2002 IEEE Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC)

 

Sponsored by the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS), the 37th Annual IEEE Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC 2002) is being held in Washington, DC. The dates are July 28 through August 1, 2002, and the location is the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this unique, interdisciplinary energy forum where interactive presentations and discussions span the gamut of energy technology, systems, environmental issues, and policy.

The decade of the nineties was a period when energy issues were relegated to a relatively low profile status, but recent international events have sounded a warning that this attitude cannot continue. The program for IECEC 2002 is a call to action in the energy field, and through plenary sessions, panels, and contributed papers will give attendees a broad and up-to-date exposure to energy issues, as well as reporting the latest developments in energy technology and systems.

This broad scope results from the technical co-sponsorship with IEEE-EDS by five leading societies: The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE); the American Nuclear Society (ANS); the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE); the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The international aspects are well represented through overseas coordinators, and by the Japan Engineering Society as a Cooperating Society.

Each year the IECEC has chosen a subtitle to establish a theme; this year the tradition is continued with Powering the World and Beyond. This was selected in recognition of the power needs of both terrestrial and aerospace systems, the energy resources available to realize them, and the environmental consequences of their realization. The basic premise on which the IECEC series was founded nearly forty years ago was then, and remains even more applicable today, that the physical, chemical, and engineering principles on which power systems are based are not the prerogative of any single society. The IECEC śFounding Fathers” set out to create a truly interdisciplinary forum to present and discuss all aspects of energy conversion advanced power systems and technology, and related policy and environmental issues.

The IECEC 2002 technical program extends over the four days commencing Monday July 29th and will comprise three major elements. The first is a series of three stand-alone Plenary Sessions, one each day beginning July 29th. The topics will be: The Impact of 9-11 on Energy Availability and Utilization; The Electric Utility Industry in Technical and Structural Transition; and Whither Aerospace Power in the 21st Century?

The second element, panels on current high visibility topics is, as is to expected, still in the formative process. Tentative examples include: Can Truly Clean Combustion be achieved?; Realizing Power Generation from Nuclear Fission; Looking Back - It Seemed to be a Good Idea at the Time! and The Hydrogen Economy and Fuel Cells.

A wide-ranging list of approximately 50 sessions of contributed papers will complete the program. They will be arranged in sequences drawn from the following topical areas:

  • Aerospace Power:
    Overall Systems and Performance; Power Systems; Arrays; Storage; Technology; Analysis and Simulation; Terrestrial Applications;
  • Thermal Management Conversion Technologies:
    Combustion, Thermodynamic Converters; Fuel Cells; Photovoltaics; Wave and Tidal Power, CFD Analysis
  • Systems and Renewable Sources:
    Primary Systems; Biomass; Electrical Generation, Transmission and Distribution; Simulation and Modeling
  • Environmental and Policy Impacts:
    Electric Vehicles; Energy Efficiency and the Environment; Deregulation; Developing Countries; Public Policy.

Space does not permit a full listing of the specific session topics. Visit the Conference website www.iecec2002.com and click on Program to get full details which will be updated until IECEC 2002 opens. The conference proceedings, given on a CD to all registrants, will contain all papers (except as stated below).

For authors who would like to contribute papers, please refer to the instructions on the web site. Although the official deadline has passed, late abstracts will be evaluated and, if acceptable, may be presented provided that the final manuscript is received by June 1 for inclusion in the proceedings or multiple copies are brought to the conference.

The highlight of the Conference will be the Keynote Address by a prominent player in the energy world. Again, visit the website to learn who has accepted this role and the speakerĂs topic. Associated with IECEC 2002 will be a Workshop on Aerospace Power organized by AIAA and held on Saturday, July 27th. The website has full information, including the registration procedure. The social program will open with a reception on Sunday, July 28th, and will organize or arrange visits to the many cultural and tourist attractions in the Washington, DC area. The Omni Shoreham Hotel overlooks Rock Creek Park (a secluded river in downtown Washington), and has excellent facilities for relaxation and recreation. The Woodley Park “ Zoo Metro station is immediately adjacent, so that travel connections to all three area airports, as well as metropolitan Washington, are easy and convenient, as described on the website. The website has online Conference Registration and the full Omni Shoreham Hotel reservation procedure.

As a major center of energy activities and the site of past IECECs, Washington, DC needs no introduction as a great venue for the IECEC. All concerned with putting together the 37th IECEC look forward to welcoming you on July 28th to this unique annual energy event. For any assistance that you may need to make this happen, please feel free to contact the Conference Manager, Ms Eleanor B. Dicks, at iecec2002ebdicks@aol.com.

William D. Jackson
General Chair
HMJ Corporation
Kensington, MD, USA

Edward S. Pierson
Program Chair
Purdue University
Hammond, IN, USA