DIGITAL TWIN

ABSTRACT:

The vision of the Digital Twin itself refers to a comprehensive physical and
functional description of a component, product or system together with all
available operational data. This includes more or less all information which
could be useful in all - the current and subsequent - lifecycle phases. One of
the main benefits of the Digital Twin for mechatronic and cyber-physical
systems is to provide the information created during design and engineering
also at the operation of the system. The comprehensive networking of all
information, shared between partners and connecting design, production and
usage, forms the presented paradigm of next generation Digital Twin. This will
bridge the gap between physics-based design simulation and its use in
operation and service phases. Based on the example of a point machine the
benefits of using the Digital Twin are shown.

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 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

We define the (simulation aspects of the) Digital Twin as follows: The Digital
Twin refers to a description of a component, product or system by a set of well
aligned executable models with the following characteristics:

 The Digital Twin is the linked collection of the relevant digital artifacts
including engineering data, operation data and behavior descriptions via
several simulation models. The simulation models making up the Digital
Twin are specific for their intended use and apply the suitable fidelity for
the problem to be solved.
 The Digital Twin evolves along with the real system along the whole life
cycle and integrates the currently available knowledge about it.
 The Digital Twin is not only used to describe the behavior but also to
derive solutions relevant for the real system.

Based on this comprehensive description, the main goal and challenge is then
how to support all stakeholders during all lifecycle phases with their tasks in
order to increase productivity. In this contribution we review the
methodological basis and present a first approach, the next generation Digital
Twin (nexDT).

Today, modeling and simulation is a standard process in system

development, to support design tasks or to validate system properties for
example. But also first simulation-based solutions are realized for optimized
operations and failure prediction. In general, simulation technology offers the
chance to integrate data- and physics-based approaches and to reach the next
level of merging the real and virtual world in all life cycle phases. The Digital
Twin for mechatronic and cyber-physical systems allows that information
created during design and engineering is also available and ready for
evaluation during the operation of the system. This is nowadays often

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neglected, as design and operation are mainly disconnected life cycle phases
from the point of data usage. By using simulation models, it becomes possible
to interpret measurements, operational and fleet data in a different way rather
than just detecting deviations from the norm. Several modes of failure can be
simulated for the current situation trying to reproduce the actual measurement
signals. The comparison of the simulated signals with measured ones can help
to identify the failure mode.

The integrated use of data- and physics-based models promises an efficient

approach for optimized operation of cyber-physical systems and analytics and
diagnostic solutions for their complex components. The next generation Digital
Twin will transport data, information and executable models of all system
elements from development – delivered by the component supplier – to
operation. This information can be used for the cost-effective development of
assist systems during operation, e.g. autopilot solutions for production systems
and service applications. Application examples are improved maintenance
solutions which explain anomalies and identify potential failure causes. This
networking of information also allows for the increased use of field data in the
development of variants and follow-up products. The value creation process is
closed by a feedback loop.

In chapter 2 we will present the paradigm of next generation Digital Twin. A

first realization is shown on an example of a point machine for train switches
in chapter 3. Main focus besides the planning of the Digital Twin is the use of
engineering models in operation and the integration of fleet data. We will close
with a short summary and outlook.

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 CHAPTER-2

NEXT GENERATION DIGITAL TWIN

2.1 Digital Twin concept

The vision of the Digital Twin has been the subject of numerous publications
and white papers in recent years. Common understanding of the Digital Twin
in these publications is that it is seen as a concept for a virtual equivalent or a
dynamic digital representation of a real system. In, Grieves dates the first
mention of the term Digital Twin to a presentation to industry at University of
Michigan in 2002 at an event for the formation of a PLM-Center. A more
prominent use and distribution of the term was later, e.g., multiple mentions
can be found in NASA roadmaps. Here, the Digital Twin refers to the virtual
equivalent of satellites which were not accessible for inspections and scenario
investigation once shot into space.

In the manufacturing context (production system itself as well as production

processes) is emphasized whereas in products and their development play a
dominant role. The emphasized role in design phases is underlined in by the
attribute that the Digital Twin is first born. In this context of system design,
especially for dimensioning tasks, validation and virtual commissioning high
fidelity models are often mentioned. This clarifies the general objective that the
Digital Twin corresponds to the real system or, so to speak, the real twin with a
high accuracy. The latter also proves that this part of the idea of the Digital
Twin has long been pursued in the modeling and simulation community. The
purpose of multiphysics simulation and system simulation is to accurately
replicate and answer detailed questions and system relationships .

