Browsing by Subject "Computer Simulation"

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    The net-generation interior design student: an exploratory study assessing learning and engagement within a computer simulation environment.
    (2009-06) Peterson, Julie Ellen
    The first purpose of this experimental study was to determine if there were effects on achievement between traditional pencil-and-paper instructional strategies and computer simulated instructional strategies used to teach interior design business ethics. The second purpose was to determine the level of engagement of interior design students using traditional pencil-and paper instructional strategies compared to computer simulated instructional strategies to learn business ethics. The data offered both quantitative and qualitative evidence of preferred instructional strategies and what characteristics contributed towards level of engagement. Net-generation learners, born between 1982 and 2000, have been exposed to technology their whole lives and have come to expect the integration of various forms of multi-media instructional strategies within the classroom. Many studies have been conducted that integrate and analyze computer simulation and/or gaming with higher education, but research is very limited within the field of interior design. The study included 21 undergraduate interior design students. Analysis was both quantitative and qualitative in nature including descriptive statistics, frequencies, independent sample t-tests, ANCOVA statistical analysis, and questionnaires with both Likert-type and open-ended question formats. Even though statistical results were not found to be significant and were inconclusive, overall results indicated that the computer simulated case studies created an authentic, dynamic, and empowering learning environment that engaged the learners.
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    Thermal-capillary analysis of the horizontal ribbon growth of solar silicon
    (2013-12) Daggolu, Parthiv
    Horizontal ribbon growth (HRG) promises the growth of crystalline silicon at rates that are orders of magnitude greater than vertical ribbon growth technologies. If successful, this process would enable the production of higher-quality, near-single-crystalline silicon wafers at fraction of the cost of current production techniques. This fascinating process was first conceived by Shockley in late 1950's for silicon growth and was practiced by Bleil in the late 1960's for germanium growth. Large-scale development efforts were sub- sequently carried out by Kudo in Japan in the late 1970's and by the Energy Materials Corporation in the US in the early 1980's. However, after encouraging early results, experimental advances and process development efforts stalled, and this technique was abandoned in favor of growth methods that were easier to develop.Unlike vertical meniscus-defined crystal growth processes, such as edge-defined film- fed growth (EFG), which are inherently stable, there are many failure modes that must be avoided in the HRG process. We argue that its successful operation will rely on a thorough understanding of system design and control-issues that are perhaps only feasibly addressed via computational modeling of the system. Towards these ends, we present a comprehensive thermal-capillary model based on finite-element methods to study the coupled phenomena of heat transfer, fluid mechanics and interfacial phenom- ena (solidification and capillarity) in the HRG process. Bifurcation analysis coupled with transient computations using this model reveals process limitations that manifest as failure mechanisms, such as bridging of crystal onto crucible, spilling of melt from the crucible, and undercooling of melt at the ribbon tip, that are consistent with prior experimental observations and suggests operating windows that may allow for stable process operation. Further, coupled impurity transport calculations reveal interesting and potentially beneficial redistribution mechanisms at the solidification interface that lead to an inherent purification of the majority of the growing crystal ribbon.