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Bioethanol from bagasse

Tsukishima Kikai Co. (www.tsk-g.co.jp) and JFE Engineering Corp. (both Tokyo, Japan; www.jfe-eng.co.jp) have demonstrated a process that produces bioethanol from bagasse, a waste product in the production of sugar from sugarcane. With support from NEDO under a four-year, $10-million project,…

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Chementator Briefs

Polyesters Customizing the macroscale properties of polyesters by using sidechain chemical groups is difficult, and is limited for commercially available polyesters. Now, researchers at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.; www.vt.edu) have developed a novel method for synthesizing polyesters that may expand…

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A very efficient SOFC

Hitachi Zosen Corp. (HITZ, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan; www.hitachizosen.co.jp) has installed a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) demonstration unit at Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Izumi Center (Orist; Osaka, http://orist.jp), and has been performing tests since June. The…

Automated alarm management reduces manual calculation work

The newest release of the PlantState Suite (PSS) software, version 8.3, includes the new Alarm Mechanic feature, which is designed to improve console operator performance by minimizing nuisance alarms through automated analytics and recommendations. With the addition of Alarm Mechanic,…

Test turbine trip systems without disrupting production

This company’s new, patent-pending pneumatic trip system (photo) with partial-stroke actuation provides quick testing of turbine trip systems while the equipment is still running. There is no disruption to production, and the trip valve will still work if an overspeed…

A portable mixer for laboratory and pilot operations

The Crossover 1540 overhead mixer (photo) features a 0.5-hp motor delivering 3,000 N∙cm of torque for effective mixing in large laboratory, pilot-scale and small production volumes. The portable Crossover is designed to mix up to 200-L (50-gal) drum volumes from…

Easily detect seal and gasket wear in conveying applications

This company now offers metal-detectable (MD) and X-ray-inspectable (XRI) seal and gasket options on its magnetic separation equipment for gravity-fed and pneumatic-line conveying applications. The new seal and gasket options protect against elastomeric contamination in the processing line. Component parts…

This piston pump has an interchangeable drive assembly

The new TopDrive piston pump system (photo, p. 28) for cleanup applications features a fully-interchangeable drive assembly that allows for easy transitions between hand, solar, electric and top-drive pneumatic pumping without removing the well seal. This feature provides additional flexibility…

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Facts at your Fingertips: Heat-Transfer Fluid Selection

Heat-transfer fluid selection can be intimidating when considering the long-term impact on costs and operability. The right fluid will provide optimal performance and lifecycle costs, while freeing engineers for other assignments. Most engineers do not routinely consider fluid selection, so…

Couplers to minimize product loss and cross-contamination

The new Twist-Lok dry disconnect coupler (photo) features 316 stainless-steel construction and an integral heavy-duty swivel to aid connection and minimize hose wear. In addition, this new coupler is designed with several safety features for the operator, such as the…