Emerson has launched the Ovation Curation Tool, synchronisation software for power and water control systems.
The software is designed to maintain version control and change history between Ovation production systems and digital twin simulations.
Emerson said the tool can help operators reduce configuration drift, where changes made to a live control system are not reflected in the simulation environment.
Ovation Curation Tool targets configuration drift
Digital twins are used for operator training, testing, engineering and forecasting. Their value depends on how closely they reflect the live plant environment.
Production systems are regularly updated as engineers solve problems, improve performance and test new control strategies. Over time, those changes can cause the live system and its digital twin to diverge.
Manual comparison can take hours of engineering time. Emerson said the Ovation Curation Tool automates change tracking and supports faster deployment of validated updates between production systems and simulations.
Keeping a digital twin continually synchronised with live systems has always been a challenge, and that challenge continues to increase as workforce shortages make it more difficult to find and retain expert personnel.
Rick Kephart, vice president of technology for Emerson’s power and water business
Change tracking for power and water systems
The software can be set to run weekly, monthly or on an ad-hoc basis. It identifies changes made to the control system and records what changed, who made the change and when it happened.
That audit history is intended to improve governance and reduce the risk of undocumented changes. The dashboard also supports troubleshooting by making change history easier to review.
Once changes are validated, users can launch automated synchronisation between the production system and the digital twin. The same approach can also be used between the digital twin and other Ovation control systems.
Impact analysis before deployment
Before deployment, a simulation snapshot impact analysis tool shows potential disruption to the target system and suggests resolutions.
The Ovation Curation Tool uses repositories to move data between the production system and simulator while maintaining synchronisation. Emerson said multiple users can edit the same assets and merge changes.
The Ovation Curation Tool helps teams deliver lifecycle value for Emerson’s Ovation Digital Twin by making it easy to ensure simulations stay relevant, providing continuous benefit through improved training, testing, engineering and forecasting.
Rick Kephart, vice president of technology for Emerson’s power and water business
Emerson to show software in Pittsburgh
The Ovation Curation Tool will be shown at the Ovation Users Group Conference 2026, which takes place from 26 to 30 July in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
For water operators, the launch reflects growing attention on digital twin governance and control system change management. As operational systems become more data-driven, keeping simulations aligned with live assets is becoming a practical reliability issue.
More coverage of water automation and digital water technology is available in the H2O Global News Technology section.
FAQs
What is the Ovation Curation Tool?
The Ovation Curation Tool is Emerson software that tracks, manages and synchronises changes between Ovation control systems and digital twin simulations.
Why does digital twin synchronisation matter?
Digital twin synchronisation matters because simulations need to reflect live control systems if they are used for training, testing, engineering and forecasting.
What is configuration drift?
Configuration drift occurs when changes made to a production control system are not reflected in the corresponding simulation or digital twin.
Which sectors is the tool aimed at?
Emerson is positioning the Ovation Curation Tool for power and water control systems using Ovation production and simulation environments.
