Scale modeling can play an important role in R&D. When engineers receive some ideas in new product development, they can test how the new design looks by bui- ing scale models and they can get an actual feeling with the prototype through their imagination. Professor Emori often said: “When children play with a toy airplane, their mind is wondering about the prototype airplane which they haven’t ridden. ” Children can use the scale model airplane as a means to enter into an imagi- tive world of wonder by testing in their own way how the actual airplane might function, how the actual airplane can maneuver aerodynamically, what might be the actual sound of a jet engine, how to safely land the actual airplane, and so on. This imagination that scale models can provide for children will help them later develop professional intuition. Physical scale models can never be entirely succe- fully replaced by computer screens where virtual models are displayed and fancy functions are demonstrated. Not only children but also adults can learn things by actually touching things only offered by physical models, helping all of us develop imagination and feeling eventually leading toward Kufu. Einstein’s famous “thought experiments [11],” which helped him to restructure modern physics may possibly and effectively be taught by letting researchers play with scale models!? References 1. I. Emori, K. Saito, and K. Sekimoto, Mokei Jikken no Riron to Ouyou (Scale Models in Engineering: Its Theory and Application), Gihodo, Tokyo, Third Edition, 2000.
This book is a selection of seminal papers given at the past International Symposia on Scale Modeling (ISSM). The International Scale Modeling Committee consisting of active worldwide researchers in scale modeling celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2008. The Committee is interdisciplinary, attracting researchers from a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines.
Scale modeling is a simplifying and clarifying tool used by scientists and engineers in many disciplines to help them grasp essential or salient aspects of bewilderingly complex systems, mechanisms and phenomena -- to see the forest when there are many trees. Scale modeling techniques are also used when it would be too expensive or too difficult to test the system of interest. In addition, scale modeling is an approach that offers engineers and designers a new point of view, liberating creative and innovative ideas and solutions. Scale modeling is employed to study weather systems, diffusion of pollution in air or water, chemical process in 3-D turbulent flow, multiphase combustion, flame propagation, biological systems, behavior of materials at nano- and micro- scales and so on.
Scale modeling would be even more widely used if more new material was readily available. The objective in publishing these papers in one place is to remedy the lack of available material on scale modeling and to make a book that will be useful in university courses (both graduate and undergraduate), and in industry short courses.
