IJMO 2025 Vol.15(2): 68-73
DOI: 10.7763/IJMO.2025.V15.873
A Virtual Digital Twin Approach for Safety-Centric Risk Management for Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP)
Aurelian Ionescu, Cicerone Laurentiu Popa, Radu Constantin Parpala, Lidia Florentina Parpala, and Costel Emil Cotet*
Department of Robots and Manufacturing Systems, Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Robotics, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Email: aurelian.ionescu85@stud.fiir.upb.ro (A.I.); laurentiu.popa@upb.ro (C.L.P.); radu.parpala@upb.ro (R.C.P.); lidia.parpala@upb.ro (L.F.P.); costel.cotet@upb.ro (C.E.C.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received July 3, 2025; accepted October 5, 2025; published November 5, 2025.
Abstract—High-risk industrial environments, such as particle accelerator facilities, require rigorous validation of safety interlocks, yet testing these systems under real operational conditions poses significant challenges. This paper presents a safety-focused digital twin framework designed to integrate real PLC hardware implementing Machine Protection System (MPS) and Personnel Protection System (PPS) logic. The framework connects partially to the facility’s control infrastructure (EPICS) and to the simulation platform via OPC UA and supports Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing to assess safety system performance in realistic but risk-free conditions. Initial validation focused on interlock response time and failure mode analysis, with test results confirming beam shutdown triggers within 1−5 ms across twelve simulated fault scenarios. A structured Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) quantified the criticality and detection coverage of potential faults, guiding design improvements and operational priorities. Although full-scale digital twin simulation is planned for deployment once the facility becomes fully operational, the current implementation already supports early-stage verification and risk assessment. Contributions include the demonstrations of real-time safety interlock performance using actual PLC code in tight coupling with MPS and PPS hardware architecture and method. This framework lays the foundation for proactive, simulation-driven validation in high-risk infrastructure for the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) VEGA linear accelerator in Magurele, Romania.
Keywords—digital twin, Linear Accelerator (LINAC), machine protection system, personnel protection system, simulation, OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), risk analysis
[PDF]
Cite: Aurelian Ionescu, Cicerone Laurentiu Popa, Radu Constantin Parpala, Lidia Florentina Parpala, and Costel Emil Cotet*, "A Virtual Digital Twin Approach for Safety-Centric Risk Management for Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP)," International Journal of Modeling and Optimization, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 68-73, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
