Digital Twin Modeling for Real-Time Sensor Degradation Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to accurately model and compensate for sensor degradation in real-time, leading to potential operational failures.
Innovation Solution
A digital model is implemented on a remote server that emulates the sensor environment, receiving indicators of sensor degradation and environmental data to simulate system operations, allowing for compensation strategies such as signal substitution, operation derating, and environmental adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system operates with degraded sensors without compensation, then operational simplicity is maintained, but system reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital twin model that replicates the physical system's sensor environment and operational logic. This digital copy allows virtual testing of compensation strategies without modifying the actual physical system, thereby improving reliability while keeping the physical system simple. The digital model serves as a virtual sandbox for developing and validating sensor degradation compensation algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-populates the digital model with sensor data and environmental conditions before actual degradation occurs. By having the digital twin ready and synchronized with the physical system's normal operation, the system can immediately begin simulating degraded conditions and testing compensation strategies without waiting for actual sensor failures, thus maintaining high reliability while avoiding complex real-time modifications.
2Reliability
If real-time sensor degradation compensation is implemented, then system reliability improves, but computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By transferring complex computational tasks to a digital twin running in a virtual environment, the patent reduces the computational energy burden on the physical system's hardware. The digital model handles the intensive simulations and compensation algorithm testing, while the physical system only needs to provide sensor data and execute finalized compensation decisions, significantly lowering real-time energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs computationally intensive tasks in advance by pre-populating the digital model with historical and real-time data during normal operation. This allows the digital twin to be ready for immediate degradation simulation and compensation strategy development without requiring heavy real-time computational resources when actual sensor degradation occurs, thus reducing energy consumption during critical operations.
3Reliability
If the system derates operation to compensate for sensor degradation, then reliability improves, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic compensation strategies that adapt in real-time based on the severity and type of sensor degradation. Rather than applying fixed derating, the digital twin simulates various compensation approaches and selects the optimal strategy, which may range from minimal adjustments to significant operational changes. This dynamic approach maintains the highest possible productivity while ensuring safety, avoiding unnecessary derating.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically based on digital twin simulations of sensor degradation effects. By adjusting parameters such as operating speed, load, or environmental conditions in the digital model, the system identifies compensation strategies that maintain acceptable productivity levels while ensuring safety. This allows flexible parameter optimization rather than blanket derating, preserving productivity where possible while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A first computer includes a processor coupled to a memory, the memory including first instructions executable by the processor to transmit a message, responsive to receipt of an indicator from the first sensor of a first system, to an input of a digital model of the first system. The message can include data describing the indicator and data describing an operational and/or a physical environment of the first system. The first instructions can additionally include instructions to receive, responsive to the digital model executing programming of the first system, in which the second instructions are to modify an operation of the first system based on the described operational and/or physical environments.