Mixed discrete-continuous simulation for digital Twins

Abstract

The advent of Digital Twins has precipitated the need for an open and flexible simulation framework with unique design considerations. A key requirement of such a framework is the ability to simulate systems containing a mix of discrete and continuous processes that may interact with each other. In this paper, we propose a framework for mixed discrete-continuous simulations particularly targeted for Digital Twin applications. The framework is based on SimPy, a popular discrete-event simulation library in Python. We first present a systematic approach by which continuous process simulations can be integrated within the event-stepped engine of SimPy. We illustrate the approach using an example. We then discuss the features of the proposed framework and the roadmap for its implementation.