01.

Introduction to Engineering Modeling

1. Introduction
Engineering modeling implies the use of physical, mathematical, or logical
representation of systems, phenomena or processes as a basis for simulations to
develop data utilized for technical decision making.

In the digital application of modeling and simulation a computer is used to build a

mathematical model which contains key parameters of the physical model. The
mathematical model represents the physical model in virtual form and conditions
are applied that set up the experiment of interest.

Modeling and Simulation contribute to cost reduction and increase the quality of
products and systems. Because the results of a simulation are only as good as
the underlying models, engineers and analysts must pay special attention to its
construction. To ensure that the results of the simulation are applicable to the
real world, the user must understand the assumptions, conceptualizations, and
constraints of its implementation. Additionally, models may be updated and
improved using results of actual experiments.

The use of mathematical models and simulations avoids costly and time-
consuming experimentation. Knowledge in mathematics and physics combined
with computational power are used to solve real-world problems with much less
financial effort and in a time efficient manner. As such, engineering modeling can
facilitate the understanding of a system's behavior without actually testing that
system in the real world.

Modeling is understood as the purposeful abstraction of reality, resulting in the

formal specification of a conceptualization and underlying assumptions and
constraints. The execution of a model over time is understood as the simulation.
While modeling targets the conceptualization, simulation challenges mainly focus
on implementation. In other words, modeling resides on the abstraction level,
whereas simulation resides on the implementation level. Conceptualization and
implementation – modeling and simulation – are two activities that are mutually
dependent, but can nonetheless be conducted by separate individuals.

Three activities have to be performed and fine tuned to ensure sound results in
Engineering Modeling and Simulation:

 A model that captures the conceptualization must be developed

 A simulation must implement this model
  Engineering Designers must ensure that both model and simulation are
interconnected and on the current state, which means that the model
needs to be updated if the simulation parameters are changed

Engineering modeling is a scientific activity aiming to make a specific component

or system easier to understand, define, quantify, visualize and simulate by
referencing it to existing and usually commonly accepted knowledge. It requires
selecting and identifying relevant aspects of a situation in the real world and then
using different types of models for different aims, such as conceptual models to
better understand, mathematical models to quantify, and graphical models to
visualize the subject.

For engineers, a model is a way in which the human thought processes can be
amplified. Models that are rendered in software allow scientists to leverage
computational power to simulate, visualize, manipulate and gain intuition about
the entity, phenomenon, or process being represented. Such computer models
are known as In Silico Models.

2. Fundamentals of Engineering Modeling and Simulation

 Modeling as Substitute for Experimentation
Models are useful when it is either impossible or impractical to create
experimental conditions in which engineers can directly measure outcomes.
Direct measurement of outcomes under controlled conditions will always be more
reliable than modeled estimates of outcomes.

Within modeling and simulation, a model is a task-driven, purposeful

simplification and abstraction of a perception of reality, shaped by physical and
cognitive constraints. It is task-driven, because a model is captured with a certain
task in mind. Simplification leaves out all the known and observed entities and
their relations that are not important for the task. Abstraction aggregates
information that is important, but not needed in the same detail as the object of
interest.

Both activities, simplification and abstraction, are done purposefully. However,

they are done based on a perception of reality. This perception is already a
model in itself, as it comes with a physical constraint. There are also constraints
on what we are able to observe with our current tools and methods, and cognitive
constraints which limit what we are able to explain with our current theories. This
model comprises the concepts, their behavior, and their relations in formal form
and is often referred to as a conceptual model. In order to execute the model, it
needs to be implemented as a computer simulation. This requires more choices,

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such as numerical approximations. Despite all computational constraints,
simulation has been recognized as the third pillar of scientific methods: theory
building, simulation, and experimentation.

 Simulation
Simulations are ways to implement models when such models are too complex
for analytical solutions. For example, a steady state simulation provides
information about the system at a specific instant in time - usually at equilibrium.
A dynamic simulation provides information over time. A simulation shows how a
particular object or phenomenon will behave. Such simulations can be useful for
testing and analysis in all cases where real-world systems or concepts can be
represented by models.

 Structures
Structures are fundamental notions covering the recognition, observation, nature,
and stability of patterns and relationships of entities. From a child's verbal
description of a snowflake, to the detailed scientific analysis of the properties of
magnetic fields, the concept of structure is an essential foundation of nearly
every mode of inquiry and discovery in engineering and science

 Systems
Systems are defined as sets of interacting or interdependent entities, real or
abstract, forming an integrated whole. In general, a system is a construct or
collection of different elements that together can produce results not obtainable
by the elements alone. The concept of an integrated whole can also be stated in
terms of a system embodying a set of relationships which are differentiated from
relationships of the set to other elements, and from relationships between an
element of the set and elements not a part of the relational regime. There are two
types of system models: discrete, in which the variables change instantaneously
at separate points in time and, continuous where the state variables change
continuously with respect to time.

 Generation of Models
Modeling is the process of generating models as conceptual representations of
some phenomenon. Typically a model will deal with only some aspects of the
phenomenon in question, and two models of the same phenomenon may be
essentially different.

Such differences may be due to differing requirements of the model's end users,
or to conceptual or aesthetic differences among the modelers and to contingent
decisions made during the modeling process. Considerations that may influence

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the structure of a model might be the modeler’s preference for a reduced
ontology, preferences regarding statistical models versus deterministic models or
discrete versus continuous time. The users of a model need to understand the
assumptions made that are pertinent to its validity for a given task.

