Digital twins of large cool store complexes

Digital twins are virtual representations that serve as real-time digital counterparts of physical objects spanning their full lifecycle. In the context of postharvest horticulture, these could represent, for instance, infrastructure (e.g., storage plants including refrigeration and controlled atmosphere systems) and the produce being handled (e.g., fruit and vegetables). These digital twins can be used in real-time to support decision-making throughout the logistic handling chain, considering targets for, among others, product quality, food losses, energy use, emissions, and costs. Working with biological produce involves accounting for the inevitable biological variance, but also uncertainty exists in terms of unforeseen temporal and spatial variations within cold rooms.  This doctoral project will develop digital twins for large cool store complexes by applying kinetic modeling principles while addressing issues with uncertainty propagation at both the theoretical and applied levels.