The digital twins are being created as part of research activities involving the software and engineering firm Designtec s.r.o., which created the digital twin of the Bystřička Dam. The project leader is Petr Vymlatil. Experts from the CREA Hydro&Energy cluster and its member companies, such as Jiri Hodak from VODNÍ DÍLA - TBD a.s., also collaborate on the development.

Designtec s.r.o. was established in 2009. It currently has a team of engineers and developers specializing in numerical simulations and mathematical modelling in the field of engineering. It provides services for the optimization of product properties in the design phase of their development and analysis of their safety, durability and reliability. Cooperation with a German partner has opened up opportunities for development, with key customers being companies from Germany and Austria. In recent years, the company has expanded its focus to product optimization, software development and the use of digital twins and machine learning. For example, they work with numerical models for industrial structures and applications in the energy sector. These virtual models allow parametric analyses to track the dependency between inputs and outputs of the models and optimize parameters for better product performance.

The digital twin includes a virtual model of the real structure, which describes its behaviour in specific conditions. Unlike simulation models, which are used for the development of mass-produced products, digital twins are linked to actual real products and track their status in real-time. Applications of digital twins include, for example, predictive maintenance of wind turbines, pumps, or dams, where the digital twin links virtual models to monitoring systems and enables efficient prediction and maintenance planning.

Within the development of digital twins for dams, Designtec s.r.o. cooperates with Czech partners and creates digital twins within research programs that combine data from monitoring and simulation for immediate evaluation of the state of the structure. The aim is to ensure high reliability and damage prevention in critical structures such as dams.

The company also focuses on applying machine learning, whose models use data from measurements or numerical simulations to predict the behaviour of machines and structures. These models speed up evaluation and provide an immediate response to the current state, which is helpful for structures with dynamic behaviour. Machine learning is also being applied in the field of image recognition, for example to assess damage to the surfaces of structures.

Technological developments in digital twins and machine learning are opening up new opportunities and trends increasingly emerging across different disciplines. Designtec is focused on working with partners interested in applying these technologies to increase their competitiveness. Research and development is underway on a platform for creating and operating digital twins, to which data from measurements and simulation models of machines, structures or technological units can be linked. Machine learning applications will provide instantaneous responses to data obtained from simulation models.

Petr Vymlatil

Designtec s.r.o.