermal engineering consists of the following subjects.

• Heat transfer
• Thermodynamics
• Cryogenics
• Refrigeration

There is no need to further explain how much the present-day world depends on these processes and applications.

As we all know, thermal engineering orchestrates the conversion and transfer of thermal energy to various forms and mediums. So, it plays a crucial role in the designing of the following things.

• Heat exchange systems
• Engines
• Power plants

Thermal engineering forms the foundation of optimising energy utilisation and reducing wastage. And in the manufacturing sector, every plant has mechanisms that utilise components that transfer heat in some way. By doing a thermal project, your resume can become more appealing not only to recruiters from the thermal sector but also to employers from the design and manufacturing sectors. Hence, choosing one from thermodynamics projects can improve your chances in all three of these industries.

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Different Types of Thermal Projects for Mechanical Engineering

There are mainly three types of thermal projects for mechanical engineering students. They are discussed below.

Theoretical Study-Based Project Ideas

You can conduct thermal analysis of systems using the following things.

• Thermodynamics laws
• Heat transfer modes
• Exergy analysis

Software-Based Project Ideas

Thermal analysis of given systems can be done using the software given below.

• Interactive Heat transfer 4.0/FEHT
• ANSYS CFX (Structural + FLUENT i.e. Fluid flow interaction with heat transfer)
• HTRI Suites for Heat Exchanger (by Heat Transfer Research Inc.)

Experimental Investigations-Based Project Ideas

Besides the above methods, thermal performance can also be determined by preparing an experimental setup.

Thermal-Related Project Ideas for Mechanical Engineering

Some thermal project ideas for mechanical engineering students are discussed in the table below. You could either do fabrication only from an already existing design or you could do design and fabrication by making a new design. Or you could conduct design and analysis projects or investigation projects.

• Modified air cooler with split cooling
• Plate freezer
• Hydrogen engine (water fuel)
• Miniature (mini) boiler
• Steam power plant
• Variable volume engine
• Unconventional compressor for heavy truck
• Pelton wheel turbine
• The helical tube inside coil-type heat exchanger
• Rotary drum filter (solid-liquid separation)
• Oil skimmer
• Reaction turbines
• Emission control for diesel engine
• WATT and Porter governor
• Motorized tri-cylinder air compressor
• PICO hydropower generation

Are the above listed thermal-related project ideas uninteresting to you? Read the list below to find something you are passionate about!

• Thermoacoustic refrigeration
• Multi-stage hydro-electric power plant
• Thermoelectric refrigeration
• Magnetic levitation
• Automatic humidification system
• Industrial ball valve using CFD
• Mini jet engine
• Engine cylinder fins with triangular shape- Heat transfer analysis
• Vapour compression system using ellipse-shaped evaporator coil
• Vortex tube
• Boiler chimney heat recovery system against fouling
• Thermal storage in a solar dryer
• Feed check valve utilising CFD software
• Portable water turbine
• Solar energy-powered air conditioner
• Solar air cooler with heater
• Steam power plant
• Solar water purification utilising the thermal method

Some more thermal project ideas for mechanical engineering students are listed below.

• Downdraft gasifier applied to I.C. engine
• Frictionless wind turbine utilising magnetic levitation
• Compression system consisting of ellipse-shaped evaporator coil
• Performance evolution of domestic refrigerators utilising LPG cylinder
• Automatic temperature controller with cooling system
• Double Pipe Heat Exchanger
• Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
• Power Plant Condenser
• Automobile Radiator
• Two-stroke I. C. Engine
• Four-stroke I. C. Engine
• Centrifugal Pump Impeller
• Multi-Layer High-Pressure Vessel

Waste Heat Recovery Systems

Many industrial processes emit a lot of heat energy as a byproduct. This heat is often released into the atmosphere or just disposed without much care. The process of recovering heat energy that is wasted usually and reusing it in the productively is known as waste heat recovery. This energy can be used as an additional source of energy. There are two reasons to do this.

• By practising waste heat recovery manufacturing plants can reduce CO2 emissions.
• This will also help in increasing the energy efficiency.

