Novel Digital Twin Concept for Industrial Application. Study Case: Propulsion Drive System

This paper introduces a novel concept of interconnecting components of Digital Twins using ROS2 and micro-ROS frameworks. Authors of the research argue that middleware implementation plays the most important role in the performance of Digital Twins and its robustness must be ensured for reliable real-time operation between components of Digital Twins. Propulsion Drive System Digital Twin is presented where a permanent magnet synchronous motor testbench is interconnected with a virtual counterpart based on the motor’s analytical model for calculation of the motor’s angular velocity and torque. The interface between the motor of the Propulsion Drive System and its virtual counterpart is implemented on a basis of a microcontroller running micro-ROS, with ROS2 acting as a fundamental middleware. The suggested method of connecting components of Digital Twins is tested through a round-trip time latency test. Results of the latency test indicate that the proposed concept is suitable for Digital Twin technologies in industrial applications. At the end of the paper, the authors discuss possible future developments and use cases of the suggested concept.