Our team enabled an operators FPSO integrity team to understand their options for a digital twin of the asset, and determine the optimum framework and functionality to deliver the results they needed, in balance with their available inputs and resources.
The challenge
The FPSO structural integrity team had identified that significant benefits could be realised by the implementation of a Digital Twin for the Hull Structure of their vessel, however the path to realising these benefits was ill defined.
- It was unclear to the team what a suitable digital twin would need to be able to do, and what form it should take to achieve this.
- Digital twins can be many things to many people, and currently the phrase “Digital Twin” is used to cover an extremely diverse range of solutions.
Our solution
To aid all project stakeholders (across technical, commercial and operations teams) in achieving a common understanding of what a digital twin can be, our team:
- Prepared and presented background information covering digital twin types, applicability, capability, functional elements and levels of intelligence.
- Developed a methodology to define a ‘fit for purpose’ hull structure digital twin for the asset.
- Digital twin inputs and capability required to achieve these aims were determined.
- Gaps between these requirements and current information and capabilities available to the operator were identified.
The outcome
From initially diverse levels of understanding of digital twin solutions and a lack of definition of asset requirements, we enabled the clear definition of the optimum digital twin solution required and a map identifying the gaps to address to achieve it.
All stakeholders were left with:
- A much clearer understanding of options available for a hull structure digital twin.
- The solution which was most suitable for their needs.
- The specific next steps required to progress its development.