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Show Most of the vision industries have made excellent progress in preparing technology roadmaps. Many of these roadmaps have identified combustion-related R & D needs, but the emphasis is generally on process-related needs specific to the individual industries. As a result, generic and cross-cutting combustion R & D needs are not being adequately addressed. The combustion community is addressing this situation by developing a separate vision and roadmap specifically for combustion technology. A P P R O A CH To develop the "Industrial Combustion Vision," manufacturers and users of burners, boilers, furnaces, and other process heating equipment -- the combustion "industry" -- gathered at a facilitated workshop in January 1998 to recognize the challenges and opportunities facing their industry. After evaluating current trends and projections, they reached consensus on the types of capabilities they will need in the year 2020. By setting strategic targets for the development and use of advanced technologies, they expect to enhance combustion's position as the preferred source of process energy through the next two decades. At the workshop, participants described the ideal burner, boiler, and heater/furnace that could be possible in the year 2020. From this exercise emerged a description of future combustion systems. T w o separate breakout sessions considered (1) boilers and burners and (2) furnaces/heaters and burners. The groups identified key drivers likely to impact these systems. The performance targets for combustion systems were then established with these key drivers in mind. (Driving forces and performance targets generated by both groups were remarkably similar.) Lastly, the groups identified the key challenges in meeting these performance targets. Workshop results were incorporated into a draft vision, which was then reviewed by all workshop participants. The draft was subsequently reviewed by an extended group consisting of additional users, key industry associations, additional manufacturers, and researchers (see Exhibit 2). The vision document was released in May 1998 and is now available on the Internet at <www.oit.doe.gov/combustion> Exhibit 2. Participation in the Combustion Vision and R o a d m ap Sector-specific users & industry associations / Selected users, key \ associations \ < >< \ v/£oreUscCLr Mfgrs (boilers, furnaces, burners), researchers^ The broader industrial combustion community / (the industry plus academia and other research organizations) is now collaborating on development of a detailed research agenda or "technology roadmap," which will specify the research steps necessary for achieving the goals identified in this Vision. At a facilitated workshop held in June 1998, participants analyzed the barriers to attaining the performance targets set by the Vision. Each group then established and categorized research and development needs. Top R & D needs were further analyzed to determine their energy efficiency Federal research programs, broad range of users and - . mfgrs - 4 |
