Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Thermal Design (Face-to-Face)

ME 4500-01

Course: ME 4500-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ET
CRN: 10706

Course Description

This course provides (1) coverage of the basic principles of fins, heat exchangers, and heat transfer design of buildings; and (2) a highly intuitive and practical understanding of the material by emphasizing the physics and the underlying physical phenomena involved.

This course covers conduction, convection, and radiation modes of heat transfer. Other topics include analytical and numerical solutions to practical problems in heat transfer. This course is designed to take advantage of students' intuition, making the learning process easier and more engaging. In this class, the highly technical matter will be communicated effectively in a simple yet precise language.

Required Texts

Textbook: Heat and Mass Transfer: Fundamentals & Applications 5th Edition, Yunus A. Cengel, Afshin J. Ghajar (and online chapters).

Calculator: You are required to have a calculator that will perform Linear Function.

Learning Outcomes

Course Outcome:
  1. Understand the basic laws of heat transfer.
  2. Account for the consequence of heat transfer in thermal analyses of engineering systems.
  3. Analyze problems involving steady state heat conduction in simple geometries.
  4. Develop solutions for transient heat conduction in simple geometries.
  5. Obtain numerical solutions for conduction heat transfer problems.
  6. Understand the fundamentals of convective heat transfer process.
  7. Evaluate heat transfer coefficients for natural convection.
  8. Evaluate heat transfer coefficients for forced convection inside ducts.
  9. Evaluate heat transfer coefficients for forced convection over exterior surfaces.
  10. Analyze heat exchanger performance by using the method of log mean temperature difference.
  11. Analyze heat exchanger performance by using the method of heat exchanger effectiveness.
Student Learning Ob****jectives:
  • Understand how thermodynamics and heat transfer are related to each other.
  • Distinguish thermal energy from other forms of energy, and heat transfer from other forms of energy transfer.
  • Understand the basic mechanisms of heat transfer, which are conduction, convection, and radiation.
  • Perform general energy balances as well as surface energy balances.
  • Identify the mechanisms of heat transfer that occur simultaneously in practice.
  • Develop an awareness of the cost associated with heat losses.
  • Solve various heat transfer problems encountered in practice.

Course Requirements

Grading
  • Homework/Quiz: 10%
  • Project: 30%
  • Exams: 60%
Expectations

(I) Read the Directions, (II) Draw Diagrams; (III) Solve the Problem Clearly; (IV) Clearly Mark your Answers; (V) Use Units; and (VI) Ask yourself: Is this answer reasonable?

Homework

We grade selective problems and you are encouraged to compare my solution to yours.

Homework should be legible, professional in appearance, and use only one side of the paper.

Your name, date, course title and assignment number must appear at the top of each page.

  • Include enough information so that you will be capable of understanding the problem, what is desired, the solution approach, and the answer, without relying on the textbook.
  • Include a problem statement (what information is given and what is to be found)
  • Include a sketch, picture of the process, etc., to help you visualize
  • Show the equation and its number.
  • Show ALL work – outline the solution approach that was taken. How you get your answer is often more important than if you get the correct answer.
  • Answers must include units. Carry units throughout the entire problem.
  • Identify the final answer (underline, put a box around, etc.)

Course Outline

(Tentative Course Outline)

Note: Instructor reserves the right to change the schedule as deemed necessary.

