Algae and cellulosic biofuel supported in U.S. federal tax act
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is expressing gratitude to the U.S. Congress for including extensions and modifications of the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Credit and the Special Allowance for Second Generation Biofuel Plant Property in final passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. The Act will incentivize investment in both cellulosic and algae biofuel production by renewing a $1.01 per gallon tax credit for producers and accelerated depreciation for newly constructed facilities during 2013, and modifying these credits to include algae. Said Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President of BIO’s Industrial and Environmental Section, in a Jan. 2 statement: “We thank Congress for extending the producer tax credit and bonus depreciation and enabling algae producers to qualify. Stability in such policies is crucial to maintaining private investment. We hope to work with Congress in the coming year to extend and maintain additional policies that support this innovation, such as a strong energy title in any upcoming Farm Bill, and the Renewable Fuel Standard.”
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Petri dishes of Solazyme's tailored algae strains.
AMETEK acquires pair of Miami-based MRO providers
AMETEK Inc. has acquired Aero Components International (ACI) and Avtech Avionics and Instruments (Avtech), both privately owned, U.S. FAA-certified aviation repair operations located in Miami, FL. ACI repairs and overhauls fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic, power generation, and heat exchanger components and is one of the few independent aviation repair shops with fuel repair capabilities. Avtech's expertise is in the repair and maintenance of next-generation and legacy avionics and instruments. Each business operates separate facilities located near AMETEK's High Standard Aviation aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operation. ACI and Avtech join AMETEK Aerospace & Defense, which in addition to third-party MRO services, is a leader in engine and aircraft monitoring systems, power generation and distribution systems, data acquisition units, fuel and fluid measurement systems, engine and airframe sensors, cables, harness assemblies, avionics, blowers, fans, and heat transfer and cooling systems.
ATK supplying missile warning systems for U.S. and allied military aircraft
The U.S. Navy awarded ATK a $48-million production contract for the manufacture of the AAR-47 Missile Warning System. The award encompasses production of new assemblies, including optical sensor converters and computer processors, as well as options for retrofitting weapon replaceable assembly upgrades and delivery of ATK's Countermeasures Signal Simulator (CSS) to test the systems operability. The AAR-47 missile warning system, believed to be the only system in use today that integrates missile, laser, and hostile fire threat warning into a single system, is installed on fixed and rotary-wing aircraft flown by the U.S. and its allies in more than 16 countries. The systems are installed on aircraft such as the A-10, C-5, C-17, C-130, MC-12W, P-3, CH-53, CH-46, HH/SH-60, AH-1W/Z, UH-1N/Y, and MV-22.
Raytheon to design new military imaging satellites
Raytheon Co. was awarded a $1.5 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract for phase one of the agency's Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) program. During the next nine months, the company will complete the design for small satellites to enhance warfighter situational awareness in the battlespace. The SeeMe program will provide useful on-demand imagery information directly to the warfighter in the field from a low-cost satellite constellation launched on a schedule that conforms to U.S. Department of Defense operational tempos. For this contract, Raytheon has teamed with Sierra Nevada Corp., University of Arizona, and SRI International to assist with design work and eventually production. Next year, in phase two of the SeeMe program, the Raytheon team would build six satellites for ground testing.
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DARPA’s SeeMe program aims to give mobile individual U.S. warfighters access to on-demand, space-based tactical information in remote and beyond- line-of-sight conditions.
Eaton sponsors University of Michigan’s Multidisciplinary Design Program
Eaton Corp. will provide opportunities for University of Michigan students to work on relevant, hands-on projects as a sponsor of the university’s Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP). The MDP challenges students to solve problems and create breakthroughs for sponsoring industries through multidiscipline team collaboration. Eaton will work with MDP faculty members to present project challenges to student teams, along with predetermined financial and business resources to support their efforts. For the first MDP project, a student team will focus on developing a robust, predictive, and validated fire-resistance model for Eaton’s high-performance quick-disconnect products. Quick-disconnects are self-sealing couplings that enable fast, easy, and reliable connections and disconnections of lube oil, coolant, hydraulic, and fuel systems for a wide range of commercial and military aircraft. Students will use the model to create new product designs with enhanced fire-resistance capability.
