Educational innovation in building engineering through experiential learning of fluid thermodynamics

Abstract

In the face of climate change and the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals, the building sector is critical, accounting for 36% of CO2x emissions in the European Union. To transform this model, higher education must equip future engineers and architects with robust skills in energy efficiency and thermodynamics. In this context, the Teaching Innovation Group of the Universidad de Burgos has developed a multilingual (Spanish, English, and French) open educational resource focused on active learning of the thermal equation of state of fluids. Through laboratory experimentation, students analyse pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) relationships and fluid behaviour across various thermodynamic regions. This methodology, successfully implemented in Spanish and Moroccan universities, strengthens the conceptual understanding required to optimize energy performance in residential and industrial thermal systems, promoting more sustainable engineering practices.