Complexity Science Meets Digital Twin Reality
Presented at the Asian Downstream Summit 2025, this collection of tools, simulations, and white papers explores how complexity science can help Digital Twin projects succeed where conventional modeling falls short.
At ADS 2025 in Singapore, aprocesr Ltd. introduced a new perspective on Digital Twin feasibility — emphasizing that the biggest obstacles are not computational, but systemic.
When process systems grow in scale and coupling, their behavior shifts from predictable to emergent.
The works below expand on those presentations and demonstrations, offering both conceptual insight and practical diagnostic tools.
Complexity Diagnostic Tool (*)
Originally unveiled during the ADS 2025 demonstration sessions, this interactive tool helps engineers determine whether a process behaves as complicated (predictable) or complex (emergent). It evaluates feedback density, controllability, and interaction delays to guide Digital Twin scoping decisions.
Features List:
- Interactive radar chart and heatmap visualization
- Ten diagnostic dimensions for process and control systems
- Exportable project profiles (for feasibility documentation)
- Built for early-stage modeling and automation studies
Simulation Demo (*)
Emergent Behavior at Plant Scale
This lightweight simulation — first shown live at the ADS 2025 Tech Talk: “From Pilot to Plant: When Scale Breaks Your Digital Twin” — demonstrate how simple local interactions can produce complex, system-wide outcomes. It illustrate how pilot-scale success may fail to scale in real plants.
White Papers & Publications
Research Presented at ADS 2025
The following white papers were presented at the Asian Downstream Summit 2025 and form the foundation of aprocesr’s ongoing research into complexity-aware Digital Twin design.
Not Just Complicated: Why Digital Twins Struggle with Real-World System Behavior
Main technical paper, exploring system-level complexity, feedback loops, and modeling limitations in refinery units (CDU vs. FCC).
📄 Read Paper
From Pilot to Plant: When Scale Breaks Your Digital Twin
Companion paper and live demo at ADS 2025 — illustrates emergent regenerator behavior through cellular automata simulation and scaling analysis.
📄 Read Paper
Forthcoming: Beyond the Hype: System Complexity Science — The Overlooked Constraint in Digital Twin Design
Expanding on both papers, this e-book unites theory and practice for engineers tackling complex industrial systems.
(*) Disclaimer — Research Demonstration Only
The Complexity Diagnostic Tool and the Cellular Automata–based simulations are provided for informational and educational purposes.
They are simplified representations intended to illustrate how feedback density, interaction delay, and coupling can lead to emergent system behavior.
While they reflect real engineering principles, the models are not calibrated for plant-specific conditions and are not substitutes for process simulation, design, or control systems.
aprocesr Ltd. assumes no liability for decisions made based on these demonstrations.Users are responsible for verifying all analytical results with appropriate engineering judgment, data, and validated models.
Use of these materials implies acceptance of these conditions.