Evolution of Interacting Digital Twins for High Voltage Switchgear Monitoring

Asset monitoring systems typically include real-time monitoring of, e.g., gas pressure and leakage, circuit breaker performance, mechanical wear indicators. This for the most part enables an expert analysis based on the available monitoring parameters, and as such helps operators in assessing the need for inspection and maintenance. However, the commissioning of such monitoring systems and the data interpretation in operation are often not trivial.

One challenging aspect of commissioning such a system is the acceptance test. An engineer must test the system on the asset. This requires following certain procedures to generate signals, followed by some level of interpretation of the input and output data of the monitoring system.

More difficult is the interpretation of monitoring data during operation. Often expert feedback is required to come to the correct conclusions and derive appropriate actions. Traditionally, there is a lack of abstraction and modeling. However, existing R&D test systems and the logic implemented in monitoring already go a long way if properly utilized. Hence, this paper presents the evolution of a sophisticated high voltage monitoring system into a system acting as a digital twin of the switchgear. The full capability of the approach is realized by having the digital twins of the switchgear and the monitoring system itself interact. As a result, we have a system which can be configured and tested in virtual environments and easily verified during commissioning with a high degree of automation.

Moreover, the embedding of already existing resources, e.g., breaker simulations, gas simulations, in a digital twin concept, enables better modeling capabilities, analysis, and prediction of asset health. This unlocks often unused potential of the models and data present in monitoring systems to better support engineers in installing and using such a system and improve the usefulness for operators in optimizing maintenance work.