VIRTUAL COMMISSIONING

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  • DURATION
    10 WEEKS
  • SUBJECT AREA
    Production and Logistics
  • COURSE LEVEL
    Second Cycle
  • CREDITS
    3.0 HP
  • INSTITUTIONS
    REEDEAM
    Mälardalen University
  • STUDY TYPE
    Distance
  • START DATE
    2025-03-31
  • END DATE
    2025-06-08

Applications 2024-09-16 - 2025-03-22

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Virtual commissioning (VC) is a technique used in the field of automation and control engineering to simulate and test a system's control software and hardware in a virtual environment before it is physically implemented. The aim is to identify and correct any issues or errors in the system before deployment, reducing the risk of downtime, safety hazards, and costly rework.

The virtual commissioning process typically involves creating a digital twin of the system being developed, which is a virtual representation of the system that mirrors its physical behaviour. The digital twin includes all the necessary models of the system's components, such as sensors, actuators, controllers, and interfaces, as well as the control software that will be running on the real system. Once the digital twin is created, it can be tested and optimized in a virtual environment to ensure that it behaves correctly under various conditions.

The benefits of using VC include reduced project costs, shortened development time, improved system quality and reliability, and increased safety for both operators and equipment. By detecting and resolving potential issues in the virtual environment, engineers can avoid costly and time-consuming physical testing and debugging, which can significantly reduce project costs and time to market.

The course includes different modules, each with its own specific role in the process. Together, the modules create a comprehensive virtual commissioning process that makes it possible to test and validate control systems and production processes in a simulated environment before implementing them in the real world.

  1. Modeling and simulation: This module involves creating a virtual model of the system using simulation software. The model includes all the equipment, control systems, and processes involved in the production process.
  2. Control system integration: This module involves integrating the digital twin with the control system, allowing engineers to test and validate the system's performance.
  3. Virtual sensors and actuators: This module involves creating virtual sensors and actuators that mimic the behavior of the physical equipment. This allows engineers to test the control system's response to different scenarios and optimize its performance.
  4. Scenario testing: This module involves simulating different scenarios, such as equipment failures, power outages, or changes in production requirements, to test the system's response.
  5. Data analysis and optimization: This module involves analyzing data from the virtual commissioning process to identify any issues or inefficiencies in the system. Engineers can then optimize the system's performance and ensure that it is safe and reliable.

Expected outcomes

  1. Describe the use of digital twins for virtual commissioning process.
  2. Develop a simulation model of a production system using a systems perspective and make a plan for data collection and analysis.
  3. Plan different scenarios for the improvement of a production process.
  4. Analyze data from the virtual commissioning process to identify any issues or inefficiencies in the system and then optimize the system's performance.

Needs in the industry

Example battery production: Battery behaviors are changing over time. To innovate at speed and scale, testing and improving real-world battery phenomena throughout its lifecycle is necessary. Virtual commissioning / modeling-based approaches like digital twin can provide us with accurate real-life battery behaviors and properties, improving energy density, charging speed, lifetime performance and battery safety.

  • Faster innovation (NPI)
  • Lower physical prototypes
  • Shorter manufacturing cycle time
  • Rapid testing of new battery chemistry and materials to reduce physical experiments
  • Thermal performance and safety

It’s not just about modelling and simulating the product, but also validating processes from start to finish in a single environment for digital continuity.

Suggested target groups

Industry personnel

  • Early career engineers involved in commissioning and simulation projects
  • Design engineers (to simulate their designs at an early stage in a virtual environment to reduce errors)
  • New product introduction engineers
  • Data engineers
  • Production engineers
  • Process engineers (mediators between design and commissioning)
  • Simulation engineers
  • Controls engineer
  • System Integration

 

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