A Digital Twin Platform-Based Approach to Product Lifecycle Management: Towards a Transformer 4.0

Recently, we have been observing a significant evolution in products, machines, and manufacturing processes, towards a more digital and interoperable reality. In this sense, the power transformers sector has also been evolving to develop smart transformers for the future, capable of providing the digital capabilities to leverage new services and features that follow its entire life cycle, from the design and manufacturing to the use and dismantling/recycling. In this sense, this paper aims to present and demonstrate how an innovative digital twin platform can be used in a secure and trustable way for the enhancement of the power transformers’ performance and potential lifespan, enabling, at the same time, the promotion of new business models. A real use case is also presented to demonstrate the applicability of Asset Administration Shells (AAS) for power transformer life cycle management, as well as the use of the International Data Spaces (IDS) for the secure and trustable horizontal interoperability along with the different actors of the value chain, from the manufacturers to the power network and maintenance services companies.