There is a better way. Identification of ways to increase the efficiency of design and technological design processes. Digital Twin Architects of the Digital Age

June 23, 2017 Creation of a three-dimensional Digital Twin is included in the list of standard functionality of Winnum®, a platform for the industrial Internet of things. With Winnum®, creating 3D Digital Twins is now as easy as connecting sensors.

“Digital twin” is a computer representation of a specific physical product, group of products, mechanical or technological process, which completely repeats everything that its physical prototype does, starting from movements and kinematics, and ending with a representation of its physical environment and current operating conditions, including movement liquids and gases. A digital twin acts as an intermediary between a physical product and important information about it, such as operation or maintenance data. Now, with the help of Winnum, full feedback is realized for any production systems based on collecting data from the real world and transferring this data to the digital world.

What is 3D Digital twin?

A three-dimensional Digital Twin is a computer-generated 3D representation of a specific physical product, group of products, mechanical or technological process, which includes not only three-dimensional geometry, technical characteristics and current operating parameters, but also other important information - the environment and operating conditions, technical condition and operating time , interaction with other objects, predictive analytics data, including forecasting failures and failures. A digital twin can be either simplified or very detailed and reflect a wide range of different characteristics of both the product itself and technological and production processes.

The presence of a three-dimensional Digital Twin helps to organize the connection of the product with objects connected to it, software responsible for managing the product, monitoring the operating state and operating process, etc. A 3D Digital Twin is especially valuable when it most accurately reflects the actual state and performance characteristics of its physical counterpart. No matter how accurate, detailed and well-developed the actions are at the stages of design, modeling and pre-production, in real life, as a rule, the processes proceed a little differently and it is the Digital Twin that can act as a bridge to the necessary information about the actual operation of products. This information can be used in a variety of ways, such as assessing bottlenecks, opportunities for improvement and change, confirming the feasibility of changes, etc. In addition, since the Digital Twin is a three-dimensional object, working with it is much clearer for a person than working with any tables or graphs. A 3D Digital Twin allows you to look inside a real physical object while it is running, without having to stop the equipment or open panels that block access to parts that require inspection.

Winnum's unique functionality allows our customers to create and manage 3D digital twins by combining information from physical objects and real-world processes with information generated by various computer-aided design (CAD) systems. Winnum supports loading 3D CAD models in neutral formats such as STL, VRML and OBJ, with direct loading available for Blender and Collada. The presence of ready-made 3D libraries of robots, equipment, sensors and other geometric objects further speeds up and simplifies the process of creating Digital Twins, even for those companies that cannot boast of having fully digitized products in 3D form.

3D scenes and smart Digital Twins (Smart Digital Twin)

Each Digital Twin corresponds to one specific instance of the product. That is, if a company uses 100 pieces of equipment or produces hundreds of thousands of products, then for each piece of equipment/product there is its own Digital Twin. Winnum's unique Big Data capabilities help you work with so many digital twins to solve everyday problems and ensure high system performance regardless of their number.

3D scenes are used to combine Digital Twins and gain insight into their overall performance and performance, common environmental variances, etc. Winnum's 3D scenes are not just 3D environments, as is common in CAD systems. 3D scenes in Winnum are the ability to create a full-fledged 3D world with a wide range of tools for working with light sources (including Raytracing, specular views, fog, intensity, transparency), textures (including dynamic textures with video stream), custom cameras and mechanisms for interacting with 3D objects (selecting an object, clicking on an object, transferring a control action).

All actions of a 3D scene and all tools for working with a 3D Digital Twin are available exclusively in the Web browser.

About the companySignum

Signum (SIGNUM) is a global provider of solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The company's solutions help transform the processes of creating, operating and maintaining products using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. The next-generation Winnum™ platform provides companies with the tools they need to collect, analyze and generate additional value from large volumes of data generated by networked controllers, sensors, products and systems.

In the “New Word” section, Apparat talks about recently emerging terms associated with the new society. This issue features a digital twin. A computer that knows everything about you and can imitate your behavior.

