WHAT DOES NASA, STAR WARS AND LNG HAVE IN COMMON?
WHAT DOES NASA, STAR WARS AND LNG HAVE IN COMMON?
DIGITAL TWINS
While the term is new, the technology was pioneered by NASA in the 1970s and was crucial on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. When an oxygen tank explosion crippled the spacecraft, engineers at Mission Control relied on digital simulations to quickly assess the situation and devise solutions. Using these virtual replicas, they calculated optimal trajectories, adjusted power configurations, and determined crucial life support measures with real-time simulations, enabling the crew to return safely.
But what is it really? A digital twin is a super-smart virtual model of a physical object or system. It mirrors the real thing in a digital world, allowing us to test and tweak things without touching the actual equipment. Think of the glitchy holograms of schematic diagrams of the “Death Star” on Star Wars and you get the idea.
DIGITAL TWINS APPLICATION IN LNG TODAY
The LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) industry is quite fascinating. It is massive, rapidly growing and integral as a “Transitionary Lower Carbon Fuel” to help get to Net Zero. In 2023 alone, the global LNG production was approximately 380 million metric tons (that's enough to fill over 150,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools! 🏊♂️) and growing fast at 30% by 2030. Given its importance, unplanned downtime is extremely costly, comes with severe contractual penalties, supply chain disruptions and reputational damage for the operators.
3 applications where Digital Twins makes the most impact in LNG operations
1) Predictive Maintenance: Just like predicting when you might catch a cold, digital twins forecast when machines might break down and schedule maintenance before problems occur, saving time and money. [Gartner estimates $1.5Trillion potential savings across industries to 2030 from Digital Twins].
2) Optimisation: An LNG plant has thousands of sensors, equipment and conservatively generates 300TB of data annually (that’s like viewing 7 years of HD video non-stop). Digital Twins help make sense of all this data, generate insights and simulate various optimisation scenarios 24/7, at the lowest cost. [Deloitte reports seeing up to 30% reduction in maintenance cost and 20% increase in operational efficiency from Digital Twins].
3) Training: Operators can practice on the digital twin, gaining experience without risking real-life mishaps.
Digital twins are not just a futuristic concept—they are here, making an impact from virtual to reality and transforming industries today. The next evolution is moving from static to live twins that use real-time data and “age” the Digital Twin as the plant ages. Let’s dive into this exciting journey together! all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
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