Over the past year, we have seen owner-operators across industrial and resources sectors, as well as energy utilities and public works agencies of all sizes accelerate their digital transformations. The economic downturn has put even more focus on extending the life and improving the performance of operating assets with an emphasis on smaller-scale and brownfield projects. They want to improve their asset reliability, but it takes them too long to identify relevant information, discern what to do, and make appropriate decisions. By bringing all of their information together in a single pane of glass – the engineering data that defines the physical asset, the condition data, and the historical O&M data – we make it possible for them to use the data effectively to identify problems and focus on solving them. Here are some recent innovations and enhancements we have made to help our users wrangle and utilize their data:

» Getting the maximum value from existing information Most owners must confront the reality that their plants or networks are documented in blueprints, plan sheets, and process and instrumentation drawings (P&IDs), many of which are decades old. With new, patent-pending technology, we can scan engineering schematic documents and apply machine learning algorithms to recognize components and capture them into a digital twin. This information, when combined with asset data managed in AssetWise® and aligned with captured reality meshes produced from drone survey photogrammetry, provides owners with rich, immersive experiences even if they are starting without any existing data or with infrastructure assets that were designed decades ago without sophisticated 3D CAD. These digital twins can then be enhanced when incorporated as part of the handover process of current upgrade and modification work done with 3D modeling tools. The value in data validation and accessible visual context is realized immediately. Owner-operators can see significant benefits by more closely integrating engineering with operations in a continuous digital twin lifecycle and achieving seamless collaboration, sharing information across their vendors and supply chains with increasingly tighter feedback loops. We updated our PlantSight services with a new capability to empower plant owners to make changes within the digital twin. Operators can mark-up issues and report change requests to engineering teams without having to access or train in specialized design modeling software. We have added a similar service tailored for networks to our OpenUtilities™ Digital Twin Services.

» Integrating digital twins with operational systems Many owners need help to execute their digital integration initiatives. We have expanded our ability to support them with the acquisition of Cohesive Solutions, the largest integrator of IBM Maximo in North America, with a significant presence in the energy utilities space. We have added their expertise to our consulting business to create The Cohesive Companies, to help infrastructure asset owners upgrade their enterprise environments to leverage digital twins.

Asset and Network Performance I UPDATE REPORT

THE YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE 2020 CONFERENCE

MEDIA DAY

Getting the maximum value out of existing information

Integrating digital twins with operational systems

Improving inspections and compliance reporting, while building a digital twin

For more information, visit yii.bentley.com/press

© 2020 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the Bentley logo, AssetWise, and OpenUtilities are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

In collaboration with Siemens Energy, we launched Asset Performance Management for Oil & Gas. Based on AssetWise and incorporating Siemens technology and service expertise, the solution adopts smart, condition-based strategies based on predictive analytics to optimize maintenance schedules in compressor stations and gas processing plants, helping to extend asset life and keep maintenance costs down. Offshore, the solution helps operators reduce costs associated with unplanned maintenance activities. Operators can also make the best use of limited laydown and storage areas offshore by holding the right spare stock based on risk-based maintenance strategies. The ability for electric utilities to manage grid infrastructure continues to become more challenging as the percentage of energy from distributed, renewable sources increases. The continual addition of renewable sources combined with their inherent variability requires almost constant evaluation of the grid to make safe and informative decisions. These decisions require modeling the grid network and simulating alternatives. In the past, this type of engineering activity would only be required a few times a year. Now, it is required almost daily. OpenUtilities Digital Twin Services is being used to connect the source systems of the data required for simulations. Using a digital twin approach, the data can be validated, corrected, and kept continuously up to date and used on demand for modeling and simulation-based decision-making.

» Improving inspections and compliance reporting, while building a digital twin As drone technology continues to advance, drones are quickly becoming part of mainstream processes. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun approving the use of drones for bridge inspections. We are working with state DOTs to use the photographs captured by drones to create a digital twin that is part of our overall inspection and compliance reporting system. We are applying machine learning techniques to automatically detect cracks and corrosion areas. Working with inspections consultants like Collins Engineers, we are validating the use of remote immersive inspections using Microsoft’s HoloLens.

According to Collins Engineers, using our immersive digital twin solution will quickly become the accepted norm, estimating that up to 90% of inspections can be done in the office, which would result in tremendous value in terms of efficiency, cost, and safety. To be accurate, the digital twin must be updated continuously, requiring extraordinary amounts of data that must be ingested, validated, analyzed, and stored. As our users are expanding the use cases of digital twins for rail - moving to continuous surveying of track conditions through the constant deployment of data collection cars, we are seeing use cases with as many as 40 billion new measurements per month. With the elasticity of both computation and storage in Azure, it is possible to analyze and report this information daily, enabling the user to validate the condition of their networks much more frequently. The up-to-date information helps determine maintenance priorities and is also being used to alter speeds and schedules to improve safety.

New Capabilities and Enhancements

» PlantSight Reliability PlantSight now is “reliability” aware, surfacing equipment performance and maintenance status. This can be used with AssetWise Reliability or other third-party systems. PlantSight is also introducing a HoloLens app for an immersive, augmented reality user experience in the field.

» AssetWise Bridge Inspections Inspection forms and compliance reports have been updated to conform to forthcoming U.S. federal reporting requirements.

» OpenUtilities Digital Twin Services New digital twin services for OpenUtilities include a connection service to T&D structure analysis programs making it possible to use simulation results directly in the design environment and an intelligent network mark-up tool for collaboration and review of grid design decisions.

When it comes to choosing and implementing a digital twin platform, think big, prove small, scale fast.

Alan KiralySVP, Asset and Network Performance

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