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 The connection to PLM shows two further important characteristics of the
Digital Twin idea, the consideration and integration of data and information
beyond simulation models and the lifecycle spanning aspect. Another key point
results from the connectivity of all devices and systems and ubiquitously
available computing power as elements of the IoT, Industrie 4.0 and Industrial
Internet . This networking between devices but also to software systems allows
that during the usage of the system a linkage between both twins is possible.
In particular, the use of a system can be the operation of a plant or
infrastructure as well as the use of a product. Regardless of the type of
implementation, i.e., either the Digital Twin is embedded on the device or
available on cloud or edge computer, a loop between the real world and the
digital world and back to the real thing is possible . In this connection is
presented as a prerequisite for autonomous systems. The Digital Twin realized
the self-awareness and controls the behaviour with the system environment.

The inclusion of the IoT perspective and cloud-based IoT operation systems,
extends the described loop to greater closed innovation loops. This is expressed
by specific names for Digital Twins for different tasks and areas. The digital
product twin includes all design artefacts of a product, the digital production
twin covers models for the manufacturing process and production system itself
and a digital performance twin derives insight from utilization data and
analyzes actual performance.

The collection of data out of running systems is a source of information and

for knowledge which can be used for system improvements and new product
generations. The feedback loop to development and PLM systems is closed.

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 Figure 2.1: Next generation Digital Twin uses semantic technologies to
connect all kind of information.

Rings represent engineering and simulation models; dots stand for data. The
connection of these models via semantic technologies is shown as lines. This
general relation is valid throughout the lifecycle.

GE has started on its digital transformation journey, at the core of which

is an approach centered on the Digital Twin. The Digital Twin collects data
from its manufacturing, maintenance, operations, and operating
environments and uses this data to create a unique model of each specific
asset, system, or process, while focusing on a key behavior (such as life,
efficiency, or flexibility). This is the ‘model of one.’

Analytics are then applied to these models to detect anomalies in the

system. The twin then determines an optimal set of actions that maximize
some key performance metrics, and provides forecasts for long-term
planning. These modeling and analytics techniques are embedded in GE’s
Predix platform and allow the enterprise to rapidly create, tune, or modify
business services for customers. This is the ‘P&L of one.’

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 The Digital Twin is then used in a specified analytics workflow to enable
the delivery of a specific business outcome, using environmental and
operational data that is consistently acquired. This consistent data flow
permits the Digital Twin model to continually adapt to changes in the
environment or operations and deliver the best business outcome. Thus, the
Digital Twin essentially becomes a living model of the physical asset or
system. These twins can also be rapidly and easily scaled for quick
deployment for other, similar applications.

GE has built Digital Twins of critical jet engine components that predict the
business outcomes associated with the remaining life of those components;
for example, of gas turbines to deliver the desired electrical power output at
the lowest possible fuel consumption, and of wind turbines that collectively
optimize the production of electricity from wind farms. These Digital Twins
provide up-to-date and customized information that enables GE’s businesses
and customers to make timely decisions and intercessions for continued
profitability and maximized performance.

While the digitization efforts of the industrial marketplace are uncovering

a broad span of productivity-related savings and new revenue opportunities,
many of the pre-eminent early productivity benefits are being felt through the
unlocking of additional value in working assets, systems, and processes.
These benefits can be grouped into three broad categories: Early warning /
anomaly detection, prediction, and optimization”.

2.2. Next generation Digital Twin paradigm:

The weakness of the comprehensive definition of a Digital Twin is that it can be

misunderstood as a twin which is suitable for all kind of tasks. Of course, this
is a too extensive interpretation.

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 This motivates that we will speak in our revised definition of a set of models.
The Digital Twin refers to a description of a component, product, system or
process by a set of well-aligned, descriptive and executable models:

 The Digital Twin is the semantically linked collection of the relevant digital
artefacts including design and engineering data, operational data and
behavioural descriptions.
 The Digital Twin evolves with the real system along the whole life cycle and
integrates the currently available and commonly required data and
knowledge.

This definition generalizes the description of the Digital Twin which we have
given in [2] for the simulation viewpoint by the inclusion of descriptive models
and data which are relevant for development and also gathered in operation (or
usage) lifecycle phases.

The consistent continuation of this concept idea leads to the next generation
Digital Twin as a visionary paradigm. It covers several aspects which will
increase the performance of different systems and increase efficiency in all
lifecycle phases:

 Creation and deployment of several – a set of – simulation models, which have

a defined purpose and validity range. This set evolves along the lifecycle
whereby new models are added regarding the intended function or at least with
the anticipation of the later use.

 The provision of descriptive data and information which are valuable for
different stakeholders.

 Realization of interconnectedness of all digital artefacts by semantic

technologies.

 Anchoring in all lifecycle phases and the support of the transformation to the
next phase.

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 Linkage between the real and the digital world by mastering the
synchronization of measured, sometimes big data, and the virtual
representation.

