Powerful Digital Twin Software Improves Turnaround/Shutdown Planning and Execution

by | Nov 29, 2021 | Blog

New Digital Twin Software Functionality Released

Optelos recently announced exciting new digital twin software functionality released to the patented Optelos Asset Advisor platform that enables customers to easily group 3D models and related documents into customizable geographic sections for use in turnaround (TAR) applications. One of the most highly sought-after features from customers, this new feature enables you to select and separately manage subsections of large 3D digital twin software models from an inspection, visual and data management standpoint. This feature is particularly useful for executing and managing shutdowns, turnarounds and outages (STO), as it allows all inspection data, images, sensor data, documents and project folders to be associated with a particular part of a site or a piece of equipment. Given its optimal application, this capability has been named Turnaround Advisor™.

Turnaround Advisor allows customers to address many of the common challenges when managing asset inspection information to support completing shutdowns and turnarounds on time and on budget. Features found within Optelos’ Asset Advisor platform now address shutdown and turnaround challenges in the following ways:

Fig 1 Turnaround Phases and Challenges
  • Scoping – Visually Organize and Intuitively Share Inspection Information: Turnaround Advisor provides a visual overview of an entire site and allows you view to share this information broadly. Creating a 3D Digital Twin of an entire manufacturing site allows mapping and coordination of all asset inspection data and acts as the basis for all planning and TAR/Turnaround activity documentation. In the below example, a 3D digital twin software model of a manufacturing site has been created with the Optelos platform, allowing for detailed review and inspection of all anticipated maintenance actions by geographically dispersed teams, executives and contractors in advance of the planned activity. Each section of the digital twin software model can be appended with documents that provide details on the maintenance schedule, engineering drawings, plant data, video inspection results, maintenance logs and other relevant data. Team collaboration and understanding is improved by allowing all the activities and current status to be viewed in a single place and securely shared with those who need it. This addresses the issue of missing relevant data, limited asset information, and ensuring a clear understanding of which activities are simultaneously planned for adjacent areas.
Fig 2 Scoping

Figure 2: Complete pre-project scoping and budget estimates utilizing digital twins

  • Preparation – Detailed Analysis, Collaboration and Verification: Utilizing highly accurate 3D pointcloud models, customers can geospatially overlay CAD and other engineering drawings to complete pre-project scoping, verify measurements, check clearances required for incoming maintenance equipment, plan staging areas, validate adequate parking availability for incoming maintenance personnel, etc. The embedded measurement and analysis tools within Optelos make all of these assessments and calculations simple and accurate, allowing you to dedicate more time to detailed planning and organizing actions.
Fig 3 Preparation Overlay CAD

Figure 3: Geospatially overlay CAD and other engineering drawings

  • Project Execution – Track Activities and Resources: The site map sectioned by turnaround activity provides an intuitive and flexible project management dashboard. This allows for facilitating project coordination, activity and schedule tracking. Utilizing our work package function, customers can improve project coordination and oversee project status and responsibility assignment. Attach a project schedule with color-coded resource allocation to ensure that separate maintenance activities are not anticipating simultaneous is of the same resources.
Fig 4 Track

Figure 4: Project Execution – Track activities and resources

  • Start-Up – Safe and Compliant Actions: The platform also contains useful applications for ensuring a safe, efficient and compliant startup after the turnaround activity is complete. Utilizing digital twins, maintenance organizations can update assigned tasks and jobs within the Optelos platform, monitor changes, and append relevant contextual data to 3D models, keeping startup protocols and safety procedures accessible and visible to ensure adherence to safety and compliance protocols. This helps avoid mistakes and miscommunications related to established startup procedures, regulations and best practices.
Fig 5 Start Up

Figure 5: Start-up: Update documentation, tasks and dashboards

  • Review – Post-Project Audit and Performance Analysis: As an inspection data management and AI analytics platform, Optelos was built to transform visual inspection data into actionable insights. Digital twin models housed in the Optelos platform can be used to verify that all work was completed per specification, with pre- and post-project models highlighting the final status of turnaround equipment. The Multi-Ortho Compare™ feature can also be used to illustrate the project timeline with snapshots of how a project was completed over stages and its adherence to schedule. Storing all the related asset inspection image files, models, inspection results and project plans in one location also facilitates enhanced team collaboration and a shared understanding of reality, as represented by 3D pointcloud models. These models can be superimposed with inspection and asset moniroing data from other sensors (e.g., thermal, methane detection, mobile images) to provide more complete status and up-to-date performance data.
Fig 6 Review

Figure 6: Perform project review and analysis using digital twins

Collectively, the capabilities offered by the Turnaround Advisor functionality can be a game changer for enterprises working to reduce costs associated with their STO activities. Customers utilizing digital twin models for asset inspection and facilities management within the Optelos platform have seen significant improvements in efficiency, with an overall 26% reduction in turnaround schedule, 31% fewer reworks and schedule conflicts, and a 5-day reduction in the time it takes to complete turnaround program reviews. If you are interested in understanding how Optelos can help you improve your turnaround program results, contact us for more information.

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