Limitations of traditional testing strategies
Physical testing has been considered a central component of technical development for decades. However, increasing system complexity, shorter development cycles, and high prototype costs are increasingly pushing traditional testing strategies to their limits. The ideal combination: virtual models and simulation technologies expand real-world testing and enable a digital understanding of the underlying physical processes.
A fundamental problem with traditional testing strategies is that physical tests often take place late in the development process. By this point, key design decisions have already been made. If weaknesses are discovered, changes are usually expensive or only possible with considerable effort. Simulations close this gap by revealing physical relationships early on in the concept and design phase.
Modern multiphysics simulations combine different physical effects such as fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism in a consistent model. This allows interactions to be analyzed that are often difficult to detect in isolated individual tests.
An example from energy technology demonstrates the practical benefits of such virtual models: in the thermal management of energy storage systems, a system simulation can digitally map the entire cooling system – from the chiller to the cooling circuit to the cell. Developers can identify critical temperature peaks at an early stage and evaluate design measures even before physical prototypes are built.
CFD simulations also provide important insights for large-scale facilities such as clean rooms. Air flows, temperature fields, and particle movements can be analyzed and optimized in detail. Although the simulation effort usually accounts for only a small portion of the total investment, potential planning errors can be identified at an early stage and subsequent quality problems avoided.
“Simulation does not replace real-world testing—it makes it more targeted,” says Stefan Merkle, managing partner of Merkle CAE Solutions GmbH. “When physical relationships are understood early on in the development phase, tests can be planned much more efficiently and development risks can be significantly reduced.”
Virtual models therefore are most useful when used in conjunction with experimental methods. Simulations help to identify critical scenarios and systematically vary parameters, while physical tests provide the data needed to validate the models.
For development departments, this means that traditional testing strategies are increasingly being supplemented by digital methods. Companies that integrate simulation into their development processes at an early stage can shorten development times, reduce risks, and make more informed decisions long before the first prototype is built.