 The Digital Twin (or a part of it in the sense of a set) can be an element of the
product itself and delivered with it as well or can be a stand-alone service
forming its own business models.

 Closing the feedback loop, not only back to the real system but also to early
lifecycle phases, maybe for the development of new system versions or product
generations.

2.3. The value network aspect of nexDT

In figure 1 the connection of all models and data is shown. The rings
represent engineering and simulation models and the filled dots represent
different kinds of data. All information can be connected by using semantic
technologies, represented by the lines as sketched in the figure. In particular,
the linkage allows the bundling of design models with measurement data. This
comprehensive information is in principle available in all lifecycle phases. This
enables the efficient realization of new solutions, e.g., for operation and service
purposes.

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 Figure 2.3.a: Next generation Digital Twin paradigm links different
twins and connects it to a value network.

A specific part of the connection is the synchronization of measurement data

coming from the real system in use with the Digital Twin. In chapter 3.3 we will
show this aspect by an example for a new service by the application of a point
machine for train networks.

In figure 2 the value network of Digital Twins as well as the connection of all
digital artefacts in next generation Digital Twin paradigm is shown. Digital
artefacts, e.g., data of all kinds, descriptive and simulation models, are linked
by using semantic technologies. With approaches such as the Knowledge
Graph information can be linked and later retrieved by different stakeholders
at any time. Specific digital artefacts build a Digital Twin. As already
mentioned, this single Digital Twin cannot fulfil all purposes and tasks in all
lifecycle phases. Therefore, a set of Digital Twins is needed, where each Digital
Twin has a well-defined objective. Of course, with a suitable design of the
digital twin it can be used for several tasks. In this sense the Digital Twin is
delegated for a series of tasks and can be used in different lifecycle phases.

A big advantage of this paradigm lies in the creation of improved value

chains. Digital Twins from a supplier can be used from a product designer for
his development. The provision of Digital Twins between partners or in general
the realization of the next generation Digital Twin paradigm can be done in
several ways. This ranges from big cloud applications and ecosystems to
individually defined exchange formats. Specific Digital Twins can be embedded
in the component or device and accompany the real twin once manufactured. A
further aspect in the relationship between suppliers and integrators is the
degree of transparency. This can be done in two ways, on the one hand by
using encapsulated models to guarantee IP protection for the supplier and on
the other hand by open models for realizing integrated development processes.
System integrators can in turn use this information to realize a larger system,

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e.g., a car manufacturing factory or a whole train. The next step in the chain
depends on the application. Information of a designed product is valuable for
the development or reconfiguration of the production system that should
produce the product. Accordingly, a Digital Twin of the product can be
combined with Digital Twins of the production system. This refers to the
development of the production system including engineering and virtual
commissioning tasks as well as the operation of the plant itself. When the
product is made the Digital Twin can be further used. Enriched by sensor data
and collected information on the use of the product the Digital Twin supports
the optimized application of the product itself. In the understanding of the
interconnectedness of all information these data and in the end knowledge are
available for the development product variants and new product generations.

Figure 2.3.b: Multi-body model (left) and component based multiphysics

model (right) of point machine S700K

If the planning, construction and operation of the production plant or an

infrastructure is the focus, the general application of the next generation
Digital Twin paradigm follows the same principles. Digital Twins of a product,
in this case equipment of the production system, are used during development
of the production system. And as above described for products, the available
data and knowledge can help to improve the production and the design of new
production systems.

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 Another aspect should be mentioned as well. During product development
most digital artefacts refer to a type of a product. After production a larger
number of instances are created. This means that Digital Twins are now valid
for multiple instances, enhanced by production information. Conversely, data
can now be collected from all instances. This leads to the generation of fleet
data, which can also be used in new applications and services.

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 CHAPTER-3

USE OF DIGITAL TWIN IN OPERATION

3.1Point machine for train switches

Railroad switches also called turnouts or points are a key element of the rail
network infrastructure. They are distributed all over the network and its
maintenance is crucial to guarantee safety and undisturbed operation. Within
a railway network the turnouts are responsible for a high amount of the
operational costs as monitoring and maintenance is mainly manual. Points
Diagnostics systems like the Sidis W compact [13] from Siemens are used to
monitor the current condition of the point machine by analyzing the electrical
power demand of the drive and point machine operation module. However, a
prediction of the future behaviour remains difficult. The interaction of a railway
switch and its drive (point machine) is complex. On both subsystems many
different parameters act in a way that it will be difficult to predict its behaviour.

The use of physics-based models as shown in figure 3 promises an efficient

and cost-effective extension of such systems as not only real data but also the
immanent physics is used to identify potential chinks in dependence of the
current load, maintenance condition or operating hours. It can be further used
to explain anomalies and identify potential failure causes and, thus, improve
the maintenance process.

