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    MNM Service What is it? Latest Edition Search Archive
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World Energy News From the Communications Centre Contributed by Aristide Mbiock IJmuiden, NL, 10th July 2000 - Ref.:0007art09 AEA Technology unveils breakthrough in fluid flow analysis New release of CFX computational fluid dynamics software AEA Technology Engineering Software (LSE: AAT) on Tuesday 4th July 2000 released the latest version of its CFX-5 computational fluid dynamics software, strengthening its position at the forefront of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). "CFX-5's new benefits are tremendous," says Graham Westmacott, CFX Operational Director, "flow simulations can now be solved orders of magnitude faster than with traditional CFD codes. CFX is the fruit of a decade of continuous investment in Coupled Solver technology." CFX-5 combines direct CAD input, automatic meshing and a unique Coupled Algebraic Multigrid algorithm where pressure and momentum conservation equations are solved simultaneously, slashing CPU time associated with CFD. The new version of CFX-5 is unbeatable in terms of accuracy, speed and robustness. New features include conjugate heat transfer, grid adaption, innovative higher-order differencing schemes, multi-component fluid models, command language and completely redesigned data structures. The conjugate heat transfer capability, combined with CFX-5's existing direct CAD import and automatic meshing, provides engineers with a tool which integrates perfectly within their design cycle. This permits rapid analysis of complex heat transfer processes, such as pinpointing hot spots in engine blocks or optimising the design of heat exchangers. With the multi-component fluid models, users can simulate mixing flows, perform residence time calculations, and include their own models for chemical reactions and combustion. Accurate solutions at minimum computational cost are ensured with CFX-5's new automatic grid adaption. This redistributes and refines the grid so that it is concentrated in those regions where it is most important. "Our new adaption method works with all types of mesh, including tetrahedral, hexahedral, pyramid and prism elements, whilst maintaining the original underlying surface descriptions" says Georg Scheuerer, VP of CFX Product Development. "This makes CFX-5 the first choice for modelling flows such as shock waves or flame fronts in combustion chambers, where steep gradients must be accurately resolved." To maintain its leading-edge position, CFX-5 has been completely restructured internally. With unique features such as efficient data structures, accurate and robust finite-volume discretization schemes, coupled algebraic multigrid solver technology, and scalable parallelisation algorithms, CFX-5 fully exploits modern computer architectures, hardware trends and user interface concepts. A new Command Language allows swift and effective access to the solver, and provides an open and solid framework for implementing additional physical models. Note to Editors For more information on AEA Technology Engineering Software, visit our website at www.software.aeat.com or for more information on CFX contact Clare Lightfoot, AEA Technology Engineering Software, 8.19 Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK, tel +44 1235 433767/fax +44 1235 432532. Email: clare.lightfoot@software.aeat.com. Electrabel pays E257m for Hidrocantábrico stake Electrabel, the Belgian power group controlled by France's Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, on Monday 3rd July 2000, paid E257m ($246m) for 10 per cent of Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico, the Spanish electricity generator. The move came as TXU, the US energy company, paid a similar E22.75 per Hidrocantábrico share to raise its holding in the Spanish generator by 5.26 per cent to 19.2 per cent and become the largest individual shareholder. The transactions underlined the increasing focus among leading power generators on Spain's electricity sector, which is undergoing liberalisation. The investments also suggested a TXU-Electrabel alliance to develop European electricity assets. The two power groups bought Hidrocantábrico stakes from two of the generator's core shareholders, the Barcelona-based savings bank La Caixa and Banco de Sabadell, which were advised by the Spanish unit of Lazards, the investment bank. The move valued Hidrocantábrico at E2.5bn, up on the E2.4bn that TXU offered in an unsolicited bid in March. That was withdrawn when Unión Fenosa, a rival domestic power group, entered a competing E2.7bn bid which was blocked last month by Spain's competition authorities. Hidrocantábrico's shares shed 2.05 per cent in Madrid to close at E21.51. Virgin, EDF's London Electricity in UK online energy pact London--July 4: Virgin Group and Electricité de France (EdF) unit London Electricity Tuesday launched a joint venture to sell electricity and gas over the Internet. Virgin, which owns 75% of the new Virgin Energy company with London Electricity holding the rest said it can guarantee customers will save money if they switch from their existing supplier. Both companies declined to give details of their investment. Virgin, which recently set up online ventures offering to supply cheaper cars and wine promises that U.K. householders could save over 630 million sterling ($950 million) a year by buying their energy needs from Virgin Energy. It said that for an average three-bedroom house in England, Wales and Scotland, switching to Virgin Energy would save over 60 sterling a year. The company also said that if after the first year of subscribing, customers haven't saved money, Virgin Energy will refund the difference plus 20% of the difference. Virgin said it would also reward customers if they reduce their energy consumption year-on-year by giving 1 sterling back for every 