VIASBreath of Certainty: How simulation shaped the future of breath alcohol devices validation

Long story short

To evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of their next-generation alcohol tester validation machine, VIAS Institute turned to CTRL Engineering.
Using MATLAB® and Simulink®, we conducted a digital prestudy of the system’s performance—focusing on alcohol concentration stability, thermal control, and programmable airflow.

“CTRL Engineering’s simulation insights turned our biggest unknowns into clear, actionable data, letting us commit to the new validation bench with certainty. ⚙️🏆”
R&D Lead, VIAS Institute

The Challenge: Combining Accuracy, Control and Repeatability

The envisioned validation system had to operate under realistic conditions, delivering a high number of breath alcohol tests per day while keeping critical parameters within tight tolerances. A novel multi-chamber alcohol release system, combined with a closed-loop thermal circuit, had to ensure air and water were consistently delivered at exactly 34 °C—a legal requirement defined in the Belgian Royal Decree, with a permitted deviation of only ±0.2 °C.

The airflow also needed to be fully programmable, with dynamic flow profiles and a wide operating range. This combination of thermal, fluidic, and chemical requirements made it essential to validate the design early. Without simulation, critical flaws might only emerge during prototyping or lab integration—causing delays, budget overruns, or compliance risks.

Our Approach: Simulate First to Design with Confidence

CTRL Engineering tackled this challenge through a model-based systems engineering workflow, translating each subsystem into a simulation model that could predict real-world behaviour in advance of any hardware development. The alcohol release system was modelled to simulate concentration behaviour across a large number of test cycles. The results demonstrated that a stable output could be achieved over time, well within the defined tolerances.

In parallel, a thermal model was built to simulate how the heating loop would perform in bringing the system from ambient conditions to 34 °C using a 3 kW power source governed by PWM control. The model confirmed that this target temperature could be held within a ±0.1 °C range, enabling highly consistent test conditions. This level of stability is critical for a laboratory environment that operates under ISO 17025 accreditation, where measurement uncertainty and repeatability are essential design drivers.

Finally, the pneumatic system was analysed to evaluate how precisely the airflow could be controlled across dynamic ramp profiles using solenoid valves and flow controllers. All simulation results were combined into a financial assessment that linked technical decisions to ROI, helping support the investment case well before moving to the hardware stage.

Results: Reduced Risk, Increased Clarity

The simulation-based study confirmed the technical soundness of the concept and demonstrated that the system could meet all key functional requirements while aligning with the laboratory’s quality standards. The analysis gave VIAS assurance in three critical areas: a stable and predictable alcohol release process, reliable temperature control, and repeatable airflow dynamics. By addressing these challenges early and virtually, the risks typically associated with physical prototyping were significantly reduced.

Why it matters to you? Simulate First, Build Smarter

In complex systems where temperature regulation, airflow control, and chemical processes converge, simulation provides a powerful way to de-risk complex developments. Instead of discovering problems during prototyping, engineers can explore solutions early, make informed decisions, and move forward with greater confidence.

With CTRL Engineering as your simulation partner, you gain access to advanced modeling expertise in MATLAB and Simulink, combined with clear, business-relevant insights. Whether you are validating a single concept or planning a series of lab-grade machines, our digital-first approach accelerates development while increasing certainty—long before the first component is built.