Digital Twin Ammonia Flow Control for Multi-Pipe Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial plants with multiple pipes, the concentration of flow rate in specific pipes poses challenges in maintaining stable and efficient ammonia flow, which is exacerbated by the complexity of interactions between system components.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing digital twin technologies to optimize ammonia flow by simulating scenarios, identifying optimal operating conditions, and adjusting physical plant parameters such as valve positions, pump speeds, and pipe characteristics through a feedback loop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flow rate is concentrated in a specific pipe among multiple pipes, then the flow rate in that pipe increases, but the overall system stability deteriorates and other pipes suffer from insufficient flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the digital twin model continuously monitors flow rates in all pipes and automatically adjusts valve positions to equalize flow distribution. When flow concentration is detected in a specific pipe, the system responds by reducing the valve opening in that pipe and increasing it in others, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains stable flow distribution across the entire network
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital twin (virtual copy) of the physical pipe network that replicates the exact structure, parameters, and real-time operating conditions. This digital model allows for simulation of flow distribution scenarios and automatic generation of control strategies without affecting the actual physical system, enabling safe optimization of flow equalization
2Device complexity
If conventional methods are used to describe system interactions, then the system structure remains simple, but the ability to model complex interactions between components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital twin (virtual copy) of the physical pipe network that replicates the exact structure, parameters, and real-time operating conditions. This digital model allows for simulation of flow distribution scenarios and automatic generation of control strategies without affecting the actual physical system, enabling safe optimization of flow equalization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the physical system into a digital representation where parameters such as flow rates, pressures, temperatures, and valve positions are continuously measured and updated in the digital twin. This parameter transformation enables complex interactions to be modeled through computational algorithms rather than physical experimentation
3Productivity
If digital twin technology is implemented to simulate scenarios and optimize flow distribution, then flow equalization and system efficiency improve, but the device complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The digital twin model serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors real-time operating conditions, simulates various flow distribution scenarios, optimizes valve positioning strategies, and provides predictive analytics. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated platform, managing complexity through consolidation rather than multiplication
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a system and a method for optimizing a gas flow of ammonia in an industrial plant. The system according to the present disclosure may include: a physical plant; a digital twin model for the physical plant; a data collection module configured to acquire real-time data from the physical plant; a simulation module configured to simulate at least one scenario using the digital twin model and identify optimal operating conditions for the gas flow of ammonia based on simulation results; a feedback loop between the digital twin model and the physical plant to adjust the physical plant based on the simulation results; and a performance monitoring module configured to monitor performance of the physical plant to track effectiveness of the optimization process.