1% saved. London Electricity, which holds the remaining 25% stake in the new company, said it will be supplying customer billing and call center facilities along with electricity and gas procurement and related risk management services. Meanwhile, London Electricity told reporters that the company had fought off stiff competition to clinch "the deal that every REC (Regional Electricity Company) wanted." London Electricity, which has agreed to provide call centers, power procurement and risk management services for the venture, said that by going in with Virgin, it can expand nationwide. Although the company admits it will have to compete against Virgin Energy for customers, Martin Wenban, London Electricity's retail manager said "we would rather be in partnership with Virgin -- So while we might loose customers to the new service, we'll still have a share." Wenban said the Virgin pact allowed London Electricity to be instantly linked to the credentials of "a major national brand." "The London Electricity name has enormous potential in the south east and south west area (of England), but it's arguable how well that would be translated nationwide," he said. "Getting behind Virgin Energy allows us to do that more easily", he added. Wenban, who admitted that the new venture is in a position to achieve greater cost savings than if the EDF subsidiary had set up alone, said London Electricity will also be looking to beef up its own online services and marketing activities in the face of competition from Virgin. In a market which analysts expect will be increasingly be brand-driven, with Centrica and British Gas on top of the pile, London Electricity said it hopes it can steal some of that market share and make a profit at the same time. EDF, already a major player in the U.K., has an estimated 6% of all generating capacity in England in Wales. It also supplies around 6% of the U.K. electricity needs via the France/U.K. Interconnector. Its recent purchase of the giant Sutton Bridge Power station from U.S. energy firm Enron was its third major U.K. acquisition after buying London Electricity and the South Wales Electricity Board (SWEB) last year. David Cullen, BridgeNews, Tel: +44-20-78424030 ENEL and Echelon Finalize Agreement to Network 27 Million Italian Homes with LonWorks Technology SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2000 via NewsEdge Corporation: Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON), the leader in networking everyday devices, and ENEL SpA (NYSE: EN; Milan: ENEL), the largest publicly traded electric utility worldwide, announced today the signing of an R&D agreement under which ENEL and Echelon will cooperate to integrate Echelon's LonWorks(R) system into Enel's remote metering management project called "Contatore Elettronico". Pursuant to this project, ENEL expects to provide (on a three year rollout period) approximately 27 million Italian households with electricity digital meters, capable of being integrated into a complete home networking infrastructure. The Contatore Elettronico project is expected to allow ENEL to offer consumers more accurate and timely meter readings and innovative tariff schemes (subject to regulatory approval) facilitating energy savings; moreover, the project is expected to allow the delivery of value added services. The platform introduced by ENEL's Contatore Elettronico project is planned to be an open system that will allow other operators to provide their value added services. The signing consummates a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two companies earlier this year. ENEL has also entered into an agreement to purchase 3 million shares of newly issued Echelon common stock for a purchase price to be based on the average trading price prior to the closing (subject to a minimum price of $87.3 million USD and a maximum price of $130.9 million USD). As part of the stock purchase agreement, ENEL has agreed to hold the shares for a minimum of three years; however, if the R&D agreement is terminated due to a material breach by Echelon, then ENEL may sell the shares thirty days after public announcement thereof. ENEL will assume a seat on Echelon's Board of Directors. The closing under the stock purchase agreement is conditioned upon approval under US antitrust legislation (Hart-Scott-Rodino Act) and certain other conditions. "We are very pleased to be able to consummate our agreement so quickly," said Franco Tato, CEO of ENEL . "Having this agreement in place allows us to move forward with all possible speed to make our vision of intelligent power a reality." "This is a watershed event for the utility and home networking industries," said M. Kenneth Oshman, Echelon's chairman, CEO, and president. "It will support the creation of the largest infrastructure in the world for networking everyday devices in Italy. It represents a large and immediate opportunity for home appliance, heating, security, and other manufacturers to adopt and deploy intelligent LonWorks devices. We expect this project to accelerate the adoption of LonWorks networks among device manufacturers and utilities around the world." ENEL expects to begin installing metering systems in the second quarter of 2001 with initial services being remote meter reading, remote connect and disconnect, and demand-side management. ENEL expects to integrate a wide range of Echelon products in its system, such as devices for every meter to enable communication over the existing power lines based on the Neuron(R) chip and Echelon's PLT-22 power line technology, data concentrators, LNS(tm) network operating system software, and gateways to enable communication to indoor devices. The procurement of such components will be conducted in accordance with EU public procurement procedures. Echelon expects product deliveries to begin within the first half of 2001 and to ramp up to mature run rates over the subsequent years.
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