Page 7 - IJAMD-1-3

International Journal of AI for
Materials and Design

EDITORIAL
Unlocking the potential of digital twins in

heating, cooling, and thermal energy storage
technologies

Angelo Maiorino and Fabio Petruzziello*
Department of Industrial Engineering, Università di Salerno, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Cooling, Heating, and Thermal Energy Storage Systems:
Harnessing the Power of Digital Twins)

With the intensification of global concerns regarding energy consumption and
environmental sustainability, developing innovative strategies to manage and optimize
energy systems has become increasingly urgent. Heating and cooling systems are critical
in this context because they account for a substantial portion of the global energy
consumption and carbon emissions. Effective management of such systems is essential
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to reduce operational costs, mitigate adverse environmental impacts, and facilitate the
transition to sustainable energy practices. A promising solution in this regard is the
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digital twin technology, a cutting-edge approach offering unprecedented capabilities in
complex system simulations, analyses, and real-time management. A digital twin is a
virtual replica of a physical system that is continuously updated with data from sensors
and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The twin aims to accurately mimic the behavior
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of the system under various conditions. In the context of heating, cooling, and thermal
energy storage systems, digital twins can drive substantial transformations, enabling
improved performance monitoring, predictive maintenance, and energy optimization.
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Hence, digital twins promise considerable improvements in system efficiency, reliability,
*Corresponding author: and sustainability.
Fabio Petruzziello
(fpetruzziello@unisa.it) Thermal energy storage systems play a pivotal role in heating and cooling applications
Citation: Maiorino A, Petruzziello F. by storing excess energy for later use, thereby balancing supply and demand and
Unlocking the potential of improving the overall system efficiency. Effective interactions among heating, cooling,
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digital twins in heating, cooling, and thermal energy storage systems are critical for optimal energy utilization. Digital
and thermal energy storage
technologies. Int J AI Mater Design. twins offer a unique real-time platform for managing and fine-tuning these interactions.
2024;1(3):1-3.
doi: 10.36922/ijamd.4532 The special issue “Cooling, Heating, and Thermal Energy Storage Systems: Harnessing
the Power of Digital Twins” launched by the International Journal of AI for Materials and
Received: August 15, 2024 Design aims to explore and disseminate cutting-edge research and advancements in this
Published Online: October 10, 2024 rapidly evolving field of digital twin techniques applied to cooling, heating and thermal
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). energy storage systems.
This is an Open-Access article Digital twins rely on accurate numerical modeling and simulations to replicate the
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution behavior of heating, cooling, and thermal energy storage systems. These simulations
License, permitting distribution, offer in-depth insights into the complex interactions among thermal dynamics, fluid
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is mechanics, and material properties. Through such high-fidelity simulations, engineers,
properly cited. and researchers can optimize the design phase of cooling, heating and thermal energy
storage systems by testing different design configurations and operational strategies to
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with identify the most efficient and sustainable solutions.
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Digital twins serve as powerful tools for improving system performance by simulating
affiliations. various operational scenarios. This capability is particularly valuable for optimizing

Volume 1 Issue 3 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/ijamd.4532