3.2Planning the Digital Twin

As already mentioned in section 2.2, the Digital Twin can become part of
the product itself enhancing the original functionality of the product. In this
case the additional functionalities covered by the Digital Twin can already be
designed in the same way as normal product features. Or, when the concept of
Digital Twin is already broadly realized, the functionalities can be assembled
based on existing (simulation) modules provided by the Digital Twin. In our

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example physics-based simulation models as well as live data from the points
diagnostics system are used to identify a possible malfunction of the turnout.
Therefore, a “template” of this Digital Twin feature is specified during the
conceptual design phase. This template describes how the different
components are linked together and interact. During the ongoing design and
construction process it will be successfully filled with (sub-)models as soon as
they are created and finally results in a complete system model that fulfils the
specified product functionalities. Defining the template already during the early
planning helps to ensure that the simulation models are created at the time
when lowest effort is needed: during the component development. It is however
also possible to create the models afterwards, but at a higher cost, as implicit
knowledge may have been lost.

This idea will be illustrated for the example of an enhanced points

diagnostics system:

The new functionality brought in by the Digital Twin is the identification of

possible root causes of malfunctions in contrast to its pure detection. This
feature will be realized by a system model that consists of a simulation model
based on the physics of the point machine and track on one side. Another
component of the system model is measurement data from the live system. The
architecture of this system model will be specified in the concept phase (it is a
product feature), however, its components are not yet available, as details of
the physical realization are not yet cleared (figure 4 top). And obviously live
data are not available as well. But it is already possible to specify the content of
the data (in our case measurement of the power consumption of the electric
motor of the point machine during operation). This leads directly to a
requirement for the simulation model that should describe the physical
behaviour of point machine and track: This model should also give the power
consumption of the motor. A possible candidate that could give this
information is a multi-body simulation model used to verify the kinematics of
the point machine. Such a model combines the geometrical object description
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with kinematic features like joints and hinges to simulate possible motions of
the system. Together with realistic forces and accelerations predictions on the
kinematic behaviour of the system can be done. A more abstract – and
therefore less numerically expensive – model to fulfil this functionality is a
component-based 1-d multiphysics model of the point machine (see figure 4
bottom left).

During the design of the point machine, like for all other mechatronic
systems, several models (descriptive and simulation) are created. They all have
a dedicated purpose during its creation: verification of design hypotheses
during the development. Using the nexDT design paradigm already in this
phase the additional requirement from the system model is known and the
model owners are aware of it. Therefore, it is easy to add this functionality or
derive a (sub-)model with the desired functionality alongside with the phase-
specific model (“failure identification”, figure 4 bottom right). This minimizes
the effort in setting up the simulation. If the model for operation phase would
have been prepared only at the time when it is needed, many design features
and models would no longer be available as they are specific to the design
phase and will probably no longer be maintained after its initial use. The
nexDT offers the possibility to keep the models in focus also after the initial
(primary) use.

3.3Digital Twin during operation phase

The system model allows simulating the operation of the point machine for
a customer/site specific configuration. Depending on the complexity of the
underlying system the implementation can be done at different locations,
ranging from embedded logic in the control unit of the drive over included as
an assistance module for the switch operator to cloud based as service on
demand e.g. for maintenance worker. In the suggested set-up (assistance
system) the failure identification module compares the measurement data from
the live system with results from the physics-based simulation. This direct

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comparison is possible as by design the results of the two input sources
(simulation model, points diagnostics system) are comparable.

As usually every turnout has an individual configuration, the failure

identification module has to be configured individually. However, there exist
several situations where different turnouts show a similar behaviour as they
are somehow connected to each other. E.g., turnouts that are locally close to
each other are subject to similar environmental conditions like temperature or
rainfall. Including this kind of information in the analysis via nexDT is shown
in the following section.

3.4Hybrid analysis and fleet data

Especially the connection between the Digital Twin and operational data
offers a wide range of new services from failure detection and diagnosis, as
mentioned in the previous section, over predictive maintenance to faster
product improvement and development.

The connection of the Digital Twin and a physical instance is established via
sensors. Ideally sensor data is received and processed in real-time. But if we
think of data being submitted to a cloud and processed there, synchronization
and a proper delay management gets important due to different time constants.

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 Figure 3.4 Architecture (top) and realization (bottom) of assist system
based on Digital Twin functionalities.

Depending on the application such sensors measure physical quantities like

accelerations, displacements, strains, temperatures or current signature and
power in case of point machines. In this situation it is relevant not only to
monitor data, but also to detect and diagnose failure states as well as give
recommendations for future operation or maintenance. We have seen in
sections 3.1 - 3.3 how physics-based or model-based approaches contribute to
this goal.

