4 benefits of using digital twin software for nuclear power plants
A digital twin is an accurate virtual representation of a physical asset, that can be used to optimise operations, minimise expenditure, reduce risk and ultimately increase profitability.
By providing immediate access to design and integrity data, from anywhere in the world, it is no surprise that the nuclear sector is starting to take notice and benefit from this type of digital transformation.
In this article, Nathan Jack, Project Manager at eserv, shares the top 4 ways teams operating nuclear plants can benefit from embracing digital twin technology…
1. Enable remote work to save time and money
“One of the main benefits of a digital twin for an industrial asset is it enables remote work to be conducted with ease and accuracy. All data sets are immediately available to your team via the digital platform, which eliminates a large amount of traditionally on-site work to be done remotely - for example, people do not have to go on-site to conduct different types of surveys and scope data collection.
“This is particularly important for nuclear assets, as it is not always simple to conduct a site visit due to safety restrictions. With many hazardous area restrictions in place, gaining access can be challenging or time-limited, which makes some on-site work hard to complete.
“Using a web-based digital twin can remove the need for this altogether - not only speeding up accessing data and completing of work, but saving a significant amount of money too.”
2. Gain full control of your data to enhance operations
“Digital twin software also provides plant owners and operators with full control of their own data, which can bring so many benefits to your business.
“Traditionally, this data is fragmented and stored across multiple platforms - some often managed by third parties, such as sub-contractors, suppliers or vendors. This can make it incredibly challenging to manage your own information.
“Moving to a digital twin platform creates a central source of all intel, that multiple parties can access as and when required - giving you the control back. Some benefits of this include:
You fully control who sees what information related to your business.
There’s minimal hassle if you decide to switch vendors or suppliers in the future - the data remains with you, and the new company you appoint will then have historic data to refer back to.
You enable collaboration across your entire team and external suppliers, enhancing deliverables and value achieved as everyone has access to the full data and understands the full picture of your plant’s operations.”
3. Enable technical work with highly accurate data
“Data within a digital twin is so much more than a generic visualisation of your plant - it is packed with highly accurate design and dimensional information across the entire asset.
“At eserv, we structure data in a way that ensures there is zero loss in technical accuracy - as we include both dimensional control frameworks in the 3D data. This provides you with immediate access to precise measurements and highly accurate 3D modeling, enabling a range of engineering tasks to be carried out with confidence and reliability.”
4. Gain deeper insights by combining multiple data sets
“Using digital twin software for your nuclear assets pulls different sets of data together in one place, providing more value than looking at individual sets in isolation.
“This can improve decision making, and also provide greater insights to individual teams. For example:
More comprehensive analysis can be conducted utilising a greater volume of data, increasing accuracy of insights and predictions, and therefore improving the quality of decisions made.
Some teams may have been historically reliant on limited, second hand or incomplete data. Access to a digital twin unlocks significant potential for these users, and because the platform is highly intuitive, it is so easy for them to increase their insights and knowledge about the plant to improve their work.
As a digital twin is a central hub of all intel, it also provides a multi-disciplined view of the plant - which equips individual teams with more context, information and intel they can use to make better decisions.”
Eserv is a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that revolutionises how teams design, build, operate and maintain complex industrial assets, including nuclear power plants, through its digital twin technology AS-TEG™.