BMW and Boeing to collaborate on carbon-fiber materials
Two heavyweights in the automotive and aerospace industries are joining minds on lighter materials. BMW and Boeing on Dec. 12 announced they would do joint research on carbon-fiber recycling and share knowledge about the material and its manufacture. As part of the collaboration agreement, the two companies will also share carbon-fiber manufacturing process simulations and ideas for manufacturing automation. BMW in 2013 plans to introduce two models from its new i brand (i3 battery-electric and i8 plug-in hybrid) featuring bodies made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner aircraft is made up of 50% carbon fiber. The collaboration is the first ever between the two companies.
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The bodies of BMW's i brand models will use carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. (Patrick Ponticel)
U.S. Air Force selects Raytheon to develop future Protected SATCOM System
The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon Co. $8.7 million to participate in development of the future protected tactical military satellite communication system. The USAF's objective is to identify cost-effective architectures and component development paths for the future SATCOM system that will follow the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system. Raytheon will design and demonstrate affordable terminal components as well as support the waveform development for the USAF. Raytheon will leverage its long history and deep understanding of protected SATCOM developed from AEHF programs such as the U.S. Navy Multiband Terminal, the U.S. Army's Secure Mobile Anti-jam Reliable Tactical Terminal and the USAF's Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network Program Upgrade to meet the government's objectives. All three of Raytheon's AEHF terminals have passed production acquisition milestone decisions and have successfully tested with the on-orbit AEHF satellite.
Parker Aerospace, GE Aviation launch joint venture
Parker Aerospace and GE Aviation reached an agreement to form a joint venture, Advanced Atomization Technologies LLC, to enhance the development and manufacture of commercial aircraft engine fuel nozzles. This represents a critical addition to the comprehensive GE fuel management team. The 50:50 joint venture—created specifically to produce fuel nozzles for current and future GE Aviation commercial engine platforms (including aerospace and aero-derivative engines)—will be located in the Parker Gas Turbine Fuel Systems Division facility in Clyde, NY. The joint venture will employ approximately 300 skilled assemblers, technicians, engineers, and other professionals in the production of advanced fuel nozzles and related products for GE Aviation.
XCOR announces ATK as Lynx Mark I Wing detailed design/build contractor
XCOR Aerospace has issued the initial phase of a two-phase contract to ATK's Aerospace Structures Division for the detailed design and manufacture of the Lynx Mark I suborbital reusable launch vehicle (RLV) wings and control surfaces. The initial wing and control surface design has been developed by XCOR to rigorous design standards to enable the craft to perform tens of thousands of flights to and from suborbital altitudes exceeding 100 km. ATK will create a detailed design ready for manufacture, working with structural and flutter analysis experts from Quartus Engineering in San Diego, CA. The wings will be installed on the Lynx Mark I, which is the prototype of the Lynx family of suborbital RLVs from XCOR; the production models are called Lynx Mark II.
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Proposed detailed wing design for XCOR Lynx Mark I to be designed by ATK.
Dassault Falcon establishes Chinese subsidiary
Dassault Falcon has established a '"wholly owned foreign entity" to represent the Falcon brand in the growing Chinese market. The subsidiary, known as Dassault Falcon Business Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., is based in Beijing, China. As part of the subsidiary, Dassault Falcon will establish a regional customer service headquarters in Beijing. Scheduled to start operations in early 2013, the office will be staffed by local specialists experienced in receiving and processing spare parts orders, warranty, and FalconCare claims. The office will also oversee four field technical representatives that are based in Greater China. Additionally, at least two type-rated Falcon pilots will be based in Beijing to provide jump-seat support to new and existing Falcon customers. Earlier this year, Dassault revealed that the number of Falcons operating in China will triple before the end of 2012.
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