101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving

The essential guide to decision making and problem solving for the interior designer The interior design profession requires effective problem solving and critical thinking, as they impact all phases of the design project and most work activities of the interior designer. Whether you are a student or professional designer, much of what you do involves these skills. Although most of us do not even think about what we do in terms of these activities, they are a constant part of design. They are also skills that must be performed successfully outside a professional career. Improving these skills makes you a more sought-after employee and designer, effective business owner, and fulfilled individual. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking for Designers will put the reader on the correct path to a solutions-oriented practice. Using her trademark accessible and conversational approach, Christine Piotrowski guides readers through the process of how the working designer solves problems and makes decisions. Some of the topics she discusses are: Design process Communication Asking questions Problem definition and analysis Decision-making process Negotiation Working with others Ethical decision making This book also features real-life scenarios and design problems that guide the reader toward making correct decisions in real-life situations.

This book provides methods to train process operators to solve challenging problems. The book is split into two parts. The first part consists of two parts; first developing a daily monitoring system and second providing a structured 5 step problem solving approach that combines cause and effect problem solving thinking with the formulation of theoretically correct hypotheses. The 5 step approach emphasizes the classical problem solving approach (defining the sequence of events) with the addition of the steps of formulating a theoretically correct working hypothesis, providing a means to test the hypothesis, and providing a foolproof means to eliminate the problem. The initial part of the book focuses on defining the problem that must be solved and obtaining the location, time and quantity based specifications of the problem. This part of the book also presents techniques to find and define problems at an early point before they progress to the critical level. The second part of the book deals with the utilization of fundamental chemical engineering skills to develop a technically correct working hypothesis that is the key to successful problem solving. The primary emphasis is on simple pragmatic calculation techniques that are theoretically correct. It is believed that any operator can perform these calculations if he is provided the correct prototype. Throughout the book, the theory behind each pragmatic calculation technique is explained in understandable terms prior to presenting the author's approach. These techniques have been developed by the author in 50+ years of industrial experience. The book includes many sample problems and examples of real world problem solving. Using these techniques, theoretically correct working hypotheses can be developed in an expedient fashion.

An authoritative guide to computer simulation grounded in a multi-disciplinary approach for solving complex problems Simulation and Computational Red Teaming for Problem Solving offers a review of computer simulation that is grounded in a multi-disciplinary approach. The authors present the theoretical foundations of simulation and modeling paradigms from the perspective of an analyst. The book provides the fundamental background information needed for designing and developing consistent and useful simulations. In addition to this basic information, the authors explore several advanced topics. The book’s advanced topics demonstrate how modern artificial intelligence and computational intelligence concepts and techniques can be combined with various simulation paradigms for solving complex and critical problems. Authors examine the concept of Computational Red Teaming to reveal how the combined fundamentals and advanced techniques are used successfully for solving and testing complex real-world problems. This important book: • Demonstrates how computer simulation and Computational Red Teaming support each other for solving complex problems • Describes the main approaches to modeling real-world phenomena and embedding these models into computer simulations • Explores how a number of advanced artificial intelligence and computational intelligence concepts are used in conjunction with the fundamental aspects of simulation Written for researchers and students in the computational modelling and data analysis fields, Simulation and Computational Red Teaming for Problem Solving covers the foundation and the standard elements of the process of building a simulation and explores the simulation topic with a modern research approach.

An accessible guide to the main reasons pumps fail—and what can be done about it Workhorses in many different industries, including the oil industry, water industry, chemical industry, food industry, and pharmaceutical industry to name a few, pumps are a vital contributor to maintaining and increasing the flow of production. In fact, the pump industry itself is a multi-billion dollar global business. Taking the unique approach of addressing both pump operators and pump designers, Pump Wisdom explains the causes of failure in centrifugal pump function—whether it's pump selection, overlooked installation criteria, or the accumulation of small deviations—and maps out remedies with well defined methods that target specific issues, rather than focusing on technical generalities and theory. Clearly written and concise, Pump Wisdom relies on proven tactics for reducing pump vulnerabilities and correcting imbalances between hydraulic assembly and mechanical assembly. In addition, it supplies sound tips for detecting and rectifying risky shortcuts taken by pump designers and manufacturers. Pump Wisdom also: Provides a concise explanation of how pumps function Details the specifications to be considered when purchasing a pump Provides tips on the installation of centrifugal pumps in process plants Written in concise language that avoids excessive mathematical treatment Explains pump hydraulics in easy to understand terms Emphasizes the mechanical aspects of pumps with coverage on bearings, seals, impeller trimming, lubricant application, lubricant types, and more Pump Wisdom sheds light on the techniques for stabilizing pump performance and maximizing pump efficiency. Its concise format allows readers to strike directly at the heart of the problem—and helps them devise strategies to prevent costly failures before they occur.