Digital twin

It is assumed that to create a digital double, special software will analyze your correspondence on social networks and email, browser history and purchases in online stores, information from wearable devices, smartphones or smart watches, and any other available information. Based on this data, with the help of special algorithms it will be possible to program your behavior: how would you respond to a partner in a business letter, what would you say to your children in their message on Facebook. Computers already know a lot about our preferences, for example, advertising companies analyze our search queries and emails, create a profile for each person and try to show him only those advertisements that will be truly interesting to him.

Software that imitates human behavior is also beginning to penetrate our lives: digital assistants - Siri from Apple, Cortana from Microsoft and Watson from IBM - communicate with the user, answer his questions, and can carry on a conversation even on abstract topics. The first chatbots have been developed that successfully pass the Turing test - that is, they mislead people who communicate with them into believing that they are not artificial intelligence, but real human intelligence.

Scientists are also considering more fantastic options for creating a digital twin: complete digitization of the brain, the so-called uploading of consciousness. But work in this direction is now only in its infancy: for example, as part of the Blue Brain project, by 2023 a digital version of the neocortex, the main part of the human cerebral cortex, should be completely simulated.

How to use a digital twin

Talk to a person after his death

One of the most ambitious plans is to create a double that can replace a person after his death. “When you and I die, our children will not come to our graves. They'll go and run our digital twins and talk to them,” says John Smart. “This scenario may sound a little far-fetched,” he adds. “But people are already creating a crying wall on the pages of deceased relatives on social networks and continue to send them private messages.” Science fiction writers and directors love such perspectives. For example, one of the plots in the series “Black Mirror” talks about how a young woman replaced her husband who died in a car accident with a digital copy. Later, she “downloaded” her husband’s consciousness into an android robot—that is, she practically revived him.

Personal assistant

This option is much simpler to implement and does not require such a high level of cognitive abilities from the double. To some extent, this is already being implemented, for example, the Google Now digital assistant analyzes your mail and search queries, giving tips that make your life easier. However, the digital twin will be able not only to suggest something to you, but also to take on some of your tasks, albeit quite simple ones: make an appointment with the doctor, set up a business meeting, and in the store point out the products that are most suitable for your diet in terms of content useful substances.

Disadvantages of the project

One of the main drawbacks of this concept, which even its ideologist John Smart admits, is a complete violation of privacy. The program will read all your correspondence, analyze purchases and generally penetrate into what is called your personal life in every possible way. Large corporations that collect less data are already facing protests.

John Smart

You know, I would like to keep my health and financial information in a small safe so that no one can access it. But such thinking is atavism. You can't get much unless you sacrifice your privacy. I am confident that as long as people feel in control of technology, data privacy will be secondary.

Image: Edward Blake Edwards

Neural networks, digital twins, artificial intelligence. Industry 4.0 technologies will change the oil industry beyond recognition

Architects of the Digital Age

Typically, the most technologically advanced areas are considered to be the areas of information technology and biomedicine. The attitude towards companies in traditional industries, such as those involved in metal rolling or oil production and refining, is completely different. At first glance, they seem conservative, but many experts call them the main architects of the new digital era.

Industrial giants began automating production processes back in the mid-30s of the last century. Over the course of many decades, hardware and software systems have continuously improved and become more complex. Automation of production processes - for example, in oil refining - has advanced greatly. The operation of a modern oil refinery is monitored by hundreds of thousands of sensors and instruments, and fuel supplies are monitored in real time by satellite navigation systems. Every day, the average Russian refinery produces more than 50,000 terabytes of information. For comparison, the 3 million books stored in the digital storage of the Russian State Library occupy hundreds of times less - “only” 162 terabytes.

