# US 2017/0286572 A1 · Digital twin of twinned physical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0286572 A1 - Document ID: US20170286572A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/087,217 - Filed: 2016-03-31 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: John Erik HERSHEY; Frederick Wilson WHEELER; Matthew Christian NIELSEN; Christopher Donald JOHNSON; Michael Joseph DELL'ANNO; Joij JOYKUTTI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170286572A1 ## CPC - B64F 5/60: Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems - G05B 23/0283: {Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06)} - B64D 2045/0085: {Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration} - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract An apparatus may implement a digital twin of a twinned physical system such that one or more sensors to sense values of one or more designated parameters of the twinned physical system. A computer processor may receive data associated with the sensors and, for at least a selected portion of the twinned physical system, monitor a condition of the selected portion of the twinned physical system and/or assess a remaining useful life of the selected portion based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters. A communication port may transmit information associated with a result generated by the computer processor. The one or more sensors may sense values of the one or more designated parameters, and the computer processor may perform the monitoring and/or assessing, when the twinned physical system is not operating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus implementing a digital twin of a twinned physical system, comprising: one or more sensors to sense values of one or more designated parameters of the twinned physical system; a computer processor to receive data associated with the one or more sensors and programmed to: for at least a selected portion of the twinned physical system, execute at least one of: (i) a monitoring process to monitor a condition of the selected portion of the twinned physical system based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters, and (ii) an assessing process to assess a remaining useful life of the selected portion of the twinned physical system based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters; and a communication port coupled to the computer processor to transmit information associated with a result generated by the computer processor, wherein the one or more sensors are to sense values of the one or more designated parameters, and the computer processor is to execute at least one of the monitoring and assessing processes, when the twinned physical system is not operating. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further to execute economic operations optimization software to determine at least one of: (i) an optimal operational control of the twinned physical system, and (ii) optimal operational practices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optimal operational practices comprise at least one of: (i) mission deployment, (ii) inspection, and (iii) maintenance scheduling. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital twin is adaptable to a new scenario or a new system configuration and is transferable to another system or class of systems. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein digital twin is scalable over an asset class or between asset classes and is updatable by another digital twin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital twin is enabled to exert control over the twinned physical system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the digital twin further comprises a graphical interface engine that enables an operator to: indicate the selected portion of the twinned physical system; and display a rendering of the selected portion of the twinned physical system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rendering indicates, for the selected portion of the twinned physical system, at least one of: (i) a flexing displacement, (ii) a stress, (iii) a strain, and (iv) a temperature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital twin is associated with a computational approximation technique. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computational approximation technique comprises at least one of: (i) linearization, (ii) a reduced order model, (iii) fuzzy logic, and (iv) a neural network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further adapted to identify a failed sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computer processor is further adapted to replace output from the identified failed sensor with data produced by a virtual sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a system for recording and preserving information acquired while the twinned physical system is operating. ### Claim 14 A computerized method associated with implementing a digital twin of a twinned physical system, comprising: sensing, by one or more sensors, one or more designated parameters of the twinned physical system; for at least a selected portion of the twinned physical system, executing by a computer processor at least one of: (i) a monitoring process to monitor a condition of the selected portion of the twinned physical system based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters, and (ii) an assessing process to assess a remaining useful life of the selected portion of the twinned physical system based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters; and transmitting, via a communication port coupled to the computer processor, information associated with a result generated by the computer processor, wherein the one or more sensors are to sense values of the one or more designated parameters, and the computer processor is to execute at least one of the monitoring and assessing processes, when the twinned physical system is not operating. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the computer processor is further to execute economic operations optimization software to determine at least one of: (i) an optimal operational control of the twinned physical system, and (ii) optimal operational practices associated with mission deployment, inspection, or maintenance scheduling. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, where the digital twin further comprises a graphical interface engine that enables an operator to: indicate the selected portion of the twinned physical system; and display a rendering of the selected portion of the twinned physical system, wherein the rendering indicates a flexing displacement, a stress, a strain, or a temperature. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the digital twin is associated with a computational approximation technique associated with linearization, a reduced order model, fuzzy logic, or a neural network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the computer processor is further adapted to identify a failed sensor and to replace output from the identified failed sensor with data produced by a virtual sensor. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform a method associated with implementing a digital twin of a twinned physical system, the method comprising: sensing, by one or more sensors, one or more designated parameters of the twinned physical system; for at least a selected portion of the twinned physical system, executing by a computer processor at least one of: (i) a monitoring process to monitor a condition of the selected portion of the twinned physical system based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters, and (ii) an assessing process to assess a remaining useful life of the selected portion of the twinned physical system based at least in part on the sensed values of the one or more designated parameters; and transmitting, via a communication port coupled to the computer processor, information associated with a result generated by the computer processor, wherein the one or more sensors are to sense values of the one or more designated parameters, and the computer processor is to execute at least one of the monitoring and assessing processes, when the twinned physical system is not operating. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, wherein the computer processor is further to execute economic operations optimization software to determine at least one of: (i) an optimal operational control of the twinned physical system, and (ii) optimal operational practices associated with mission deployment, inspection, or maintenance scheduling. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, where the digital twin further comprises a graphical interface engine that enables an operator to: indicate the selected portion of the twinned physical system; and display a rendering of the selected portion of the twinned physical system, wherein the rendering indicates a flexing displacement, a stress, a strain, or a temperature. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, wherein the digital twin is associated with a computational approximation technique associated with linearization, a reduced order model, fuzzy logic, or a neural network. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, wherein the computer processor is further adapted to identify a failed sensor and to replace output from the identified failed sensor with data produced by a virtual sensor.