A second approach is to purely rely on data and use artificial intelligence

algorithms on it. This has the drawback that without a large and old fleet new
services are out of reach due to a lack of data. But in this situation simulation
models help to test the system virtually in different environments or failure
modes. Another part of fleet data stems from service and maintenance. Today,
maintenance data are usually completely disconnected from models of the
design phase as well as from sensor data. The latter is of course often due to a
lack of sensors at all. This disconnection has to be overcome such that it gets
possible to match findings in the field with measured data taking the
environmental conditions into account as well as the load history, which is a
necessary input for data analytics and highly beneficial for modelbased
approaches.

In summary, a combination of physics-based and data-based approaches in

combination with findings from service is recommended. It is required that all
ingredients have to be semantically connected for a specific instance of a
product. This hybrid model is then employing physics-based models matched
with sensor data in the early phase of a fleet. The older the fleet gets and the
more data are acquired, data-based approaches in combination with service
findings get a larger weight.

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 The definition of similarity criteria to define a fleet and to find
similarities within a fleet has to be also based on hybrid models combining
physics-based insights with data analytics. One means to do that is a
knowledge graph that everybody experiences when searching in Google and
additional useful information is provided. In our case this graph consists of all
members of the fleet as well as their models, sensor data, data from
maintenance as well as age and others. The presented next generation Digital
Twin is the paradigm to connect digital artefacts and to build a whole value
network. Making no claims for being complete, this paradigm needs further
concretization and implementation. But a specific realization in case of a point
machine has already given a first impression on the achievable benefits. Having
a general implementation of the next generation Digital Twin available, the field
of application is almost unlimited.

In future, efforts have to be spent in how to connect product lifecycle

management systems, cloud solutions and further data artefacts as well as
devices. Further challenges lie in the structuring of models and data, e.g., by
using official standards, as well as their semantic annotations. Additionally,
methods and algorithms for the synchronization of measurement data with the
Digital Twin have to be developed. Although we are aiming at a quite general
approach, the realization of the next generation Digital Twin paradigm for a
specific application domain can have its own challenges that have to be solved.

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 CHAPTER-4

THE FUTURE FOR INDUSTRIAL SERVICES IN DIGITAL TWIN

The next big thing in industrial services will be about accurately

forecasting the future of physical assets through their digital twins. Experts
from GE take you behind the scene on how GE created an intelligent, IoT-
based industrial monitoring and diagnostics platform that’s setting new
standards.

4.1Digitization of the industrial marketplace:

The significant impact of digitization in consumer marketplaces continues

to be felt through a myriad business, leadership, and technology
transformations across industries such as retail, travel, entertainment, and
advertising. Digitization technologies and their rapid adoption rates are at
the core of globalization, which has impacted the social and political
landscapes of many countries.

Now, digitization is poised to exert its tremendous influence in the

industrial marketplace, and at an even faster rate than it did in the
consumer marketplace. There has been an immense amount of research,
alongside multiple opinion-based articles, on the digitization of the industrial
marketplace. Although the actual economic value, number of connected
assets, and winning ecosystems in this transformation may vary, the large
financial and societal impacts that it can have remain and exceed that of the
consumer impact.

In crafting their digital industrial transformation journey, GE analyzed

the best approaches used by consumer marketplace leaders and leveraged
the most useful ones to build upon and accelerate the journey. After
analyzing key consumer marketplace leaders (such as Amazon, Google, and

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Apple), it was clear that they used a similar approach to sustain their
leadership in their respective marketplaces. The approach was focused on a
very effective pattern, which includes three essential parts:

 Continually collecting a significant amount of data about each

individual customer to create a model of that individual’s consumption
behavior (that is, a ‘model of one’)

 Implementing analytics that use the individual models to derive a

business outcome and to learn from the consumption actions that are
taken (that is, a ‘P&L / profit and loss of one’)

 Combining modeling and analytics techniques into a platform that

simplifies and accelerates their use, allowing these capabilities to be
easily adapted for new services or other industry applications.

This approach was used by Amazon, when it moved from selling just books to
conducting general retail through Amazon Online, video and music in
Amazon Prime, and then to IaaS and PaaS services in Amazon Web Services.

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 CHAPTER-5

EARLY WARNING, PREDICTION, AND OPTIMIZATION

GE is using Digital Twins in the monitoring and diagnostics (M&D) space

to flag irregular behaviors that could be early signs of an emerging issue.
Anomaly detection systems have been in use for many decades as a means to
detect possible impactful events and have been deployed at many M&D
centers. Today, several Digital Twin anomaly detection models have been
created that provide early warnings, which enable a potential unscheduled
outage to be just a scheduled maintenance event. To begin with, these
models underscore the normal or optimal behavior of the assets, systems, or
processes using a consistent data flow and associated domain
understanding. The domain understanding may be used to create virtual
sensors from which additional data is acquired to increase the fidelity of the
model.

