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A MODEL INTEGRATED MESHLESS SOLVER (MIMS) FOR FLUID FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER
Title
A MODEL INTEGRATED MESHLESS SOLVER (MIMS) FOR FLUID FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER.
Creator
Gerace, Salvadore, Kassab, Alain, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Numerical methods for solving partial differential equations are commonplace in the engineering community and their popularity can be attributed to the rapid performance improvement of modern workstations and desktop computers. The ubiquity of computer technology has allowed all areas of engineering to have access to detailed thermal, stress, and fluid flow analysis packages capable of performing complex studies of current and future designs. The rapid pace of computer development, however,...
Show moreNumerical methods for solving partial differential equations are commonplace in the engineering community and their popularity can be attributed to the rapid performance improvement of modern workstations and desktop computers. The ubiquity of computer technology has allowed all areas of engineering to have access to detailed thermal, stress, and fluid flow analysis packages capable of performing complex studies of current and future designs. The rapid pace of computer development, however, has begun to outstrip efforts to reduce analysis overhead. As such, most commercially available software packages are now limited by the human effort required to prepare, develop, and initialize the necessary computational models. Primarily due to the mesh-based analysis methods utilized in these software packages, the dependence on model preparation greatly limits the accessibility of these analysis tools. In response, the so-called meshless or mesh-free methods have seen considerable interest as they promise to greatly reduce the necessary human interaction during model setup. However, despite the success of these methods in areas demanding high degrees of model adaptability (such as crack growth, multi-phase flow, and solid friction), meshless methods have yet to gain notoriety as a viable alternative to more traditional solution approaches in general solution domains. Although this may be due (at least in part) to the relative youth of the techniques, another potential cause is the lack of focus on developing robust methodologies. The failure to approach development from a practical perspective has prevented researchers from obtaining commercially relevant meshless methodologies which reach the full potential of the approach. The primary goal of this research is to present a novel meshless approach called MIMS (Model Integrated Meshless Solver) which establishes the method as a generalized solution technique capable of competing with more traditional PDE methodologies (such as the finite element and finite volume methods). This was accomplished by developing a robust meshless technique as well as a comprehensive model generation procedure. By closely integrating the model generation process into the overall solution methodology, the presented techniques are able to fully exploit the strengths of the meshless approach to achieve levels of automation, stability, and accuracy currently unseen in the area of engineering analysis. Specifically, MIMS implements a blended meshless solution approach which utilizes a variety of shape functions to obtain a stable and accurate iteration process. This solution approach is then integrated with a newly developed, highly adaptive model generation process which employs a quaternary triangular surface discretization for the boundary, a binary-subdivision discretization for the interior, and a unique shadow layer discretization for near-boundary regions. Together, these discretization techniques are able to achieve directionally independent, automatic refinement of the underlying model, allowing the method to generate accurate solutions without need for intermediate human involvement. In addition, by coupling the model generation with the solution process, the presented method is able to address the issue of ill-constructed geometric input (small features, poorly formed faces, etc.) to provide an intuitive, yet powerful approach to solving modern engineering analysis problems.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003299, ucf:48489
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003299
Dual Branding: An Investigative Look into Dual Branding's Position within the Concept of Brand Alliance in the Hotel Industry
Title
Dual Branding: An Investigative Look into Dual Branding's Position within the Concept of Brand Alliance in the Hotel Industry.
Creator
Ronzoni, Giulio, Fyall, Alan, Torres Areizaga, Edwin, Singh, Dipendra, Weinland, Jeffrey, Smith, Scott, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate, in an exploratory way, the state of the art of the application of brand alliances, with a particular focus on the practice of dual branding, in the field of lodging. More precisely, this research aimed at identifying and evaluating the determinants of industry adoption of, and customer satisfaction with, intra-company dual branding strategies in the US lodging industry.The primary purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of dual...
Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation was to investigate, in an exploratory way, the state of the art of the application of brand alliances, with a particular focus on the practice of dual branding, in the field of lodging. More precisely, this research aimed at identifying and evaluating the determinants of industry adoption of, and customer satisfaction with, intra-company dual branding strategies in the US lodging industry.The primary purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of dual branding in the field of the lodging industry, a phenomenon that is still insufficiently explored in the literature. In fact, the scarcity of literature pertaining to the lodging industry has forced this study to consider the research related to other segments and industries where dual branding strategies have been studied. Therefore, this study intended to expand the existing body of knowledge, advancing the theory of brand alliance from an industry and consumer perspective, as well as adapt, refine, and utilize a scale suitable for the measurement of dual branded hotels' customer satisfaction. This dissertation used an exploratory sequential mixed method approach. In the first qualitative phase, face-to-face and telephone interviews with operational hotel managers, corporate hotel managers, real estate development and management companies' managers, owners, and presidents, as well as hotel and lodging associations' professionals have been conducted. In addition to relevant and significant findings and results obtained through the hotel industry professionals interviewed, themes, constructs, and variables useful in the refinement and adaptation of a dual branding customer satisfaction scale were attained. Consequently, the second quantitative phase consisted of an online administration of a scenario-based questionnaire to dual branded hotels' customers of a dual branded lodging property aimed at identifying and evaluating the determinants of customer satisfaction.The ultimate purpose of this research has been to understand the main issues of implementation of dual branding practices and strategies in the lodging context. In particular, it has been to highlight and provide managerial, theoretical, methodological, and practical implications and recommendations for the US lodging industry, in the adoption of intra-company dual branding strategies. The suggestions offered in the study are relevantly timed to what is happening within the lodging industry, offering implications for both academia and industry.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007716, ucf:52411
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007716