# Designing a Conceptual Digital Twin Architecture for High-Temperature Heat Upgrade Systems
## 3 Digital Twin Architecture for Heat Upgrade Systems
In addition to protocol translation and device management, the Gateway adds security features such as encryption, authentication, access control, or traffic filtering to protect the handled communication and data. Since the physical layer devices send data using multiple protocols and data formats, the Gateway also carries out preprocessing operations before sending the data to the upper layers with the purpose of data normalization and bandwidth usage optimization. These operations include the filtering of redundant data, the standardization of formats and measurement units across devices, or data compression. Instead of sending all preprocessed data to the cloud layers, the Gateway can also employ aggregation techniques such as time-based or event-based aggregation and batch transmission to further reduce the bandwidth and frequency of communication. The system chooses between the two aggregation techniques based on the nature of the data and analysis goal: while time-based aggregation is ideal where consistent time intervals are essential (e.g., time series forecasting, trends, and seasonality), event-based aggregation is used when data needs to be grouped around specific occurrences and events (e.g., process analysis, triggered alerts). The next layer is the Processed Data Layer. This layer processes real-time data from the physical devices through the Gateway. Its main responsibility is to archive and analyze this data. The Processed Data Layer has the following modules:  
* Remote config--this module is responsible for translating high-level commands, configuration parameters, and goals received from the Service layer into coordinated sequences of machine-understandable commands for the physical layer devices that are delivered through the Gateway layer. * Real-Time data--this is a high throughput input module that ingests and processes the real-time data generated by the physical layer devices. * Context data--represents the specific global parameters of the physical devices together with relations between them. Contextual data consists of information such as geospatial data, physical characteristics, physical relationship to other objects, or environmental conditions. Contextual data is usually represented as knowledge graphs and ontologies. * Data Archive--represents a module with database-like responsibilities that saves historical data for retrieval and further analysis at a later date. * Data Analysis--this is a complex module enabled by statistical data analysis methods, including simpler machine learning and AI algorithms. The Services layer consists of high-level applications and services:
* Simulation--this module will perform different types of simulations of different physical assets, either individually or in combination with several assets. It is used together with the AI modules to provide results in what if analysis by doing performance simulation, stress testing simulation, control system simulation, or thermal and fluid dynamics simulation. * AI Prediction and AI Optimization--these two modules will mainly operate with archived data, contextual data, and simulation data to anticipate what will happen in the near or far future. As manual fine-tuning of a complex system is not feasible in a reasonable time, this will be done automatically with the help of Simulation and AI Optimization modules that will find the best parameter value for the system. * Integrated decision-making--using machine learning algorithms and advanced optimization techniques, this module evaluates potential courses of action under various scenarios and constraints, presenting decision-makers with prioritized options and recommended strategies. This functionality is particularly valuable in time-sensitive or high-stakes environments, where rapid and accurate decision-making is essential to maintaining continuity and achieving operational goals. * Control HUB--this module enables all the necessary Application Programming Interface (API) instances to connect to the system control.