Cloud Digital Twin Modeling for Industrial Control Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial automation systems face challenges in developing and testing control systems due to their complexity, leading to long development cycles and limited means for predicting performance prior to deployment.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based digital twin modeling system that allows users to create a testable digital model of a control system by connecting components and defining test scenarios, leveraging hosted applications to simulate operations and generate performance metrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control systems are developed and tested using traditional methods with physical devices, then the system can be deployed with confidence, but the development cycles become very long and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital twin - a virtual copy of the physical industrial automation system - that can be used for testing and simulation. This digital replica includes virtual representations of controllers, I/O devices, and the controlled process, allowing comprehensive testing without physical hardware, thus reducing development time while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary testing and validation in the digital twin environment before actual deployment to physical systems. By conducting simulations and tests in advance on the virtual model, potential issues are identified and resolved beforehand, ensuring deployment confidence while avoiding time-consuming physical trial-and-error
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive testing is performed on physical control systems, then performance can be validated, but the testing workflows become complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By replicating the physical system in a digital twin environment, the patent enables comprehensive performance validation without the complexity of physical testing setups. The virtual model allows for controlled experimentation and measurement that would be difficult or dangerous to perform on actual hardware, maintaining measurement precision while simplifying the testing workflow
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple applications and tools are integrated for control system development and testing, then functionality is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple development and testing tools into a unified digital twin platform. By combining controller simulation, I/O device modeling, process simulation, and performance analytics into a single integrated environment, the system enhances functionality while reducing the complexity associated with integrating multiple separate tools and applications
Data Source
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AI summary
A cloud-based digital twin modeling and testing system is capable of hosting multiple applications that can be used to simulate and test versions of a control design prior to deployment, including but not limited to control programming applications, controller emulation applications, machine simulation applications, or other such platforms. The digital twin modeling environment renders an interface display that allows a user to easily build a testable digital model of a control system by connecting components of a proposed control project to these applications. The system also allows the user to define inputs and test scenarios to be executed as a simulation. Based on the connections, inputs, and test scenarios defined by the user, the modeling system leverages the hosted applications as needed to execute the defined test scenarios and generate predicted metrics for the proposed control system design.