Some examples of waste heat management systems are listed below.

Boiler Stack Economizers

It reduces the energy necessary to produce steam by heating boiler feed water utilizing heat energy from the gas expelled into the stack during the heating process.

Waste Heat Boilers

At manufacturing plants, they recapture heat produced by exothermic chemical reactions or furnaces. In a waste heat boiler, the heat produced at these points is converted into pressurized steam.

Heat Recovery Steam Generator

The very hot vapors come out from gas turbines is utilized for the generation of electricity in many extremely productive manufacturing facilities employing cogeneration or combined cycle systems. The recovered hot gas is then pumped into the heat recovery steam generator. Then it produces superheated steam that gives the power to a steam turbine downstream. The turbine may power a generator in a combined cycle system. But in a cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) operation, turbine can just utilize the steam.

Absorption Chillers

Some absorption chillers use recovered steam or waste heat from other systems. Such absorption chillers are employed to provide refrigeration in many energy-efficient CHP systems. The chiller contains a substance known as refrigerant. This refrigerant undergoes the cooling cycle i.e. constant condensation and evaporation. The refrigerant evaporates due to the actions of the waste heat or waste steam on it. It absorbs the heat to maintain the temperature of the outside environment when it is cool.

Steam Thermocompression

Low-pressure steam that has been left over from multiple processes is recovered by the steam compressor and pressurized by combining it with high-pressure motive steam. Low-to-mid-pressure steam that may be employed again in a different operation is its final product.

The waste heat can be expelled at any temperature. But the overall quality of the waste heat as well as the ease of optimizing the recovery procedure of this waste heat are often strongly associated with temperature. Hence, it’s crucial to find out the largest possible amount of heat with the highest potential that can be recovered from a process. This is to ensure that the waste heat recovery system is workingas efficiently as possible.

The amount and grade of heat recovered from the procedure must be investigated to find out the type and source of waste heat and to support the usage of a specific waste heat recovery system.

Waste heat recovery is one of the many relevant sectors that you can do your project on if you want to impress recruiters from the manufacturing sector. You have to find many quality research papers on the topic, read them and get a basic idea about the working and innovations in this sector before planning your project. You can even draw inspiration from previous work and bring some creative innovation into the field.

Tips for Choosing the Right Thermal Project

Consider the following things before choosing a thermal project

• Cost
• Availability of resources
• Software cost and availability
• Feasibility of the project
• Time required to complete the project
• Experimental setup availability

Deciding Project Topic

There are certain other things to consider too. First and foremost, it is essentia to explore an area that interests you instead of following the crowd. A final year project should be a representation of your knowledge, skills and the sector you want to work in. That is, if you want to work as an automobile engineer, then you have to choose a design of machine project, if you want to join research then you may have to select a material science-related project like making alloys or composites etc.

Never choose a project for silly reasons like ‘all my friends are doing it’ or ‘teachers said this is comparatively easier’. Following the crowd might help you get a better score, but it certainly is not going to help you achieve your career goals. Always select a topic that you have been passionate and curious about. A project can play a vital role in your placement.

Make sure that your project is challenging without being impossible. Don’t select something too difficult for your level and regret it in the middle of the project after you have invested so much time in it.

The best way to impress recruiters is by doing a project that is relevant to the current situation of the industry. You have to choose a real-time problem and provide a solution for it using your project. Doing the project should be worthwhile. There is no innovation or creativity in just copying a project done by your seniors. Read several research papers and old projects or even project abstracts of peers for inspiration. But always try to do something new.

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Thermal Project Ideas for Mechanical Engineering: Conclusion

Project is a crucial part of a mechanical engineering curriculum. Therefore, it is important to research and find good ideas and resources before beginning the endeavour that constitutes a major chunk of your grades. Thermal engineering for mechanical engineers is a very relevant sector and doing thermal analysis of mechanical projects is a very good idea. Make sure that you download many research papers and old thermodynamics project PDFs and study well before starting. This blog will give you a basic idea of where to start.