For one, there will be a panel discussion on day one of the conference. This day is Applications Day and can be booked separately.
The panel discussion will deal with “The Quality of Water Mist Systems” and will again be headed by IWMA board member Luciano Nigro. Luciano was in charge of the panel discussion during the 14th International Water Mist Conference which took place in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2014. The topic then was: “The Future of Water Mist – Where lay the Boundaries? Are there any?” This discussion was important and had an impact as it was the basis for a new self-concept and an increased self-confidence of the water mist community.
Luciano Nigro heading the panel discussion in 2014 (on the panel were: Alan Brinson, Stefan Kratzmeir, Alex Palle, Erling Mengshoel, Marco Pesaola)
In 2016, IWMA wants to go one step further. Luciano says: “We will talk about the quality of water mist systems in terms of them suppressing or extinguishing the fires they have been installed for.” Further points of discussion will be – amongst others – what specific hazards can indeed be protected by water mist systems, the competence of fire protection consultants and the role of insurers.
For this panel discussion IWMA will invite various experts who can add to the discussion from different viewpoints. The audience may of course partake.
Another highlight is the presentation by Dr. Angel Abbud-Madrid from the Colorado School of Mines, USA. Angel will speak about the water mist fire-extinguishers for space applications which were developed by his team from the Center for Space Resources in cooperation with ADA technologies. When this news was on the IWMA webpage in early 2016, not all fire-extinguishers had been delivered. In Vienna, Angel will update the audience on the latest developments and explain why water mist was the choice for this specific application.
One more highlight will be the "Update on the European Standardization Work". Dr. Joachim Böke of MinimaxViking will be present in Vienna to talk about the latest developments and to possible dare a forecast.
One very special highlight will be the presentation of the “IWMA Young Talent of the Year”. The winner in 2016 is Daniel Martin. Daniel will be given the award as recognition for his master thesis which is entitled: “The Use of a Water Mist Curtain as a Radiation Shield”.
Bert Yu, chairman of the IWMA scientific council, will introduce Daniel, hand over the prize on day two of the conference and constitute the council’s decision. Daniel will afterwards present his thesis to the audience in Vienna.
The “Young Talent of the Year Award” consists of:
- a prize money of 1,000 Euros
- an invitation to the International Water Mist Conference
- a slot to present the master thesis
- the coverage of travel and accommodation costs and
- one year free IWMA membership
In 2017 the “IWMA Young Talent Award” will go to the best Ph.D. thesis. Those wishing to participate should hand in a summary of their thesis by the end of April 2017. The IWMA scientific council will decide if the prize will be awarded at all and if so who will receive it.