This is the same “big data”, or Big Data, a flow comparable to the information loading of the largest websites and social networks. The accumulated array of data represents a unique resource that can be used in business management. But traditional methods of information analysis are no longer suitable for this. It is only possible to truly effectively work with such a volume of data using Industry 4.0 technologies. In the context of a changing economic paradigm, rich industrial “historical experience” is a serious advantage. Big data is at the heart of artificial intelligence. Its ability to learn, understand reality and predict processes directly depends on the amount of loaded knowledge. At the same time, industrial companies have a powerful engineering school and are actively involved in introducing and improving new technologies. This is another circumstance that makes them key players in the “new economy”.

Best of the week

Finally, domestic industrialists know the price of business efficiency. Russia is a country of long distances. Often, production assets are located at a great distance from consumers. In these conditions, it is very difficult to quickly respond to market fluctuations. Traditional technologies allow saving no more than a tenth of a percent. Meanwhile, digital solutions today make it possible to reduce costs by up to 10-15% per month. The fact is obvious: in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the one who learns to most effectively apply new technologies in the context of accumulated experience will be competitive.

Petr Kaznacheev, Director of the Center for Resource Economy, RANEPA: “As a first step towards an “integrated” artificial intelligence system in oil and gas, one could consider “smart” management and corporate planning. In this case, we could talk about creating an algorithm for digitizing all key information about the company’s activities - from the field to the gas station. This information could be sent to a single automated center. Based on this information, using artificial intelligence methods, forecasts and recommendations could be made to optimize the company’s work.”

Leader of digital transformation

Realizing this trend, industrial leaders in Russia and the world are restructuring business processes that have developed over decades, introducing Industry 4.0 technologies into production based on the industrial Internet of things, artificial intelligence and Big Data. The most intensive transformation is taking place in the oil and gas industry: the industry is dynamically “digitalizing”, investing in projects that seemed fantastic just yesterday. Factories controlled by artificial intelligence and capable of predicting situations, installations that tell the operator the optimal operating mode - all this is already becoming a reality today.

At the same time, the maximum task is to create a management system for production, logistics, production and sales that would unite “smart” wells, factories and gas stations into a single ecosystem. In an ideal digital model, the moment a consumer pulls the nozzle lever, company analysts in the operations center instantly receive information about what brand of gasoline is being filled into the tank, how much oil needs to be extracted, delivered to the plant and refined to meet demand in specific region. So far, none of the Russian and foreign companies have been able to build such a model. However, Gazprom Neft has advanced the furthest in solving this problem. Its specialists are currently implementing a number of projects, which should ultimately become the basis for creating a unified platform for managing processing, logistics and sales. A platform that no one else in the world has yet.

Digital twins

Today, Gazprom Neft refineries are among the most modern in the industry. However, the fourth industrial revolution opens up qualitatively new opportunities, while simultaneously placing new demands on automation. More precisely, we are talking not so much about automation, but about almost complete digitization of production.

The basis of the new stage will be the so-called “digital twins” - virtual copies of refinery installations. 3D models reliably describe all processes and relationships occurring in real prototypes. They are based on the work of artificial intelligence based on neural networks. The “digital twin” can suggest optimal operating modes for equipment, predict its failures, and recommend repair times. Among its other advantages is the ability to constantly learn. The neural network itself finds errors, corrects and remembers them, thereby improving its performance and forecast accuracy.

The basis for training the “digital twin” is an array of historical information. Modern oil refining plants are as complex as the human body. Hundreds of thousands of parts, tens of thousands of sensors. Technical documentation for each installation occupies a room the size of an assembly hall. To create a “digital twin”, all this information must first be loaded into a neural network. Then the most difficult stage begins - the stage of training artificial intelligence to understand the installation. It includes readings from sensors and instrumentation collected over the last few years of plant operation. The operator simulates various situations, forces the neural network to answer the question “what will happen if you change one of the operating parameters?” - for example, replacing one of the raw material components or increasing the energy supply of the installation. The neural network analyzes the experience of past years and, using a calculation method, excludes non-optimal modes from the algorithm, and learns to predict the future operation of the installation.

