Control System Synchronization Software for Digital Twin Architectures

Emerson is launching the Ovation Curation Tool, a configuration management software designed to synchronize physical control systems with digital twin simulations for the power generation and water management sectors. The system automates change tracking between production environments and simulation models, mitigating configuration drift and reducing manual engineering workflows.

Mitigating Configuration Drift in Industrial Control Systems
A persistent operational challenge in maintaining a digital twin infrastructure is ensuring synchronization between the simulation model and the live production system. Plant engineers frequently modify physical control parameters to optimize performance, address process bottlenecks, or deploy new control strategies. Over time, these undocumented modifications create discrepancies between the physical architecture and its digital replica. The curation software eliminates the need for manual code comparisons by logging these control system adjustments and deploying them across simulation environments via an automated repository system.

Automated Synchronization and Change Impact Analysis
The software operates by querying the production control system at configured intervals—such as weekly, monthly, or on-demand—to identify and log parameter adjustments. Users access a centralized dashboard detailing the specific scope of modifications, the author of the changes, and timestamp data, which reduces the risk of unexpected network alterations. Prior to pushing updates to the digital twin, an integrated change impact analysis engine evaluates how the altered parameters will affect the target simulation, proposing corrective actions if conflicts are detected.

The underlying architecture utilizes a repository system to move data bidirectionally between the production environment and the simulator. This structure supports concurrent engineering, allowing multiple users to edit shared assets and merge configuration branches safely. Rick Kephart, vice president of technology for Emerson’s Energy and Water business, noted that the tool addresses ongoing engineering talent shortages by automating the labor-intensive process of keeping simulation models current, thereby ensuring facilities can continuously execute accurate training, testing, and operational forecasting.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original news release.

In the industrial automation sector, control system synchronization and digital twin lifecycle management are evaluated based on version control automation, impact analysis capabilities, and concurrent engineering mechanisms. The Ovation Curation Tool competes with digital twin lifecycle managers and industrial DevOps platforms such as the Siemens SIMIT Simulation Platform and the ABB Ability Symphony Plus simulator. While platforms like Siemens SIMIT excel in high-fidelity multiphysics modeling across discrete and hybrid manufacturing, the Emerson system specifically targets distributed control systems (DCS) within process-heavy utilities like power generation and water treatment. Benchmarking these systems typically focuses on the repository's ability to handle concurrent multi-user merges without overriding critical control logic, and the frequency at which the physical plant and the simulation can synchronize without disrupting live, continuous utility processes.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

www.emerson.com