Headwaters And Axens Announce DCL Alliance

Headwaters and Axens have created a strategic alliance around their direct coal liquefaction (DCL) technologies. The two companies will combine their technologies and licensing activities for coal-to-liquids (CTL) projects worldwide. Alliance DCL expects to provide a single-source solution for producing ultra-clean transportation fuels from coal - whether alone or in combination with other low-cost or renewable feedstocks, such as biomass and refinery residues.

Headwaters will provide its slurry catalyst technology and its CTL research facilities, while Axens will contribute its ebullated-bed H-Coal Process and proprietary catalyst. Both evolved from a common background and DCL technologies developed by Hydrocarbon Research (HRI), which were commercialised with support from the US Department of Energy and industrial clients.

Both companies have continued to increase liquid yields, improve energy efficiency, lower production costs and reduce their environmental footprint (in terms of CO2 emissions and water consumption). Alliance DCL will market the technologies and anticipates offering project-specific services, from feedstock characterisation, pilot plant evaluation, feasibility studies and engineering design through plant start-up and technical support.

Axens will also provide the coal liquids upgrading technologies necessary to achieve finished fuel specifications. Both companies provided technology packages and basic engineering, contributing to the construction and start-up of the first commercial DCL plant in China in December 2008. Several new DCL projects are currently in development by the alliance.

Invensys Forms OTS Technology Alliance With RWD

Invensys has formed a global relationship with RWD that will see RWD create training programmes for Invensys's operator training simulators (OTS) for clients in the hydrocarbon processing industries.

The initial offering will encompass several Invensys Simsci-Esscor products, including Dynsim software for operator training, utilising a simulator modelling platform, and the Eyesim 3-D virtual reality field-operator training solution. By including professional training services, clients can maximise the benefits they experience from an OTS alone.

Open Design Alliance Updates ODA Platform

The Open Design Alliance (ODA) has released version 2.7.3 of the ODA platform, which delivers new features for DWGdirecta and DGNdirecta. Version 2.7.3 includes an expanded set of export capabilities, including HOOPS and STL (stereolithography) export support for DWGdirect. To take full advantage of existing export technology, DGNdirect has been adapted to share most of the export modules of DWGdirect, making PDF, SVG, STL and HOOPS exporting from DGN available to ODA members for the first time.

In addition to the expanded export offerings, version 2.7.3 also loads DWG files 20 per cent faster than previous releases and DXF loading and saving has also been significantly improved. In conjunction with this release, the ODA is opening new 'getting started' guides in wiki format to the CAD community for DWGdirect.

Neil Peterson, chief technical officer of the ODA, said: 'The solid core architecture of DWGdirect made it possible to adapt our existing DWGdirect export-modules to work for DGN in a straightforward manner, providing significant added value to our members with only a minimal amount of development work.' Version 2.7.3 of the ODA platform is available immediately at the Open Design Alliance's website for download by ODA members world-wide.