From the inception of the U.S.

patent system in 1790 until 1880, the Patent Office

required that each patent application be submitted with a scale model of the invention.
The models, usually made of wood by highly skilled carpenters, gave the patent
examiners something tangible to use when evaluating the novelty of each patent idea.

The model requirement was repealed long ago, but modeling has continued to play an
important role in research, development, and innovation. Automobile makers, architects,
and aircraft designers have long used small-scale models of their ideas—partly to get a
feel for what they would look like in “real life,” but also for market research and
engineering testing, such as aerodynamics testing in wind tunnels.

However, physical models have drawbacks. They are often time-consuming and
expensive to make—an important consideration when being first to market with an
innovation can mean the difference between commercial success and failure.
Furthermore, some models, being necessarily smaller and lighter, may not behave the
same in testing as their full-size counterparts, resulting in bad data and designs that
don’t perform to expectations.

Fortunately, advances in computer-aided design (CAD) software and computer

hardware performance have enabled the use of virtual models. Not only can objects be
designed on a computer and displayed visually using three-dimensional graphics
rendering, they can be tested in simulated physical conditions using the same CAD
software in which they were designed.

Simulation in CAD
The traditional use of CAD software in systems development was concerned only with
the size and shape of an object, whether a tiny part for a machine or a giant ship,
aircraft, or building. But CAD software users, recognizing the value of simulation,
began to demand the ability to test their virtual objects in virtual environments, and
CAD software developers were happy to oblige.
In order to test a virtual object under conditions that approximate the real world as
closely as possible, simply knowing the size and shape of the object is not enough. You
also need to know its physical properties, and you need to be able to represent these
properties in the computer model. Further, you need to know how these properties
influence the performance of the object under test. This is usually done with equations
—that is, a mathematical model of the system’s behavior, to go along with the system’s
shape, size, and material properties.

For example, when testing a virtual aircraft, it’s important to know how the air flowing
around the wing generates lift. We have a well-established body of mathematical
equations to handle the physics of airfoils, and they can be incorporated into the CAD
representation of the system. Further, the materials used in the wing are important,
because they determine how heavy the wing is and how it bends and flexes under load
and in various situations, such as takeoff, landing, and turbulence. Thus, physical
properties such as coefficient of friction and various parameters that determine the
strength of the wing structure must also be incorporated into the model.

An important approach to simulation modeling in CAD is the use of finite element

modeling (FEM). Physical phenomena are often described by complex equations that
are impractical or impossible to solve for every point in an object. FEM addresses this
problem by subdividing the object into small three-dimensional chunks; CAD software
enables meshing, the process of creating a 3D grid within the object to define the
subdivisions.

Meshing
created with 3D Precise Mesh

With the mathematical model and meshing in place, model testing can be conducted
with a variety of simulated experiments under multiple virtual scenarios. Furthermore,
the design can be tweaked and the simulations re-run, which is often impractical to do
with a real system.

Who Uses Simulation Modeling?

Simulation modeling is used in all engineering disciplines and in a broad range of
industries as well as academia. Here are a few examples:
  Electrochemistry: Researchers in next-generation battery technology use
simulation to design new micro- and nano-scale materials to increase battery
capacity, reduce charging time, increase overall battery lifetime (charge-
discharge cycles), and increase battery safety.
 Telecommunications: Designers of 5G telecom equipment use simulation for
everything from designing base station antennas for maximum range to
determining the placement of base stations for maximum coverage to solving
problems in providing service in moving trains and buses. Designers also test
new communications protocols by modeling base stations, mobile devices, and
algorithms under various communication scenarios.
 Geology: By understanding the mathematical relationships among various types
of soils, rocks, and subterranean structures, geologists and seismologists can use
simulation to predict the effects of different types of earthquakes on the amount
of surface shaking that would occur.
 Optics: Engineers can simulate the optical properties of materials—including
so-called metamaterials, which have nano-scale surface designs that alter their
properties—to design and test new lenses and other optical instruments for many
different applications.

It’s important to note that simulation modeling is not limited to designing and testing
physical objects, although these applications lend themselves to modeling in CAD
software. Business processes can also be modeled and simulated to test their
performance. Using modeling and simulation, a business can get answers to questions
such as:

 How many technical support personnel do I need to staff? Do I need to

temporarily add staff for a big product launch?
 If I add a shipping clerk to my logistics team, what effect will it have on our
order fulfillment performance?
 If we add a product line, can our manufacturing infrastructure handle the extra
demand, or do I need to add a production line and personnel? What if I
outsource the production instead?
 If I automate a manufacturing process, will the warehouse be able to absorb the
additional products?