Danish Maritime Authority has prepared a report on “the digital twin”. A digital twin presents a ship digitally throughout its lifetime.
Imagine having access to every bit of information on a ship – from engine performance to hull integrity – available at a glance throughout the full lifetime of the vessel?
A digital twin is a ”digital presentation” of a vessel with associated processes and systems, based on continuous data collection. And these processes or systems are presented digitally. Rather than arranging for a physical test cycle, the processes can be followed easily and quickly.
Mogens Schrøder Bech, Senior Consultant of R&D at the Danish Maritime Authority:
“The potential of the digital twin is huge because it is possible to make a number of decisions on optimisation digitally rather than by means of physical tests. And this potential will increase along with the development of digital tools.
“This enables us, for example, to create visual models of the ship and its underlying systems, such as engine spaces and pumps, or to continuously record its fuel consumption, distributed on sources of energy, such as engines, boilers and batteries. Other outcomes could be simulation and analytical models that are developed to acquire the optimum fuel consumption for a particular voyage with a specific cargo, by including external factors such as wind, current and weather conditions.”
Another aspect of the “twin” is digital cooperation across the sector. Many players are engaged in the ship’s lifecycle, such as shipowners, marine equipment suppliers, public authorities, classification societies, marine surveyors, maritime university colleges and ship consultants. These players can benefit a great deal from a systemic approach, including the availability and exchange of data.
The Danish Maritime Authority has asked DNV-GL to draw up the report Digital Twins for Blue Denmark, which considers the ship from the design phase to its scrapping, while involving the relevant players.
Read the report on the digital twin: Digital Twin report for DMA
