Autotuning controllers as probes for plant condition monitoring and Digital Twin alignment

Modern process plants increasingly rely on Digital Twins (DTs) for optimal management, and often incorporate autotuning controllers to enhance performance. Since autotuning captures snapshots of plant operation, a key question arises: can autotuners act as probes to ensure alignment between the Digital Twin and its physical counterpart? Additionally, can they help detect and possibly quantify discrepancies between the two, and enhance condition monitoring? This paper explores these possibilities, formulating suggestions for a new generation of "DT-oriented" autotuners.