The Dutch connection of Bob de Vogel

Abstract

This contribution to the journal issue commemorating Professor Robert Byron Bird focuses on his Dutch connection, which dates back to as early as 1950. Bird twice spent a semester-long period at (the current) Delft University of Technology. The development over time of two different schools of teaching transport phenomena and their mutual influencing are reviewed in quite some detail. The cornerstone in both schools is the analogy between the transport modes for mass, momentum, and energy. However, the role of fluid mechanics and its treatment is different. In addition, the didactic concepts underpinning the textbooks from the two schools are rather different as well, both having their pros and cons. This is illustrated for the mechanical energy balance and its derivation.