Best of the week

Gazprom Neft has already completely “digitized” two industrial complexes involved in the production of automotive fuel - a hydrotreating unit for catalytic cracking gasoline at the Moscow Oil Refinery and an installation operating at the company’s oil refinery in Omsk. Tests have shown that artificial intelligence is able to simultaneously take into account a huge number of parameters of their “digital twins”, make decisions and notify about possible deviations in work even before the moment when the trouble threatens to develop into a serious problem.

At the same time, Gazprom Neft is testing comprehensive solutions that will minimize the impact of the human factor on the scale of the entire production. Similar projects are currently being implemented at the company’s bitumen plants in Ryazan and Kazakhstan. Successful solutions found experimentally can subsequently be scaled up to the level of large refineries, which will ultimately create an effective digital production management platform.

Nikolay Legkodimov, Head of the Advanced Technologies Advisory Group at KPMG in Russia and the CIS:“Solutions that simulate various components, assemblies and systems have been known and used for quite a long time, including in the oil and gas industry. We can talk about a qualitative leap only when a sufficient breadth of coverage of these models has been achieved. If we manage to combine these models with each other, to combine them into a whole complex chain, then this will indeed make it possible to solve problems at a completely new level - in particular, to model the behavior of the system in critical, unprofitable and simply dangerous operating conditions. For those areas where re-equipment and modernization of equipment are very expensive, this will allow preliminary testing of new components.”

Performance Management

In the future, the entire added value chain in the logistics, refining and sales block of Gazprom Neft will be united by a single technological platform based on artificial intelligence. The “brain” of this organism will be the Performance Management Center, created a year ago in St. Petersburg. This is where information from “digital twins” will flow, here it will be analyzed and here, based on the data obtained, management decisions will be made.

Already today, in real time, more than 250 thousand sensors and dozens of systems transmit information to the Center from all the company’s assets included in the perimeter of the Gazprom Neft logistics, refining and sales block. Every second 180 thousand signals arrive here. It would take a person about a week just to view this information. The digital brain of the Center does this instantly: in real time it monitors the quality of products and the quantity of petroleum products along the entire chain - from the exit from the refinery to the end consumer.

The strategic goal of the Center is to radically increase the efficiency of the downstream segment, using the technologies and capabilities of Industry 4.0. That is, it’s not just about managing processes - this can be done within the framework of traditional systems, but making these processes more efficient: through predictive analytics and artificial intelligence at every stage of business, reducing losses, optimizing processes and preventing losses.

In the near future, the Center must learn to solve several key problems that affect the efficiency of business management. This includes forecasting the future 60 days in advance: how the market will behave in two months, how much oil will need to be processed to meet the demand for gasoline at the current time, what condition the equipment will be in, whether the installations will be able to cope with the upcoming load and whether they need repairs. At the same time, in the next two years, the Center must reach 50% capacity and begin to monitor, analyze and forecast the amount of petroleum product reserves at all oil depots and fueling complexes of the company; automatically monitor more than 90% of production parameters; analyze the reliability of more than 40% of process equipment and develop measures to prevent losses of petroleum products and a decrease in their quality.

By 2020, Gazprom Neft sets a goal to reach 100% of the capabilities of the Performance Management Center. Among the stated indicators are analysis of the reliability of all equipment, prevention of losses in the quality and quantity of products, and predictive management of technological deviations.

Daria Kozlova, senior consultant at VYGON Consulting:“In general, integrated solutions bring significant economic benefits to the industry. For example, according to Accenture estimates, the economic effect of digitalization could amount to more than $1 trillion. Therefore, when we are talking about large vertically integrated companies, the implementation of integrated solutions is very justified. But it is also justified for small companies, since increasing efficiency can free up additional funds for them by reducing costs, increase the efficiency of working capital management, etc.”

Discuss 0

More and more enterprises are showing interest in the topic of digitalization of production. The organizers of the regional scientific and technical conference “Digitalization of production processes” were able to verify this. Application of industrial software for building digital enterprises,” which took place recently in Samara.

