International Flame Research Foundation
The International Flame Research Foundation – IFRF is a non-profit research association and network created in 1948 in IJmuiden, established in Livorno between 2005 and 2016 , and in Sheffield since 2017. Meredith Thring was one of the founders.
The IFRF Membership Network unites some 1000 combustion researchers from 130 industrial companies and academic institutions worldwide, around a common interest in efficient and environmentally responsible industrial combustion, with a focus on flame studies.
History
The IFRF can be traced to a proposal written in 1948 by Meredith Thring, head of the Physics Department in the newly formed British Iron and Steel Research Association. Entitled Proposals for the Establishment of an International Research Project on Luminous Radiation, the document resulted in the formation of the International Flame Radiation Research Committee with representatives of the steel, fuel and appliance making industries in France, Holland and England - specifically the British Iron and Steel Research Association, the Iron and Steel Research Association of France and the Royal Dutch Iron and Steel Company.Publications
The IFRF is the publisher of technical reports and regular publications:- The since 1999, named IFRF Combustion Journal between Sept. 1999 and Aug. 2009,
- The - MNM - since 1999, in 1998 a few numbers of the were also published,
- The since 2001.
Events
The IFRF organises events to disseminate knowledge on combustion.Topic-Orientated Technical Meetings (TOTeM)
TOTeM are organized since 1989, once or twice a year:| TOTeM n° | Topic | Year | Location | Country |
| 47 | Additive manufacturing for combustion application | 2020 | Paris | France |
| 46 | Waste-to-energy – Status and perspective of technologies | 2019 | Pisa | Italy |
| 45 | Gas turbines for future energy systems | 2018 | Cardiff | UK |
| 30 | Computational Fluid Dynamics – Simulation of Combustion Processes | 2007 | Waikoloa | USA |
| 28 | Mercury, trace metals and fine particulates – Issues and Solutions | 2008 | Salt Lake City | USA |
| 25 | Quest for Zero Emission in Industrial Furnaces -State of the Art and Future Development of High Temperature Air Combustion | 2003 | Stockholm | Sweden |
| 12 | Application of Mathematical Modelling of full Scale Industrial Processes: Status and need for Sub-Models | 1999 | Guernsey | UK |
IFRF Conferences
IFRF Conferences are organized approximately every two or three years:| Conference | Year | N° | Location | Country |
| IFRF 2018 Conference "Clean, efficient and safe industrial combustion" | 2018 | 19 | Sheffield | UK |
| 18th IFRF Members Conference "Flexible and clean fuel conversion in industry" | 2015 | 18 | Freising | Germany |
| 17th IFRF Members Conference "Clean and efficient fuel conversion in industry" | 2012 | 17 | Maffliers | France |
| 16th IFRF Members Conference "Combustion and sustainability: new technologies, new fuels, new challenges" | 2009 | 16 | Boston | USA |
| 15th IFRF Members Conference "Combustion in an Efficient and Environmentally Acceptable Manner" | 2007 | 15 | Pisa | Italy |
| 14th IFRF Members Conference | 2004 | 14 | Noordwijkerhout | Netherlands |
| 13th IFRF Members Conference | 2001 | 13 | Noordwijkerhout | Netherlands |
| 12th IFRF Members Conference | 1998 | 12 | Noordwijkerhout | Netherlands |
| 11th IFRF Members Conference | 1995 | 11 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 10th IFRF Members Conference | 1992 | 10 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 9th IFRF Members Conference | 1989 | 9 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 8th IFRF Members Conference | 1986 | 8 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 7th IFRF Members Conference | 1983 | 7 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 6th IFRF Members Conference | 1980 | 6 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 5th IFRF Members Conference | 1978 | 5 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 4th IFRF Members Conference | 1976 | 4 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 3rd IFRF Members Conference | 1973 | 3 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 2nd IFRF Members Conference | 1971 | 2 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
| 1st IFRF Members Conference | 1969 | 1 | IJmuiden | Netherlands |
Structure
The IFRF is organised in 9 national committee plus the Associate Member Group where no national committee exists.Committees
- American Flame Research Committee - AFRC
- British Flame Research Committee - BFRC
- Chinese Flame Research Committee - CFRC
- Finnish Flame Research Committee - FFRC
- French Flame - CF
- German Flame - DVV
- Italian Flame - CI
- Dutch Flame - NVV
- Swedish Flame Research Committee - SFRC
Governance
Locations
From 1948 to 2005 the IFRF facilities were located in the CORUS R&D centre at IJmuiden.In 2005, the research station was relocated at ENEL facilities in Livorno, the measurement programme was restarted November 27, 2006.
In 2015 a relocation of the IFRF headquarters process was initiated. Leading to the designation of University of Sheffield and its laboratory as the new IFRF location from 2017.