Digital Twins are a virtual model designed to accurately reflect a physical object equipped with sensors. These sensors generate data on various aspects of the physical object’s performance (such as energy production, temperature, etc.), which are then relayed to a processing system and applied to the digital copy. It is estimated that 100 to 200 million connected objects will have a digital twin in the coming years.

The different types of digital twins

The term « digital twin » covers different types of tools and developments and different objectives. We can distinguish:

• The virtual twin without coupling with reality (virtual factory, virtual machine) : which allows to optimize upstream the development of a subset (factory, machine) and to study different scenarios of use. This is the lowest level digital twin.
• The digital twin coupled with augmented reality : it allows to test the human intervention on a machine or a complex part (assembly, maintenance, weldability…). This type of application uses a virtual sub-assembly and a virtual augmented reality process.
• The « close loop digital twins » with a real coupling between digital and real twins : this is the highest-level digital twin model. The sensors of the real twins transmit data in real time to the digital twin, which can then simulate the behavior and interact back to the real twin to modify its operation.

« Model Order Reduction » technology

The computations of numerical simulation are incompatible with the notion of real time developed in the concept of the digital twin. To take advantage of the numerical simulation in real time, we use the Model Order Reduction. This technology consists in identifying the sets of parameters that are used in the majority of cases, then running a set of simulations representing the different states of a real system, and finally using the calculation results in reduced models. Thanks to these models, we are able to give answers in real time.

Main actors

The main actors in the digital twins are :

– Predix Platform, a tool from General Electrics

– Digital Enterprise Suite, from Siemens

– ANSYS Twin bluider

– SAP Digital Twin Software, by SAP

– Seebo digital twin sotfware

– ESI Group

– Dassault System and ABB Alliance

Different application models of digital twins

– Flowserve pump : a digital twin of a Flowserve pump, developed by ANSYS, which illustrates the multi-physics system implemented. The objective of this development is to determine, monitor and maintain the optimal temperature at which the motor and its components should operate.

– Professional air conditioners: The manufacturer Rittal designs professional air conditioners with digital twins that continuously monitor temperature, voltage and various indicators to move from preventive to predictive maintenance.

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