Richard R. Schultz Chair, NED
The ASME Nuclear Engineering Division (NED), the sponsoring organization for both the creation of the Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science and key supporter of Professor Igor Pioro as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, is delighted to note that the journal has been successfully publishing high impact technical articles for the benefit of the nuclear community since 2015. As is true from the very beginning, the ASME Nuclear Engineering Division once again wishes the Journal and in particular Editor-in-Chief I. Pioro every success in the publication of the excellent Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science.
In keeping with the NED support of the Journal, and of course NED policy to implement and complement the position and practices of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the NED is acting to tailor its organization to better serve the needs of both. During the most recent meeting of the NED Executive Committee (EC), the EC voted to create a flexible and dynamic organizational structure capable of providing timely and comprehensive support for nuclear engineering-related conferences and summits (see Fig. 1). A major ingredient in the NED organization is NED-lead technical committees focused on current developments and industry-related topics that support the nuclear community, for example, centered on advanced reactors, thermal-hydraulics (including computational fluid dynamics as well as verification and validation), and codes and standards, etc. The focus areas for the technical committees are reflected in the track content of the NED-sponsored International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE) each year. The administrative committees will focus on the organization of conferences/meetings as well as the administrative needs of NED. Presently the NED cosponsors the Small Modular and Micro-Reactor Summit (SMMR), and Advanced Clean Energy Summit (ACES) in addition to sponsoring ICONE.
The NED is positioned to have a place for all the membership in the technical committees and meetings/summits. As usual, the NED organization and focus areas are designed for maximum member involvement. The latest example is ICONE28, held virtually between August 4 and 6, 2021. Keynotes and Plenaries were aimed directly at major topics of interest in the nuclear community: “operating plant issues and experience,” “climate change,” and “advanced reactors.” Between 95 and 136 people attended these events virtually (of course even more conference attendees viewed the videos of these events at later times: not surprising since one of the quirky characteristics of international virtual conferences is the time ingredient, for example, 8 AM EDT, when ICONE28 was begun each day, was 2 PM the same day in Rome, 8 PM in Beijing, China, where the Chinese Nuclear Society (CNS) is based, and 9 PM in Tokyo, Japan, where the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) is based. CNS and JSME partner with ASME to host ICONE. ICONE28 featured nine panels, three workshops, and 14 tracks as listed below:
ICONE28 Panel Sessions
Advanced Fuel Development
Advanced Manufacturing
AP1000 Plant Experience
Climate Change and Emission Reduction
Fukushima
Micro and Small Modular Reactors/Advanced Nuclear Systems
Severe Accidents
Space and Other Applications of Nuclear Energy
Women in Nuclear Engineering
ICONE28 Workshops:
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Nuclear Codes and Standards
Thermal-Hydraulics
ICONE28 Tracks:
Operating Plant Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learnt
Nuclear Plant Engineering
Advanced Reactors and Fusion
Small Modular and Micro-Reactors Technologies and Applications
Nuclear Fuels, Research, and Fuel Cycle
Nuclear Codes and Standards
Thermal-Hydraulics
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Verification and Validation
Advanced methods of Manufacturing for Nuclear Reactors and Components
Decontamination, Decommissioning, and Radioactive Waste Management
Beyond Design Basis and Nuclear Safety
Risk Informed Management and Regulation
Student Paper Competition
Attendees were from 20 countries with China, Japan, the European Community, and the United States especially well represented.
ICONE29 is scheduled to be held in Shenzhen, China between Aug. 8 and 12, 2022. The theme of ICONE29 is Nuclear Energy Innovation Power a Carbon Neutral Future. Text-only abstracts are due by Nov. 30, 2021, on the ICONE29 website.1 ICONE29 is slated to be a hybrid (virtual and face-to-face) conference.
