As previously announced, the “Combustion Trends for the Future” programme for 2003 will commence with the IJmuiden TOTeM Cluster.

The IJmuiden TOTeMs are being jointly organised by the IFRF Research Station and Communications Centre teams. Both meetings will be held in the conference room on premises of the IFRF Communication Centre in Velsen Noord, respectively on 18th and 19th March 2003.

Detailed of the programmes are presently being agreed with the Chairmen.
Shortly we will announce full details of programmes, the hotel and social arrangements, registration procedures and so forth. All such information will be posted on Technical Meetings Home Page at the IFRF ONLINE Combustion Centre website at http://www.combustion-centre.ifrf.net/meetings/index.html.

Status reports for the two TOTeMs are

TOTeM23
Efficiency and Flexibility of Energy Use in the Iron and Steel Industry:
Minimise Costs and CO2 Emissions
Date: 18th March 2003

Chairman: Dr Frank Fitzgerald
President British Flame

The following sub-topics are planned:

1. On-Site use of by-product gases.
2. Utilisation of combustible waste materials.
3. Modern Applications for Regenerative Combustion with minimum environmental impact.

To develop these sub-topics we are in the process of inviting appropriate experts to define the status quo and propose technical information goals for the future.
The meeting will as usual include a joint buffet lunch with Poster and Exhibition Sessions – so remember, if you are an R&D organisation, you can propose posters demonstrating your own RD&D work – or if you are a service industry, you can present product information appropriate to meeting the overall objectives specified for this TOTeM.

We will of course continue the day with an extensive moderated discussion session leading to the development of an agreed set of conclusions.

In the evening we will hold a traditional Joint TOTeM Buffet Dinner where you can mix freely with your colleagues, renewing old acquaintances and making new ones.

The third sub-topic mentioned above leads naturally into TOTeM24:

TOTeM24
Challenges in the Development of High Efficiency Combustion.
Progress in the Excess Enthalpy Combustion Project
Date: 19th March 2003

Chairman: Dr Neil Fricker
University of Glamorgan

This TOTeM will be opened by a keynote presentation presenting a detailed background to recent research in this area followed by a series of presentations detailing the recent IFRF Research in this field and presenting up-to-date information on the status of the new IFRF Excess Enthalpy Combustion Research Facility, its technical objectives and proposed programmes, the design and commissioning results, along with the first “base case” research results.

The aim here is to update the IFRF Individual Members fully with information presented directly by those of the IFRF International Scientific and Engineering team who have designed, commissioned or operated the facility.

Within the discussion sessions we aim to get feedback from our Individual Members on the value of the proposed follow-up programmes.

But we need to go further than that. We wish to explore the extent that this facility can be used for as wide a range of industries as possible. Consequently our Deputy Superintendent, Professor Hartmut Spliethoff will be fully involved in the discussion sessions.

All of these results will be incorporated into the conclusions session from which we wish to derive clear guidelines from our Members on how:

• The new facility utilised to the maximum benefit of its sponsors which includes the IFRF;
• The High Efficiency Combustion Research programme should be developed;
• We can increase the interaction between our Members and the IFRF at IJmuiden;
• We can co-operatively develop the IFRF ONLINE Handbook to meet the objectives of this theme.

Conclusions
In the immediate future, we will publishing details of the programme and registration procedures – but you should already reserve these dates in your agenda/diary.

Editors Note:
* Originally TOTeM23 was described generically as “Combustion Trends in Iron, Steel and Non-Ferrous Metal Industries”. This title has been focussed to the one given above.