In addition, machine learning workflows are leveraged to detect anomalies

as early as possible, in order to understand if they are a precursor to a
potential impactful event. GE has created Digital Twin anomaly detection
models to identify anomalies in the bearings of rotating machines up to 60
days in advance, as opposed to the usual 20-30 days.

Prediction is at the core of the Digital Twin capability and leverages a

combination of physics-based models and data-driven analytics to optimize
key business indicators such as uptime and throughput. As an example, the
Digital Twin can be used to predict the remaining life of a turbine blade on a
specific aircraft engine with great accuracy. This allows the application of
condition-based maintenance (CBM) to manage a specific engine, rather than
wasting time with the usual periodic approach. It also determines the
remaining life of the turbine blade after each flight or a set of flights, by

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evaluating operational and environmental data and customer needs. With
this condition-based approach, the customer can determine exactly when to
schedule maintenance and also take action to increase the uptime before
maintenance — for example, changing filters or giving the engine a water
wash to reduce contamination of key parts, thus increasing the uptime of the
asset.

Industrial services are being transformed by knowing the likely outcomes

of individual assets. GE has also created enterprise-scale Digital Twins that
simulate full-scale, complex systems interactions, which simulate several
‘what-if’ scenarios of the future and determine optimum key performance
indicators for situations with highest probability. By leveraging large data
sources for weather, performance, and operations, these simulations play out
possible scenarios that could impact an enterprise.

For example, power generation customers are using Digital Twins to plan
fuel-versus efficiency tradeoffs so that the committed electrical power output
can be delivered through minimal fuel consumption levels, or so that it can
be maximized at the highest possible price. Further, railway customers are
using Digital Twins to optimize a locomotive’s fuel cost and emissions on a
specific trip, by processing the total weight of the train, the car configuration,
the topography of the route, and environmental conditions along the route.

Figure 5.0:Digital Twins to plan fuel-versus efficiency tradeoffs

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 CHAPTER-6

DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGIES AND ECOSYSTEMS

6.1Automating model-building and scaling the Digital Twin

community:

Enterprise-scale simulation and optimization requires Digital Twin models

of every asset, across the business portfolio. GE created the Digital Twin
Framework and a companywide community of thousands of modelers to
create asset-level models that become Digital Twins. The Framework hosts a
variety of physics-based and analytical machine learning methods to
generate models, as well as supporting infrastructure to ingest and curate
data sets and to validate and publish the final models. Industrial models and
analytics have precision, throughput, and other performance requirements
that are substantially different from the consumer internet, and the Digital
Twin Framework for GE’s Predix is the industrial strength capability for
building Digital Twins.

The Digital Twin Framework also provides sophisticated capabilities for

building and deploying digital services applications that create economic
value by optimizing over possible future scenarios. Digital Twins are
published into a runtime environment built to handle the daily volume and
model updates that run across multiple applications. In this environment,
developers can combine the Digital Twin models with data sets and UX and
UI widgets, and enable analytics to create industrial-grade applications.
These applications are polymorphic, allowing users to ‘hot-swap’ analytical
modules and Digital Twin models for redeployment to new applications and
industries.

The Digital Twin Framework incorporates artificial intelligence agents that

automatically suggest connections and insights among the model and
application developers. This capability continually grows by learning from

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user interactions. Some of the models built in the Framework today are
products of a fully automated process, learned and established from the
learnings of the community and network.

6.2Digital Twin ecosystem:

The developer community is at the core of the Digital Twin. Within GE,
domain experts, model developers, data scientists, and business innovators
form teams that continually build new Digital Twin capabilities and
outcomes. The Digital Twin Framework hosts these teams within the larger
community, fostering new connections and insights as well as accidental
innovation. As the framework resides on Predix, it is a resource that is
available to all customers and partners. Non-GE developers and users are
now growing the Digital Twin ecosystem.

Infosys is a great example of an early adopter of the Digital Twin approach. In

2015, Infosys partnered with GE to develop the world’s first Digital Twin for
an airplane’s landing gear, enabling early warnings and failure predictions
for several key components. This Digital Twin, combined with those of the
engine, airframe, and other systems, scale to form a Digital Twin of the entire
aircraft. Fuel economy is impacted by operational tradeoffs among these
components — and the enterprise simulation balances these interactions to
optimize fuel consumption, while also maximizing safety and timeliness. This
is the power of the expanding Digital Twin ecosystem, which is transforming
industrial services through its ability to forecast the future.