Building a model requires abstraction. Assumptions are used in modeling in order

to specify the domain of application of the model. For example, the special theory
of relativity assumes an inertial frame of reference. This assumption was
contextualized and further explained by the general theory of relativity. A model
makes accurate predictions when its assumptions are valid, and might well not
make accurate predictions when its assumptions do not hold. Such assumptions
are often the point with which older theories are succeeded by new ones.

 Evaluation of Models
A model is evaluated first and foremost by its consistency to empirical data; any
model inconsistent with reproducible observations must be modified or rejected.
One way to modify the model is by restricting the domain over which it is credited
with having high validity.

A case in point is Newtonian physics, which is highly useful except for the very
small, the very fast, and the very massive phenomena of the universe. However,
a fit to empirical data alone is not sufficient for a model to be accepted as valid.
Other factors important in evaluating a model include:

 Ability to explain past observations

 Ability to predict future observations
 Cost of use, especially in combination with other models
 Refutability, enabling estimation of the degree of confidence in the model
 Simplicity, or even aesthetic appeal

 Visualization
Any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a
message is visualization. Visualization through visual imagery has been an
effective way to communicate both abstract and concrete ideas since the dawn of
man. Examples from history include cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek
geometry, and Leonardo da Vinci's revolutionary methods of technical drawing
for engineering and scientific purposes.

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3. Review of Basic Concepts of 3D CAD in SolidWorks

SolidWorks uses a 3D design approach. As you design a part from the initial
sketch to the final result, you create a 3D model. From this model, you can create
2D drawings or mate components consisting of parts or subassemblies to create
3D assemblies. You can also create 2D drawings of 3D assemblies.

Parts are the basic building blocks in SolidWorks. Assemblies contain parts or
other assemblies, called subassemblies. A SolidWorks model consists of 3D
geometry that defines its edges, faces, and surfaces. SolidWorks lets you design
models quickly and precisely. SolidWorks models are:

 Defined by 3D design
 Based on components

One of the most powerful features in SolidWorks applications is that any change
you make to a part is reflected in all associated drawings or assemblies.

The following terms appear throughout the SolidWorks software and

documentation:

 Vertex: Point at which two or more lines or edges intersect. You can select
vertices for sketching and dimensioning, for example.

 Edge: Location where two or more faces intersect and are joined together.
You can select edges for sketching and dimensioning, for example.

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  Origin: Appears as two blue arrows and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate
of the model. When a sketch is active, a sketch origin appears in red and
represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the sketch. You can add dimensions
and relations to a model origin, but not to a sketch origin.

 Plane: Flat construction geometry. You can use planes for adding a 2D
sketch, section view of a model, or a neutral plane in a draft feature, for
example.

 Faces: Boundaries that help define the shape of a model or a surface. A

face is a selectable planar or non-planar area of a model or surface. For
example, a rectangular solid has six faces.

 Axis: Straight line used to create model geometry, features, or patterns.

You can create an axis in different ways, including intersecting two planes.
The SolidWorks application creates temporary axes implicitly for every
conical or cylindrical face in a model.

The design process usually involves the following steps:

 Identify the model requirements

 Conceptualize the model based on the identified needs
 Develop the model based on the concepts
 Analyze the model
 Prototype the model
 Construct the model
 Edit the model, if needed

Design intent determines how you want your model to react as a result of the
changes you need to make to the model. For example, if you make a boss with a
hole in it, the hole should move when the boss moves. The design intent is
primarily about planning. How you create the model determines how changes
affect it. The closer your design implementation is to your design intent, the
greater the integrity of the model. Various factors contribute to the design
process, including:

 Understand the purpose of the model to design it efficiently

 Anticipate potential requirements to minimize redesign efforts

Before you actually design the model, it is helpful to plan out a method of how to
create the model. After you identify needs and isolate the appropriate concepts,
you can develop the model:

 Sketches: Create the sketches and decide how to dimension and where to
apply relations.

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  Features: Select the appropriate features, such as extrudes and fillets,
determine the best features to apply, and decide in what order to apply
those features.

 Assemblies: Select the components to mate and the types of mates to

apply. A model almost always includes one or more sketches and one or
more features. Not all models, however, include assemblies.

Summary
In this first lecture we introduce basic concepts in Engineering modeling and
simulation, including:

 Rigorous definitions of modeling and simulation in Engineering and

Science
 Fundamentals of Engineering Modeling and Simulation
 Review of basic concepts in 3D CAD in SolidWorks

References
 Dassault Systems – SolidWorks Fundamentals, Concord, Massachusetts,
United States, 2012

 Engineering Modeling and Simulation in SolidWorks – Tutorials

 Dassault Systems – SolidWorks Simulation, Concord, Massachusetts,

United States, 2014

 Dassault Systems – SolidWorks Flow Simulation, Concord,

Massachusetts, United States, 2014

 Report on Simulation-Based Engineering Science, National Science

Foundation Blue Ribbon Panel, Austin, Texas, May 2006

Readings and Resources:

 Cook, R. – Finite Element Modeling for Stress Analysis, John Wiley &
Sons, New York, 1995