It was initiated by the SMS-Automation group of companies, known as a universal integrator specializing in the creation and support of industrial automation systems, together with the Digital Manufacturing department of Siemens, one of the world's largest concerns in the field of automation and electrical products, with which Samara developers have had more than two decades of fruitful cooperation.

The forum of manufacturers and information system developers was also supported by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Samara Region. Its specialists have repeatedly noted the successes of the group of companies in the field of industrial automation and the construction of large information systems.

Representatives of industrial enterprises of the Samara region were introduced to the conceptual framework and specific tools for building effective digital production. Industrial automation is only part of digitalization, or digitalization, as it is also called. Digitalization is the automation of processes throughout the entire life cycle of a product, equipment, or enterprise. The project, its functioning, and modernization fit into it.

The report of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SMS-Automation Group of Companies, Andrey Sidorov, “Industrial Software as a Digitalization Tool,” aroused great interest among the conference participants. “We are on the threshold of intellectualization of control systems,” noted Andrey Sidorov (in the bottom photo). - Now equipment manufacturers in the West are changing their production model. Equipment begins to have a digital twin. Changing business models will mean that a digital twin will be a significant factor when choosing a supplier.”

Digitalization also means testing situations on virtual digital models, which allows you to save enormous amounts of money. Siemens is already at its digitalization site, without waiting for the arrival of a machine for the production of parts, having received its virtual image, it connects virtual robots to it and begins debugging technological processes without wasting time.

The topics raised by experts related to the use of specific digital production tools were received with interest by conference participants and raised many questions and discussions. In addition to the reports, the attention of the conference guests was attracted by demo stands with practical examples of the implementation of the principles of digitalization in the realities of process control systems of industrial enterprises in Russia. Special attention at the conference was paid to issues of information security of modern automation systems. Acquaintance with current trends in the development of enterprises within the framework of the Industry 4.0 concept, according to experts, can become an additional tool in the process of increasing competitiveness in the era of Industry 4.0.

One of the promising ideas of tomorrow, affecting any production, is digital asset modeling: creating virtual copies of real objects that look and function exactly the same as their prototypes. At Gazprom Neft, “digital twins” are closely involved in the company’s processing plants, and much of this innovative technology has already been implemented

From drawings to 3D models

A little history. People have always needed drawings and diagrams, from the moment of the first inventions - the wheel and the lever, in order to transmit information to each other about the design of these devices and the rules for their use. At first these were primitive drawings containing only the simplest information. However, the designs became more complex, and the images and instructions became more detailed. Since then, technologies for visualizing, documenting and storing knowledge about structures and mechanisms have come a long way. Nevertheless, for a long time, paper remained the main medium for recording engineering ideas, and a plane remained the working space.

In the second half of the twentieth century, it became clear that the usual army of draftsmen armed with drawing boards was no longer able to keep up with the rapid growth of industrial production and the complexity of engineering developments. Accelerating the processing of voluminous and complex information (for example, a technological installation for atmospheric distillation of oil contains more than 30 thousand pieces of equipment) required a change in the work technology of designers, designers, builders, technologists, operation and maintenance specialists. The evolution of technical design tools took another turn, and in the early 90s of the last century, computer-aided design systems - CAD - came to the oil industry. At first they used 2D drawings, and then, by the end of the 2000s, they came to 3D.

Modern design systems allow engineers to carry out the layout and design of industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the restrictions and requirements of the production process, as well as industrial safety requirements

Modern design systems allow engineers to layout and design industrial facilities in volumetric form, taking into account all the constraints and requirements of the production process, as well as industrial safety requirements. With their help, you can create a design model of a particular installation and correctly place technological and technical components on it without contradictions and collisions. Experience shows that through the use of such systems it is possible to reduce the number of errors and inconsistencies in the design and operation of various installations by 2–3 times. This figure is impressive when you consider that for large-scale industrial equipment, the number of errors that must be corrected during the design review process is in the thousands.

