Heat Transfer

There have been significant changes in the academic environment and in the workplace related to computing. Further changes are likely to take place. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the manner in which the subject of heat transfer is presented is evolving so as to accommodate to and, indeed, to participate in, the changes. One obvious change has been the introduction of the electronic calcula- tor. The typical engineering student can now evaluate logarithms, trigonomet- ric functions, and hyperbolic functions accurately by pushing a button. Teaching techniques and text presentations designed to avoid evaluation of these functions or the need to look them up in tables with associated interpolation are no longer necessary. Similarly, students are increasingly proficient in the use of computers. At RPI, every engineering student takes two semesters of computing as a fresh- man and is capable of applying the computer to problems he or she encoun- ters. Every student is given personal time on the campus computer. In addition, students have access to personal computers. In some colleges, all engineering students are provided with personal computers, which can be applied to a variety of tasks.