The most obvious value from a digital twin comes in the project phase. Project teams often use digital twin simulation software to dramatically reduce the design and testing phases for new control solutions. Then, when the design and testing are done, forward-thinking teams typically leverage that same digital twin to train operators, helping them practice by putting them in front of a near-identical replica of the controls they will use in their day-to-day environment.
However, as Zachary Sample explains in his recent article in Control Engineering, the benefits delivered during the project phase are just the tip of the iceberg for what an organization can accomplish with digital twin simulation software.
“With the right planning and strategy, today’s organizations can move away from a project-centric model for deploying digital twin simulations, instead opting for a more holistic model that incorporates the digital twin into a full lifecycle change management workflow. The teams that do so quickly find that their digital twin not only pays for itself as part of the project, but it also delivers continuous value as a sandbox for collaboration among personnel in process and automation engineering, plant management, training management, operations and maintenance, and more.”
Beyond the project
Emerson’s digital twin simulations can be used for testing well beyond the project stage. Control software like the DeltaV™ Distributed Control System is designed to operate for decades, and across those decades, teams will need to make changes to maintain flexibility and increase efficiency. Having a digital twin in place and synchronized with the control system makes that change process far easier.
“Teams also use digital twin simulation to test configurations, develop new process and automation strategies, and fine tune operational strategies and results well before any equipment needs to be ordered, much less installed onsite.”
And what’s more, a digital twin lets teams test out changes to processes over and over—even for challenging procedures like startup and shutdown—over and over until they get it right, with no safety or equipment failure risk.
A comprehensive digital sandbox
Yet even those features are just the basics of what can be accomplished. Today’s visionary organizations are using their simulation technologies to better understand how many different aspects of a process work together. This allows for much more innovation in troubleshooting and improvement.
“The team simulates any issues so they understand them, then use their understanding to develop potential solutions. They then test those potential solutions against the offline digital replica of the plant to gauge results and work out issues before implementing anything on the actual control system. Doing so simplifies change management and helps ensure smoother transitions for all stakeholders because every modification is examined from a much wider lens.”
Such a strategy can be used to improve safety, to debottleneck, to implement control strategy changes, and more. And the best part is, because there is no risk, they can try the process out over and over until they find the ideal solution. This capability unlocks endless capacity for innovation and empowers everyone on the team to drive increased, safer, more reliable performance— a critical differentiator in an increasingly crowded and competitive global marketplace.