TRIZ is a brilliant toolkit for nurturing engineering creativity and innovation. This accessible, colourful and practical guide has been developed from problem-solving workshops run by Oxford Creativity, one of the world's top TRIZ training organizations started by Gadd in 1998. Gadd has successfully introduced TRIZ to many major organisations such as Airbus, Sellafield Sites, Saint-Gobain, DCA, Doosan Babcock, Kraft, Qinetiq, Trelleborg, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems, working on diverse major projects including next generation submarines, chocolate packaging, nuclear clean-up, sustainability and cost reduction. Engineering companies are increasingly recognising and acting upon the need to encourage successful, practical and systematic innovation at every stage of the engineering process including product development and design. TRIZ enables greater clarity of thought and taps into the creativity innate in all of us, transforming random, ineffective brainstorming into targeted, audited, creative sessions focussed on the problem at hand and unlocking the engineers' knowledge and genius to identify all the relevant solutions. For good design engineers and technical directors across all industries, as well as students of engineering, entrepreneurship and innovation, TRIZ for Engineers will help unlock and realise the potential of TRIZ. The individual tools are straightforward, the problem-solving process is systematic and repeatable, and the results will speak for themselves. This highly innovative book: Satisfies the need for concise, clearly presented information together with practical advice on TRIZ and problem solving algorithms Employs explanatory techniques, processes and examples that have been used to train thousands of engineers to use TRIZ successfully Contains real, relevant and recent case studies from major blue chip companies Is illustrated throughout with specially commissioned full-colour cartoons that illustrate the various concepts and techniques and bring the theory to life Turns good engineers into great engineers.

Avoid wasting time and money on recurring plant process problems by applying the practical, five-step solution in Process Engineering Problem Solving: Avoiding «The Problem Went Away, but it Came Back» Syndrome. Combine cause and effect problem solving with the formulation of theoretically correct working hypotheses and find a structural and pragmatic way to solve real-world issues that tend to be chronic or that require an engineering analysis. Utilize the fundamentals of chemical engineering to develop technically correct working hypotheses that are key to successful problem solving.

Enzyme biocatalysis is a fast-growing area in process biotechnology that has expanded from the traditional fields of foods, detergents, and leather applications to more sophisticated uses in the pharmaceutical and fine-chemicals sectors and environmental management. Conventional applications of industrial enzymes are expected to grow, with major opportunities in the detergent and animal feed sectors, and new uses in biofuel production and human and animal therapy. In order to design more efficient enzyme reactors and evaluate performance properly, sound mathematical expressions must be developed which consider enzyme kinetics, material balances, and eventual mass transfer limitations. With a focus on problem solving, each chapter provides abridged coverage of the subject, followed by a number of solved problems illustrating resolution procedures and the main concepts underlying them, plus supplementary questions and answers. Based on more than 50 years of teaching experience, Problem Solving in Enzyme Biocatalysis is a unique reference for students of chemical and biochemical engineering, as well as biochemists and chemists dealing with bioprocesses. Contains: Enzyme properties and applications; enzyme kinetics; enzyme reactor design and operation 146 worked problems and solutions in enzyme biocatalysis.

This set of exercises has been created expressly for students and teachers of conservation biology and wildlife management who want to have an impact beyond the classroom. The book presents a set of 32 exercises that are primarily new and greatly revised versions from the book's successful first edition. These exercises span a wide range of conservation issues: genetic analysis, population biology and management, taxonomy, ecosystem management, land use planning, the public policy process and more. All exercises discuss how to take what has been learned and apply it to practical, real-world issues. Accompanied by a detailed instructor’s manual and a student website with software and support materials, the book is ideal for use in the field, lab, or classroom. Also available: Fundamentals of Conservation Biology, 3rd edition (2007) by Malcolm L Hunter Jr and James Gibbs, ISBN 9781405135450 Saving the Earth as a Career: Advice on Becoming a Conservation Professional (2007) by Malcolm L Hunter Jr, David B Lindenmayer and Aram JK Calhoun, ISBN 9781405167611

A unique approach to solving HPLC problems. Everyone who bought «Problem Solving in HPLC» by Stavros Kromidas will equally benefit from nearly 100 new practical examples for optimization, trouble-shooting, and instrument performance given in this sequel. The author provides – guidance for selecting and evaluating methods, intstruments and columns, – practical help with everyday trouble-shooting, – advice for optimizing separations, always explaining the reason why. In each case the problem, the solution and the conclusions are presented over a maximum of 4 pages, and in addition the book contains manufacturers' addresses, references, data tables and checklists.

This topical and timely textbook is a collection of problems for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in state-of-the-art material and device applications in quantum mechanics. Most problem are relevant either to a new device or a device concept or to current research topics which could spawn new technology. It deals with the practical aspects of the field, presenting a broad range of essential topics currently at the leading edge of technological innovation. Includes discussion on: Properties of Schroedinger Equation Operators Bound States in Nanostructures Current and Energy Flux Densities in Nanostructures Density of States Transfer and Scattering Matrix Formalisms for Modelling Diffusive Quantum Transport Perturbation Theory, Variational Approach and their Applications to Device Problems Electrons in a Magnetic or Electromagnetic Field and Associated Phenomena Time-dependent Perturbation Theory and its Applications Optical Properties of Nanostructures Problems in Quantum Mechanics: For Material Scientists, Applied Physicists and Device Engineers is an ideal companion to engineering, condensed matter physics or materials science curricula. It appeals to future and present engineers, physicists, and materials scientists, as well as professionals in these fields needing more in-depth understanding of nanotechnology and nanoscience.