DateLectureAssignment
1/7/2026Lecture 1 - 11-1 review
1/9/2026Lecture 2 - 11-2- HX fundamentals
1/12/2026Lecture 3 - 11-3 and 11-4 analysis of HX3.24; 3.34; 3.76
1/14/2026Lecture 4 - 11-4 HX Log min temperature
1/16/2026Lecture 5 - 11-4 HX Log min temperature activity
1/19/2026MLK Day-NO class
1/21/2026Lecture 6 - 11-5 HX effectivemness of NTU method11.18; 11.45; 11.51; 11.54; 11.77
1/23/2026Lecture 7 - 11-5 HX effectivemness of NTU method
1/26/2026Lecture 8 - 11-5 HX effectivemness of NTU activity
1/28/2026Lecture 8B - 11-5 HX selection11.104; 11.111, 11.114; 11.115;
1/30/2026Lecture 8C exam 1 review
2/2/2026Exam 1
2/4/2026Lecture 9 - HT from fin - fundamental
2/6/2026Lecture 10 - HT from fin - Adiabatic endAdd 10 minutes of lecture, may be example
2/9/2026Lecture 11 - HT from fin - Constant T - Convection
2/11/2026Lecture 12 - HT from fin - effectiveness efficiencyFinding m of Table 3-3 Three cases.
2/13/2026Lecture 13-1 Fin 1D SS numerical method.
2/16/2026Presidents' day-NO class
2/18/2026Lecture 13-2 –Fin Explicit problem
2/20/2026Lecture 14 - HT from fin - design3.18; 3.121; 3.22; What is pin fin? What is circular fins of rectangular profile? What is pin fins of rectangular profile?
2/23/2026Lecture 15A - fin - examplesFin long HW due date
2/25/2026Lecture 15B - fin - effectiveness activity3.127; 3.130; 3.132
2/27/2026Exam 2
3/2/2026Lecture 16 - HT house - thermal comfortSeveral lectures are just info. Combine them
3/4/2026Lecture 17 - HT from human body
3/6/2026Lecture 18 - HT latent heat
3/9/2026Spring brrak-NO class
3/11/2026Spring brrak-NO class
3/13/2026Spring brrak-NO class
3/16/2026Lecture 19 - HT design conditions
3/18/2026Lecture 20 - h-U Sol_air16.22 (h=3.1 W/m2.K, ε=0.95); 16.23;
3/20/2026Lecture 21 - HT design conditions examples
3/23/2026Lecture 22 - HT from people lights applianceCan be combined
3/25/2026Lecture 23 - HT from walls roofs
3/27/2026Lecture 24 - HT from walls roofs examples16.34; 16.43; 16.45
3/30/2026Lecture 25 - HT from basement-1
4/1/2026Lecture 25b HT from basement-216.62; 16.78; add more HW
4/3/2026Lecture 26 - HT from basement- Window
4/6/2026Lecture 27 - HT from - Window2
4/8/2026Lecture 28 - HT from - Window examples
4/10/2026Lecture 29-30 - examples activity16.82; 16.83; 16.93; 16.96
4/13/2026Exam 3
4/15/2026Presentation
4/17/2026Presentation
4/20/2026final week
4/22/2026
4/24/2026Commencement 2022

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Exams
  • Exams must be taken as scheduled.
  • Any absence not excused in advance will result in a zero for that exam.
  • A week after HW/quizzes assignments and exams are graded, they will be shredded.
  • No exams will be returned to students.
  • Students may come to the instructor’s office and go over their exams within a week after exams are graded.
Homework

Assigned homework will be due at the beginning of class. No Late Homework.

Note: Exams and HW assignments will be shredded a week after the due date. I will not discuss grades when they are shredded.

Communication

Canvas will be used to make announcements and record your scores from homework, projects, and exams.

Attendance Policy

Attendance, good attitude, and class participation are all part of your grade. Students are responsible for attending the courses for which they are enrolled. Further, according to standards set by the Department of Education, the University is required to identify a starting date for each student for each of these courses. Students are also responsible for making up any work missed by failing to attend class, even if the absence was approved by the University (see ), necessitated by illness, or personal emergency. In this sense, then, there are no “excused” absences.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

Additional Course Information

Pre-requisites:

Heat Transfer and Lab.

Notes:

Any use of AI will be considered cheating and will result in ZERO in the HW/exams/lab. (Our university has a system to check AI reports.)

Safety:

Projects may involve the use of lab equipment. Students are required to read and follow instructions for use of the equipment and to use the equipment safely to minimize the danger to themselves and others. Disregarding safety procedures will result in dismissal from the lab or project and you may receive a failing grade for the lab, project, or course at the instructor's discretion. If you are unsure as to how to operate equipment safely, talk to the instructor.

C__ell Phone:

No cell phones or any other communication devices in class (you must turn them off during the duration of the class).

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.