Virtual Labs in Fluid Mechanics

Immersive laboratory simulations are used to foster education in fluid mechanics. On the technical level, these laboratories base on the game engine UNREAL ENGINE 4 and pre-calculated data using ANSYS CFX. On the instructional level, the laboratories base on the framework of Constructive Alignment and the Thirteen Fundamental Learning Objectives for the undergraduate engineering laboratory. Different prototypical labs and their usage are described, where users can exploratively learn the method of differential balancing, similitude mechanics and visualization types in fluid mechanics. One laboratory experiment was used in the Corona pandemic to foster learning and working 4.0 and convinced the faculty to replace an on-site laboratory experiment due to the higher levels of addressed learning outcomes.