AEA Technology Engineering Software Releases DISTIL - Conceptual Design Software for Azeotropic Distillation.

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 1999--

Advanced Separation Technology Tool Developed by Hyprotech Ltd.

AEA Technology Engineering Software today announced the release of DISTIL, a revolutionary conceptual design tool developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Hyprotech Ltd.

DISTIL can help businesses meet the continuous challenge of increased productivity, lower energy consumption, and tighter environment constraints. It also combines the latest advances in separation technology with the most up-to-date computer technologies resulting in a powerful and easy-to-use tool.

"The release of DISTIL will allow designers to quickly explore multiple scenarios and produce various alternative separation schemes," said Francisco Castillo, Development Manager of Conceptual Design. "DISTIL also focuses on the synthesis of column sequences for multi-component azeotropic systems and provides separation insights in an integrated and interactive environment."

The key advanced technical capabilities of DISTIL include:

-- Enable process engineers to rapidly develop a thermodynamic 

process understanding.

-- Find all the azeotropes predicted by the VLE model.

-- Calculate residue curves for multi-component mixtures and

plot the maps for ternary and quaternary systems.

-- Identify distillation boundaries and regions for

multi-component mixtures.

-- Easily design simple and complex columns for binary and 

ternary systems.

-- Automatically find feasible column sequences that separate

multi-component azeotropic and non-azeotropic mixtures into

pure products.

-- Perform experimental data regression.

-- Provide access to comprehensive thermodynamic databases.

Wayne Sim, one of the founders of Hyprotech Ltd., noted, "AEA Technology Engineering Software enables customers to operate more profitably by providing capabilities that improve process understanding, improve operational efficiency, and deploy knowledge more effectively. DISTIL offers customers the ability to front-end-load the design process, and profitability deploy this knowledge downstream with significant impact on capital and operating costs."

AEA Technology Engineering Software is a leading supplier of engineering software for the process and mechanical manufacturing industries. Its wholly owned software companies; Hyprotech, CFX, EA Systems and nCode work from 17 offices in nine countries, with subsidiaries in Canada, USA, Germany, Spain, France and Japan. Its range of software products include process simulation, separation process design, batch process design, heat transfer, plant design, computational fluid dynamics as well as plant operator training and fatigue and lifetime prediction solutions. As part of AEA Technology plc, one of the world's leading innovation businesses, it supplies innovative technical, safety and environmental solutions to a broad range of industries worldwide. AEA Technology plc (LSE: AAT) employs nearly 4,500 people in 26 locations around the world, bringing science to the marketplace through consultancy, technical services, hardware and software systems, research and development and technology transfer.

Hyprotech, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is an internationally recognized leader in helping the process industries improve productivity and profitability at all stages of the process and plant lifecycle. With powerful simulation software, detailed process understanding and a truly integrated approach to solutions, Hyprotech provides a route to faster process development, improved plant designs, optimized production and enhanced decision making for more than 1500 customers in over 80 countries around the globe.

For additional information, visit our website at www.software.aeat.com or contact:

Francisco Castillo Development Manager of Conceptual Design AEA Technology Engineering Software Hyprotech Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, Canada International: [phone] North America: 1-800-661-8696 Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

OR

Marie Telepneff Corporate Press Relations AEA Technology Engineering Software EA Systems 980 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 103 Alameda, California, USA 94501 Direct: [phone] Fax: [phone] Residence: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

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