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PROCESS AUTOMATION
PROVING THE VALUE OF DIGITAL TWINS
David Pownall, Vice President, Services, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, says unlocking the power of digital twins can help achieve
sustainable design and engineering
ollowing on from COP28 and Davos 2024, the combination of digitalisation and sustainability will be at the top of the agenda for many businesses. For example, with industries switching to greener, electric energy sources, operations will need to be re-imagined to accommodate this shift to sustainable infrastructures. Electrical digital twin technology will prove fundamental to this process.
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Digital twin technology digitally replicates physical objects and processes, enabling sophisticated real- time insights to enhance quality, productivity, and energy efficiency. It provides a dynamic, data-supported framework that functions as a business enabler, solving real-world problems with real-world data.
Simulate and develop
Renewable power capacity will continue to increase in the next five years, with solar PV and wind accounting for a record 96%. However, today’s electrical distribution systems suffer from high levels of inefficiency and will struggle to accommodate this. The answer is in more innovative design, aided by digital technologies such as digital twins, which provide a safe way to simulate changes and test, develop, and evolve systems without high capital outlay. When ambitious Net Zero targets must be met, digital twins offer innumerable energy-saving opportunities, and evolve systems without high capital outlay. When ambitious Net Zero targets must be met, digital twins offer innumerable energy-saving opportunities. Electrical digital twins are a good example of how technology enables a more sustainable and environmentally conscious design. They also have an important role to play in the decarbonisation of electrical equipment systems and installations.
6 FEBRUARY 2024 | PROCESS & CONTROL
During the design stage, the digital twins are used to build and update a virtual model. Data input simulates each step of the project on a single platform, such as the mechanical, electrical, thermal, and environmental properties of specific equipment. Digital twins provide a risk-free way to analyse, test, and play with different design scenarios, equipment and operations before making any changes to the physical asset’s design. While digital twin technology for energy management has been under the spotlight for some time, its potential has yet to be fully realised. One reason for this is the perceived complexity of creating digital twins, with specific skills required to model complex processes and systems reliably. While it is true that specialist expertise is needed to initialise digital twins, ‘aftercare’ is much more easily managed. Therefore, the initial complexity involved shouldn’t be regarded as a barrier, especially when specialists are available to build and provide the training required for organisations to manage responsibility for the twin after integration.
Up-to-date documentation While sustainability is a hot topic right now, the value of digital twins for electrical systems in industrial settings extends much further. For example, the Electricity at Work Act makes specific references to the documentation requirements for all buildings, with single line diagrams an essential requirement. Despite this long-required aspect of building control, keeping these up to date, accessible, and to remain confident that they are a factual representation, has always been challenging. This is again where the value of a digital twin is proven.
Building a model of the electrical system that is easily updated and where elements and characteristics can be added makes it a powerful simulation tool and a reliable source of up-to-date information for other purposes. This negates the need for expensive and time-heavy data collection at intervals. With a digital twin there is one true view of electrical systems shared across projects, with contractors, for example, so everyone is working to a common framework. The first step towards any goal is to gain visibility into your current state so that you can design impactful and measurable strategies. Digital tools provide the visibility needed to test-drive different routes in virtual surroundings, choosing which is most efficient for the real journey.
Current, and future, planning With an electrical digital twin, you can fully digitise your electrical system architecture. Having that data at your fingertips will allow you to improve safety, reduce downtime, and meet regulatory requirements. It can help you to maximise efficiency, by enabling you to identify necessary equipment upgrades in line with planned modernisations of your electrical infrastructure. It allows you to collect data quickly for current and future planning purposes, and it will save engineering costs as you can perform any number of data-driven tasks on a common platform.
More and more organisations are realising that they can turn to technology to achieve their sustainability goals, accommodate emerging infrastructure, and become future- proof. With a growing urgency to address climate change, comply with Net Zero regulations, and meet ESG targets, what better time to consider adopting digital twins.
Schneider Electric
www.se.com
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