Order-of-Magnitude Analysis for the Approximate Solution of Thermal Sciences Problems

1 Assistant Professor of Architectural Engineering, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Omaha, NE 68182-0681, [email protected]. Abstract  The purpose of this paper is to show the merits of using the order-of-magnitude analysis in engineering education to solve engineering and science problems, e.g., taken from the fields of heat transfer and fluid mechanics. By this approach, the engineering student obtains an approximate solution to a problem identifying the dominating parameters and their influence on the described system. The solution is generally an outcome of simple algebraic operations. Four problems are considered to illustrate the power of the order-of-magnitude analysis method. In each problem, the results are discussed in respect to the implied assumptions, simplifications and range of validity. Analytical solutions are provided to assess the validity of the order-of-magnitude results.