From the point of view of designers and builders, the use of 3D models makes it possible to radically improve the quality of design documentation and reduce design time. The constructed information model of the object turns out to be useful at the operational stage. This is a new level of ownership of an industrial facility, at which personnel can obtain any information required to make a decision or complete a task in the shortest possible time, based on the existing model. Moreover: when, after some time, equipment modernization is required, future designers will have access to all relevant information, with a history of repairs and maintenance.

Omsk pilot

Sergey Ovchinnikov,
Head of the Control Systems Department at Gazprom Neft

The development and implementation of an engineering data management system is, without a doubt, an important part of the innovative development of the logistics, processing and sales unit. The functionality inherent in SUPRID and the potential of the system will allow the unit in particular and the company as a whole to become leaders in the digital management of engineering data in oil refining. Moreover, this software product is an important component of the entire line of related IT systems, which represent the foundation of the BLPS Performance Management Center that is currently being created.

In 2014, Gazprom Neft launched a project to create an engineering data management system for oil refining facilities - SUPRID. The project is based on the use of 3D modeling technologies for the design, construction and maintenance of industrial facilities. Thanks to their use, the time required for the creation and reconstruction of oil refining plants is reduced, the efficiency and safety of their operation is increased, and the downtime of the plant's process equipment is reduced. The implementation of a modern engineering data management system on the latest Smart Plant for Owners/Operators (SPO) platform is being carried out by specialists from the management systems department of the logistics, processing and sales unit, as well as the subsidiary company ITSK and Avtomatika Service.

Through the use of automated design systems that create 3D models of objects, it is possible to reduce the number of errors and inconsistencies in the design and operation of various installations by 2–3 times.

At the end of last year, a pilot project was successfully completed to deploy platform functionality and set up business processes for the newly reconstructed primary oil refining unit at the Omsk Refinery - AT-9. The system implements functionality for storing, managing and updating information about the installation throughout its entire life cycle: from construction to operation. Along with the system, regulatory and methodological documentation, requirements for the designer and standards for engineering data management were developed. “SUPRID is a good assistant in work,” noted Sergei Shmidt, head of the AT-9 installation at the Omsk Refinery. - The system allows you to quickly access engineering information about any equipment, view its drawing, clarify technical parameters, localize the location and take measurements on a three-dimensional model that accurately reproduces the real installation. The use of SUPRID helps, among other things, to train new specialists and trainees.”

How does this work?

The task of the SUPRID system is to cover all stages of the life cycle of a technological object. Start by collecting engineering information at the design phase and then update the information at subsequent stages - construction, operation, reconstruction, reflecting the current state of the facility.

It all starts with information from the designer, which is sequentially transmitted and loaded into the system. The initial data consists of: design documentation, information about the functional-technological and construction-assembly structure of the facility, intelligent technological diagrams. It is this information that becomes the basis of the information model, allowing you to instantly receive targeted information about construction projects and the technological diagram of the installation, making it possible in a few seconds to find the desired position of process equipment, instrumentation equipment on the technological diagram, and determine its participation in the technological process.

In turn, using a 3D design model of an object loaded into the system, you can visualize it, see the configuration of blocks, the spatial arrangement of equipment, surroundings with neighboring equipment, and measure the distances between various elements of the installation. The formation of an operational information model is completed by linking as-built documentation and 2D and 3D “as built” models, providing the opportunity to obtain detailed information about the properties and technical characteristics of any equipment or its elements at the operating stage. Thus, the system is a structured and interconnected set of all engineering data of an object and its equipment.

Roman Komarov,
Deputy Head of Engineering Systems Department at ITSK, Development Manager at SUPRID

After many years of evaluating the benefits of the project and preliminary development, the pilot system was implemented in a short time. The implementation of SUPRID allowed the company to obtain a tool for managing engineering data of oil refining facilities. The next global step, which we will gradually approach, is the formation of a digital information model of the oil refinery.

To date, more than 80,000 documents have already been uploaded to the SUPRID electronic archive. The system allows for a positional search for up-to-date information on any type of equipment, providing the user with comprehensive information on each item, including technical characteristics, overall dimensions, material design, design and operating parameters, etc. “SUPRID” makes it possible to view any part of the installation in a three-dimensional model or on a technological diagram, open scanned copies of documents related to this position: working, executive or operational documentation (passports, acts, drawings, etc.).