6.3 The two Major Advantages of Digital Twin Manufacturing:

6.3.1Visualization:
Human learning and decision-making is enhanced through visualization, but
with many of the advanced processes in manufacturing today, it’s not always
easy to get an accurate grasp of the factory floor and individual machine
status. And when live data is presented to managers in the form of sheets of

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figures or basic charts, it can sometimes seem too abstract to form the basis
for action.

Industrial IoT Digital Twin offers hybrid visualization, combining visual

information with live and historical data. Managers can go under the hood of
each and every machine to view physical parameters such as wear-and-tear
and temperature abnormalities. Information that isn’t critical can be hidden in
order to prevent visual clutter, but can be recalled at any moment.

This level of visualization wasn’t available before and significantly improves

the ability to make informed decisions and to identify critical areas that need
immediate attention.

6.3.2Collaboration:

The visual aspect of Industrial IoT Digital Twins also lends itself to an
improved level of collaboration. Physical distance from the real-world
product/system no longer impedes stakeholders from being able to monitor
activity and weigh in. This connectivity means that alerts reach management
immediately while human errors are mitigated by the removal of single points
of failure.

Digital Twin gives access to a broader set of professionals than that

provided by a shop floor. Data scientists, product managers and designers gain
a much better understanding of the machines at work and the process as a
whole. This leads to better design, and processes that are more efficient, saving
time and resources, especially those involved in creating prototypes and testing
them.

6.4How Does It Work?

Firstly, smart components use sensors to collect the real-time data, working
status and other operational data attached to the physical model. These
components send the relevant data via a cloud-based system to the other side

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of the bridge where with the help of data analytics required insights are
obtained. A consistent flow of data is a big positive in optimizing the outcomes.

Moreover, a digital twin also integrates historical data from past machine usage
to the current data. It is a predictive analysis of data even before it is put to
use.

Figure 6.4: Working process

6.5Getting Started with Digital Twin Technology:

A Digital Twin helps manufacturers build better products, prevent

malfunctions and errors, and predict outcomes that affect business, but what’s
the process for actually building one?

Let’s start off with a useful tip: the first version of any Digital Twin should be
moderate in complexity.

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 Too many sensors and an overwhelming amount of data will be too much
to consolidate and will only add confusion to the decision-making process. On
the other hand, leaving out critical alerts and not having enough data to
produce useful analytics will prevent the twin from reaching its potential as a
powerful tool for engineers and managers.

When adopting new technology, it’s important to follow a path that will be
challenging, but not overbearing. The ROI needs to be short-term to provide
momentum to the project and to make sure stakeholders stay on board and
motivated.

Figure 6.5: Here’s a general plan-of-attack for building a Digital Twin

6.5.1STEPS IN THE PROCESS:

STEP 1 – Envision:

What is the most crucial insight that you would gain? In this first step,
imagine situations where a Digital Twin would unlock value by either boosting
efficiency or improving customer satisfaction. Focus on processes that are
already providing value for the company, and validate the Digital Twin use
cases with a team that represents a variety of skill sets.

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STEP 2 – Select:

Pick your pilot. Your first project should have the highest potential to reap
rewards while also having a very good chance of being successfully carried out.
An intricate twin of a very specific machine that will allow for deep analysis and
monitoring might be a valuable tool with a high ROI, but as a pilot it might be
too complex. Broader projects have the potential to scale across the
organization, applying to different equipment and processes.

STEP 3 – Implement:

Make the pilot a reality and focus on your initial ROI objectives. An agile and
iterative development strategy should be employed. Use a visual IoT modeling
tool with simulation abilities to design the Digital Twin so that it replicates the
behavior of the factory/asset/process.

The pilot you’ve selected should have a limited scope by focusing on a

specific part of the business, and must be able to demonstrate its value to the
enterprize. It’s important for management and team members to be focused,
but open-minded enough to leverage new data collected during the process. As
the first signs of success are measured, targets for more significant results
should be set.

STEP 4 – Industrialize:

The project’s identity should be shifted from pilot to established tool. This
should occur through improvements in performance, and the leverage of new
twin-derived resources such as a data lake. Insights from the development and
deployment process should be shared with other departments.

STEP 5 – Scale:

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 Can you identify opportunities to scale the Digital Twin to realize a more
complete industrial IoT platform? Limits originally set to control the scope of
the twin should now be removed so that it can add value across the enterprise.
Lessons learned and methodologies formed while producing the pilot should be
used to improve the process.

STEP 6 – Analyze:

The Digital Twin should be assessed against tangible IoT benefits such
as improvements in yield, quality and efficiency, as well as cost reduction and
prevention of issues. This analysis should provide a springboard for further
tweaks to the twin, and its relationship with the enterprise.

