In the drinking water sector, the concept of Digital Twins are revolutionising operations and management of system processes, presenting an opportunity to advance the efficiency and control of drinking water purification. To accelerate its adoption for the Dutch and Flemish drinking water sector, a systematic roadmap was created and practically applied for a water softening treatment unit, operated by De Watergroep in Belgium.
THE CHALLENGE
The ambition to develop and deploy Digital Twins for drinking water treatment is growing due to impending challenges, including an aging workforce, rising water demand from a growing population, and climate change impacts. Digital Twin technologies is increasingly considered a way to advance data-driven decision-making. However, certain challenges hinder the adoption of its full potential:
- Inconsistent terminology and a lack of standardised methods for implementation.
- Fragmented understanding of Digital Twins.
- Unclear objectives and a perceived lack of trust in Digital Twin development initiatives.
THE SOLUTION
The research project introduces a systematic roadmap for Dutch and Flemish Water utilities, providing a holistic approach to implement Digital Twins in drinking water treatment. This multidisciplinary roadmap guides water utilities through technical necessities and integration requirements, while considering organisational readiness and adoption. A practical application of the roadmap was pursued for a full-scale softening treatment process. This was achieved through a functional design methodology involving stakeholder engagement and technical analysis. The methodology provides insights into the main concerns and requirements of the key stakeholders, ensuring the tailored design of a Digital Twin for the softening treatment process.
RESULTS
- Development of a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary roadmap for Digital Twin implementation in drinking water treatment systems.
- The functional design of a Digital Twin for a softening treatment process outlined essential Requirements and primary Digital Twin Goals.
- In the design phase, tangible solutions in the form of Digital Twin Application Services were conceptualised to meet identified requirements and design principles.
- The roadmap and accompanying functional design methodology aims to assist the Dutch and Flemish water sector, offering crucial guidance for building robust and inclusive Digital Twins.
-Ben Cools, Process Engineer, De WatergroepThe developed roadmap helps us to look beyond the pure technical aspect of the model development… All company aspects such as management, IT infrastructure and security have to be considered…The roadmap also clearly states different stages of complexity and integration, from a simple dashboard to a Decision Support Twin, which we can use to gradually integrate the system.
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