More than 80,000 documents have already been uploaded to the SUPRID electronic archive. The system allows you to carry out a positional search for up-to-date information about any type of equipment and provide the user with comprehensive information on each position.

This variability significantly reduces the time spent on accessing up-to-date information and its interpretation, and allows you to avoid mistakes during the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of a facility, and the replacement of obsolete equipment. "SUPRID" helps analyze the operation of the installation and its equipment when assessing the operating efficiency, facilitates the preparation of changes in technological regulations, the investigation of failures, malfunctions, accidents at the facility, the education and training of operating personnel.

“SUPRID” is integrated with other BLPS information systems and forms a unified information environment for engineering data, which, among other things, will become the basis for the innovative Unit Performance Management Center. Interrelation with such programs as KSU NSI (corporate reference information management system), SAP TORO (maintenance and repair of equipment), SU PSD (design and estimate documentation management system) TrackDoc, Meridium APM, forms a unique integrated automation system processes for managing production assets of an oil refinery, allowing to increase the economic effect of their joint use for the company.

Project efficiency

In a relatively short period of time, Gazprom Neft IT specialists managed not only to master the intricacies of the SPO platform on which the engineering data management system is built, but also to create a completely new infrastructure for the company, develop a set of regulatory documents, and ultimately develop a qualitatively new approach to construction of oil refining facilities.

Even at an early stage of the project, it became obvious that the system would be in demand by the plant’s operational services and capital construction services. Suffice it to say that its use saves up to 30% of working time on searching and processing technical information on any object. When integrating "SUPRID" with systems of regulatory and reference information, equipment maintenance and repair, design and estimate documentation and other relevant engineering data become available for prompt and high-quality maintenance of process equipment. The capabilities of the system also make it possible to create a simulator for operation services, which will undoubtedly increase the level of training of their specialists. For refinery capital construction departments, the system will become a design tool at the stage of minor and medium repairs. This approach greatly simplifies monitoring the progress of reconstruction of industrial facilities and improves the quality of repairs.

It is expected that the investments made in the implementation of SUPRID will pay off in approximately 3–4 years. This will be possible due to a reduction in design time, an earlier transfer of installations from the commissioning stage to industrial operation and, as a result, an increase in the volume of finished products produced. Another significant advantage is the acceleration of the preparation and implementation of maintenance work and the implementation of reconstruction and modernization of installations by reducing the time it takes for refinery operating services to check new design documentation and timely detection of shortcomings and errors in the work of design and construction contractors.

The SUPRID implementation program is designed for the period until 2020. It will be used to “digitize” both existing installations and the construction of new facilities. Currently, specialists are preparing to replicate the system at the Moscow Refinery.

What is a Digital Twin?

A digital twin is a new word in modeling and production planning - a single model that reliably describes all processes and relationships both at an individual facility and within an entire production asset in the form of virtual installations and simulation models. Thus, a virtual copy of the physical world is created.

The use of a digital twin, which is an exact copy of a real asset, helps to quickly simulate the development of events depending on certain conditions and factors, find the most effective operating modes, identify potential risks, integrate new technologies into existing production lines, and reduce the time and cost of project implementation. Additionally, the digital twin helps identify security steps.

Modern technologies make it possible to build digital twins of absolutely any production asset, be it an oil refinery or a logistics company. In the future, these technologies will allow remote control of the entire production process in real time. Based on the digital twin, it is possible to combine all systems and models used for planning and managing production activities, which will increase the transparency of processes, the accuracy and speed of decision making.

A digital twin can also be considered as an electronic passport of a product, which records all data on raw materials, materials, operations performed, tests and laboratory tests. This means that all information, from drawings and production technology to maintenance and disposal rules, will be digitized and available for reading by devices and people. This principle allows us to monitor and guarantee the quality of products and ensure their effective service.