Transdisciplinary Engineering Design Process

10Modeling and Simulation

Through modeling engineers expand and enrich their vision, exercise their sensibilities, formulate unique and personal interpretations, process and optimize a large number of alternative solutions, originate innovations, enhance their understanding of physical problems – in short, they develop the qualities which we marvel at in children.

10.1 Modeling in Engineering

One of the fundamental activities in which engineers are involved is model building. The process of model building is a way to present knowledge and to explore alternative solutions. A scale model of a physical system can be used to predict accurately the performance of the prototype. Model studies have proved useful in design and development for many years, especially when experimental testing of a full-size prototype is either impossible or prohibitively expensive. The advantages of model testing in experimental design are as follows:

1. When the problem is too complex for an analytical solution, an empirical solution can be developed.
2. Analytical techniques can be substantiated by correlating the predicted model behavior with the actual behavior of the model.
3. Prototypes with non-attainable characteristics can be studied, such as those with:
   1. Large structures
   2. Molecular structures
   3. An environment that cannot be simulated
   4. High-speed reactions
   5. Dangerous situations.

The selection of a proper model and its implementation require a priori knowledge about the system to be modeled. Figure 10.1 ...