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Digital Twins for geo-infrastructure

Combining real-time data with digital modelling and visualisation to create a digital twin of water infrastructure.

Project leader

Prof Chris Kilsby

Chris Jones (NWG)

Partners

Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) plc

Description

Digital twins have been used in the aerospace, automotive and now the water sector. The project developed a digital twin called 'Twincident'. Twincident  responds to incidents in the water network, such as a burst pipe or a heavy rainfall event.

The aim of this digital twin is to run simulations of an area during an incident. It shows what could happen over a 24 hour period, in just 30 seconds.

The digital twin is a powerful tool for testing future scenarios, such as a major flood event. 

The digital twin integrates:

  • cloud computing
    data science
  • urban sensing
  • internet-of-things

The digital twin is an incredible planning and response tool for addressing the growing complexity of the water network. It helps us understand the uncertainties surrounding environmental change.