Christian Köppe

The thermal behavior of wires within the electrical distribution system (EDS) has a strong impact on the conductor cross section, the type of insulation, the derating, and the fusing system, and therefore on weight, cost, and reliability. Consequently, significant efforts have been made to develop sound static and dynamic thermal models for single wires and wire bundles. However, these models are based on the simplifying assumption that the object is completely surrounded by air, where, with the exception of free convection, airflow can be neglected, and where no interaction with other objects is considered.The approach presented in this paper takes into account the actual environment and routing within a vehicle, where some objects such as metal sheets can be considered as heat sinks and other objects, e.g. a motor block, as heat sources. For this reason, measurements were performed using an experimental set-up that allows any desired positioning and alignment of the DuT (device under test, here: wire, cable, bundle) and of two temperature-controlled heat source/sink objects. These objects are a large rectangular surface and a small sphere, in order to be able to emulate as many spatial configurations as possible. The overall set-up is protected against externally-induced airflows. Because the exact modelling of the heat transfer processes (radiation, conduction, and free/forced convection) would require time-consuming FEM calculations for the investigated complex geometries, a simplified and partially data-driven model is proposed. The paper describes the theory and the modeling approach, and presents initial simulation and measurement results.

In this exploratory paper we examine how metaphors for design and engineering research are perceived at first, and subsequently loaded with meaning throughout design and engineering education. The use of metaphors can be a powerful didactic tool, as metaphors can act as gateways, activating students’ intuitions and existing knowledge, preparing the mental ground for newly acquired knowledge. However, if metaphors are studied at all, as a didactic device, it is usually at their first introduction and not along a longer period of time as a collector of growing insights throughout an educational programme. In this study we examined how students benefited from metaphors for design and engineering research, that were considered ‘intuitive’ at first, throughout a longer period of time. Our main findings are that, first, initial intuitiveness is a fair predictor of the ability to give meaning to concepts later on. Second that new narratives quickly overturn existing ones’ depending how strong connotations with the metaphor are. Third that ‘bridging associations’ are central in building persisting new meanings upon existing metaphors. We conclude that if these effects are taken into account, a fair assessment of the long term tenacity of certain metaphors as carriers of meanings can be made quite quickly.

Assessment, be it formative, summative or diagnostic, is at the heart of all educational endeavour yet many university teachers are not trained in assessment strategies and the underlying principles. Assessment should be fair and relevant for the targeted learning outcomes and engage the learner in a process of reflection that develops increased self-awareness. Patterns as descriptions of tested ways of action can help (university) teachers in achieving these goals, as teachers are not always trained in these specific aspects of education. In this paper we will present six patterns that take the diversity of students into account by offering choice and variety of assessment. The six patterns presented in this paper have been mined by a group of practicing educators during the first EduPLoP workshop held in March 2015 and build upon three earlier pattern sets.