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Digital twin in Hagerbach Test Gallery ...

Digital twin in Hagerbach Test Gallery – Tunnel Digitalization Center automated with Siemens technology

Dec. 18, 2019

A unique test laboratory has been opened at the Hagerbach Test Gallery in Flums. The Tunnel Digitalization Center (TDC) enables the simulation of tunnel applications in a realistic environment. In the past, solutions for tunneling had to be installed and tested on site at great expense. The TDC is equipped with numerous Siemens solutions. For example, engineers have implemented the TIA Portal (Totally Integrated Automation Portal). This engineering framework is suitable for all project phases – from planning through engineering to commissioning.

The Hagerbach Test Gallery celebrated the opening of the Tunnel Digitalization Center, which enables the demonstration and simulation of a tunnel in a realistic environment for the first time.

In the Tunnel Digitalization Center (TDC), new technologies and innovative concepts can be demonstrated and tested thoroughly at a 1:1 scale. The project was initiated by the Swiss Center of Applied Underground Technologies (Scaut) and implemented in cooperation with industrial partners. Through the use of a digital twin and automation and control solutions from Siemens, complex tunnel projects can be virtually simulated and tested under real conditions. “The TDC offers us the unique opportunity to show the digital twin in a real tunnel. And not only in terms of pure automation but also in terms of how the individual components interact.” explained Michael Rom, Head of Factory Automation at Siemens Schweiz AG. “In this way, we can check and improve existing models and test future applications or use cases.” In the TDC, the interaction of different partners is illustrated by means of joint use cases and presented live on site. The focus is on cross-phase and cross-functional system solutions that cover the entire value chain or the entire life cycle of tunnel systems.

The TDC features four basic units: first, the digital tunnel is created in the BIM Center. All associated technical installations are combined individually as BIM models to create a single digital tunnel. This is then connected to the Control & Training Center for the 3D display of real values such as opening a door. The virtual world is presented through the use of VR headsets: since genuine tunnel data is being displayed, operators can explore the 3D tunnel which is an ideal preparation for the conditions in the real tunnel. In addition, all technical processes are controlled and monitored in the Control & Training Center via the Scada WinCC OA system. Complete system tests of the Tunnel Control Center can be performed, either on the actual installation or on a digital twin. Furthermore, operating personnel can undergo extensive training long before the tunnel is commissioned. The Simulation Center also offers all the tools required for the simulation of components such as ventilation, lighting or tunnel doors. The behavior of the individual tunnel components is simulated. All scenarios and functions for various components can be fully tested either individually or as a group. The central platform for the test scenarios is the Simatic Simit framework from Siemens. The Cloud Center is also connected to MindSphere. The Siemens operating system for the Internet of Things ensures the efficient evaluation of sensor data. For example, the “Simatic Performance Insight” app has a dashboard that displays and evaluates the temperature, humidity, pressure and vibration of the tunnel door. The “Simatic Notifier” app sends a warning as a push message to mobile devices if a specific threshold value is exceeded. MindSphere supports specific analysis and preventive maintenance of the tunnel.

For the TDC project, Siemens was brought on board alongside three other industry partners: Amberg Engineering AG were the experts for infrastructure systems, Elkuch Group AG for door systems and HBI Haerter AG for tunnel ventilation simulations.

Ideal research conditions

The test gallery offers an over five kilometer long infrastructure network with its various rock formations, surfaces, installations and different aspects of building, providing ideal conditions for carrying out realistic research and testing, and for presenting results. Since the early 1970s, globally recognized knowledge that extends way beyond tunneling has been built up in the Hagerbach Test Gallery.