In other words, Digital Twin is a dynamic tool, not a set-and-forget project.

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 CHAPTER-7

SOME BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF DIGITAL TWINS

Digital twin technology has implications across a wide variety of industries:

From an HVAC technician visualizing and predicting maintenance on the fan
motor of an industrial cooling unit, to a manufacturer testing the impact of
introducing a new packaging machine into its shipping processes prior to
actually implementing the machine in real life, digital twins enable businesses
to conduct tests, and make smarter and better-informed decisions in the digital
world before implementing them in the physical. The technology has
predominantly been adopted in manufacturing, but it has implications across a
number of industries, some of which I’ve given examples for below.

7.1Health care

Digital twins can revolutionize both hospital operations and the care
provided to patients. Creating an interconnected system of digital twins that
represents an entire hospital and all of the machinery therein can help
operations teams create a safe environment with expedited patient care.
Companies have also been testing making digital twins of humans and organs
so they can be fully studied, and procedures can be simulated and tested prior
to being done on the actual person. This has the potential to decrease mortality
rates and improve patient outcomes.

7.2Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the industry in which digital twins are most commonly

used today. Producing quality products on time to expectant customers is
critical for any manufacturer, and if their machines are not working in unison
and at their appropriate capacity, it can impact the employees, production,
deliverability and, ultimately, customer satisfaction with the company. By
enabling manufacturers to monitor performance in real time to inform

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processes and test efficiency updates without interrupting normal workflows,
digital twins make manufacturers smarter and more informed by the millions
of data points collected throughout their facilities.

7.3Automotive

It’s predicted that by 2020 there will be 10 million self-driving cars on the
road. The emergence of autonomous vehicles means a proliferation of new,
interconnected things. Automotive manufacturers can create a digital twin of
every single autonomous vehicle it sells, enabling them to analyze how a car
performs in its physical environment, and track the vehicle from creation to the
day it goes to the junkyard. Much of the sensor infrastructure is already in
place in newly released vehicles that are constantly controlling a car’s critical
systems. When you go to the auto shop and a mechanic runs diagnostics, it is
this sensor data that tells them what needs to be repaired. The next step is
setting up systems for that data to automatically be transmitted back to the
manufacturer, analyzing that data and performing predictive analysis that can
help make driving experiences smarter and safer for car owners.

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 CHAPTER-8

THE FUTURE OF THE DIGITAL TWIN CONCEPT

The future of industrial IoT Digital Twins lies in how it will be utilized
alongside other emerging technologies such as machine learning, object
recognition, acoustic analytics, advanced signal processing and Natural
Language Processing (NLP).

Digital Twin is already helping companies better meet the needs of their
customers and quickly adapt to new demands from the market, and there’s still
a lot to discover.

Take the first step in your digital transformation by exploring how best-in-
class tools can help you rapidly generate a Digital Twin for your enterprise or
asset.
You can also imagine that if many digital twins, which are all connected, get
connected with each other as happens in the fleet of steam turbines .The
overall insights and analytics become exponentially higher, leading to even
more possibilities in complex operations.

8.1Model-Based Systems Engineering for a Better Digital Twin

For the initial development stages, and for continuous maintenance, Model-
Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is one method that has been growing in
popularity as a way to successfully deliver and manage Digital Twin and IoT
projects in general.

Model-Based Systems Engineering is an established engineering discipline,

which means it offers a defined pool of professionals with a specific skill set.

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 As a framework with its own principles and solutions, and because of its
data-driven approach, Model-Based Systems Engineering could be extremely
useful in successfully delivering a Digital Twin project.

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 CHAPTER-9

CONCLUSION
In the future we’ll see twins expand to more applications, use cases and
industries and get combined with more technologies such as speech
capabilities, augmented reality for an immersive experience, AI capabilities,
more technologies enabling us to look inside the digital twin removing the need
to go and check the ‘real’ thing and so on.

Speaking about the future, analysts point at mainly 2020-2021 as the years
where digital twins will be leveraged in key business applications (of course
there are already plenty of examples and also in 2018 and 2019 digital twin
technology is a hot topic).

WITHIN five years we could have a “digital twin” capable of making decisions
for you and even interacting with loved ones after we die.We’re already off to a
good start with software like Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana.The idea of a
Digital Twin is now being developed in the IoT space, and it is rapidly becoming
the technology of choice for digitalizing the physical world.

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 CHAPTER-10

REFERENCES
1.https://www.seebo.com/digital-twin-technology/

2.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_twin

3.https://www.infosys.com/insights/iot/Pages/future-industrial-digital.aspx

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