Distributed Digital Twin Synchronization via Communication Broker
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Digital twin models in industrial automation are constrained by resource limitations, making it impossible to simulate large systems on a single machine, and existing systems lack efficient data transmission between model portions.
Innovation Solution
The technology synchronizes individual models of a large system and intelligently transmits data between them using a centralized server that acts as a communication broker, allowing for distributed emulation and simulation across multiple machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large digital twin system is simulated on a single machine, then simulation accuracy and fidelity can be maintained, but the system is constrained by available computing resources and cannot scale to large systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a large digital twin system into multiple smaller emulation models that can be distributed across multiple computing machines. Each model represents a portion of the overall system and can be executed independently on separate machines, allowing the system to scale beyond the resources of a single machine while maintaining simulation accuracy through coordinated execution of all model portions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large system is broken into smaller model portions for execution on differing machines, then computing resource constraints are relieved, but data transmission between model portions is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a communication broker as an intermediary component that facilitates data transmission between distributed emulation models. The broker receives data from publishing nodes in one model and transmits it to subscribing nodes in other models, ensuring that data flow is maintained across machine boundaries without loss of information.
3Speed
If digital twin systems synchronize with physical assets near real-time, then operational relevance is maintained, but additional overhead processing is added to the machine running the simulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes the synchronization processing load across multiple machines by dividing the digital twin system into separate emulation models. Each machine handles synchronization for its portion of the system independently, reducing the processing overhead on any single machine while maintaining near-real-time synchronization with physical assets through coordinated data exchange via the communication broker.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for synchronizing emulation models (i.e., digital twins) of portions of industrial automation systems across distributed computing systems. The emulation models are configured with sending and receiving nodes, and a publish and subscriber networking protocol is used to transmit loads between the nodes. A communication broker (i.e., multi-model server) configures a load transmission graph using the nodes of the emulation models and brokers the transmissions of loads based on the load transmission graph to ensure that loads published from a sending node are sent to the receiving node. As such, the emulations on the distributed node depict loads moving from sending nodes of one model to the corresponding receiving nodes in another model in near-real time.