Simulation engineers (also known as modeling and simulation engineers)
use technology to figure out how something will behave without actually testing
the real thing. They use virtual environments to test the performance, durability
and safety of things that would be too expensive or too hazardous to test
in real life.
"In general, simulations engineers could find themselves working on a wide
array of things," says Lyle Barner. He's a system modeling and simulation
engineer at Northrop Grumman Corp. "Anything that would be too costly, dangerous,
or time consuming to test empirically is a candidate for computer simulation."
A flight simulation engineer, for example, creates computer models that
mirror the experience of flying. A race car designer builds software prototypes
to test different designs and see which one could perform the best.
"I currently work for a U.S. defense contractor and provide simulation
results for various aircraft," says Barner. "At a previous job I worked on
various simulations concerning the GPS satellite constellation and atmospheric
models."
"My role is to develop aerodynamic models using wind tunnel and flight
test data," says Sandrine De Jesus Mota. She's an engineer in the flight dynamics
and simulation group at an aerospace company.
"The simulation model is the basic tool that is used to analyze the aircraft
dynamic behavior for engineering development and certification tasks."
Rob Whythe is a senior simulation engineer at CAE, a company that manufactures
flight simulators for pilot training. "I've also built simulators for aircraft
development, where avionic equipment can be put through its paces in a simulator,
flown by a test pilot and monitored by avionics engineers, before it is first
flown in the aircraft," he says. Engineers use simulations to spot weaknesses
or flaws in designs. They also use simulations to see what might happen if
certain aspects of the design were changed.
"The simulation model can be used to identify design or performance issues
early in a program, which reduces the cost of a program development," says
De Jesus Mota. "Moreover, the simulation is used as a substitute for hazardous
flight tests... which increases safety."
This field requires a high level of technical skill. Simulation engineers
have to be able to create complex mathematical and scientific models to simulate
different projects. "Having mathematical skills is very important in this
career," says De Jesus Mota.
"To model a system, one has to be able to find the correct architecture
(mathematical equation) that best represents the real system."
Whythe agrees that math is important, but he adds that it's not all about
the numbers. "There's a fair amount of maths involved, but in order to get
a good realistic match, it needs a lot of artistry and a good understanding
of aerodynamics," he says.