Digital-Twin Technology in a nutshell.

Overview 

It literally means a virtual copy or a twin of something that is real. Now a digital twin of a chemical plant means a exact virtual replica of the plant. This virtual twin is developed with the help of computing technology at hand. To make things clear: The Aspen plus or DWSIM simulations are to some extent the digital twins of the real plant even though they are not as rigorous and thorough as that of the twin models. And how closely the twin resembles the real world will decide the accuracy and the reliability of the results. DT makes use of 'Emulate 3D' to develop actual and realistic 3D processes.  

Now why should one even make the effort of creating a digital twin of a chemical plant?

The following are some of the key reasons to do so:

• Accurate and realistic simulations can be carried out easily.

• The digital twin model  can be developed right after the detailed engineering phase. This enables one to start optimizing the process line months before the real process is commissioned.

• Now once the plant is operational, the digital twin technology is used for in-plant operator training. Chemical Industries frequently involve highly hazardous processes which are prone to have catastrophic consequences hence such trainings are of utmost importance.  The advantage of such a training is that the operator gains a proper perception of the 'What happens when.......' scenarios. These virtual models are used to train operators in the critical phases of operations like start-up, shutdown and even line upsets. 

• Has the capability to capture the data from the sensors and thus improving the efficacy of the model

Enabling Factors

The factors which are making the conditions favourable and conducive for the seamless and economical application of  the digital twin to chemical industries are :

The Process simulation industry has come a long way since its inception and is now their products are able to accurately model real processes. With the increase in the number of organizations using such tools, has resulted in making them affordable. With time simulations are only going to get better and affordable and no one can deny that!  

With the advent of Industrial IOT coupled with the accurate sensors available today, this has paved the way for capturing data in real time not only of the individual assets(unit operations) but also from the control systems. Advancements in 'Data-Visualization' and 'Data-Analytics' have made way for the quick and easy interpretation of the vast data being generated in a plant.

Some other enabling factor are that tremendous computing power is easily available at affordable rates today. Proper storage and network infrastructure is conveniently at our disposal.  

Conclusion

With the biggies of the chemical industry(Dow, Chevron etc. ) have already implemented and are using Digital Twin in their daily operations. The solutions providers like GE, Siemens, Deloitte are coming out with newer and affordable products in digital twins.

Hence this technology is going to become more accessible and affordable as the day passes and will result in organizations opting for in large numbers.