Dallas Section Virtual Meeting

Topic: Introduction to simulation-based digital twin for chemical processing applications

The insight of physics-based simulation in conjunction with advancement in collection and usage of sensor data enabled by the wireless technology and cloud computing has created great opportunities. It can drastically reduce risks associated with cost and schedule overruns resulted in less warranty cost and unexpected downtime. Simulation technology plays a central role in increasing the ROI related to IoT and digital-twin initiatives. It can provide insight from the deployment stage of the IoT platform to its operation and end of life. This includes sensor placement optimization to physics-based data interpretations and physics-based decision making. Additionally, it is being used for monitoring, diagnostics, prognostics, and prescriptive resolutions to optimize asset performance and utilization and record the digital footprint of the system.

This technology also provides valuable insight for future product, system and subsystem requirements and design. Current talk will present a solution for digitalization of assets/process using the power of detailed 3D simulations. The solution will be showcased with an industrial scale shell & tube heat exchanger. The failure modes like fouling, corrosion, fatigue was modeled using 3D physics simulation models (CFD and FEA). Traditionally these models take long time to execute making them not suitable for real-time monitoring. Thus, the details of 3D models were compressed in a lightweight real-time model (Reduced order modeling) which were then hosted on an IOT platform and connected to the sensor data. This 3D detailed simulation powered twin provides insights into the equipment which was not possible with just the data. This twins augment and extend the capability to understand how and why certain failure is happening, enabling the person on the field to take informed decisions. This portable digital twins (run-times) can also be used as virtual sensors or to determine the physical sensor placement.

Speaker: Anchal Jatale

Anchal serves as the North America Oil, Gas and Energy Industry lead for ANSYS — championing efforts to develop cutting-edge solutions for new & clean energy, including hydrogen and carbon capture technologies. He possesses a rich background in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and 10+ years of industry experience modeling energy applications through simulation. Over the past 5 years he has taken responsibility for ANSYS Digital Twin engagements across O&G, energy and chemical accounts.