The Canadian Nuclear Society
has recognized two AECL employees for their outstanding contribution to the Canadian nuclear industry.
Ian Hastings, Reactor Development Operations Director, and Robert (Bob) Tapping, Director, Components and Systems, both with AECL’s Technology Business Unit, were each recently presented with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award during a ceremony at the Society’s 27th Annual Conference.
David Torgerson, AECL Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said the pair have significantly contributed to supporting and advancing CANDU technology and expertise, and to assuring customer confidence in CANDU technology.
"Ian and Bob have contributed significantly throughout their careers to AECL’s ongoing commitment to research and development excellence," David said. "We often speak of our continuing drive to have the best people working for AECL. Ian and Bob epitomize this goal."
Ian Hastings
From the time he joined AECL in 1968, Ian has been a key leader and major contributor to an extensive body of work relating to the basic properties and performance of CANDU fuel. This was accomplished by a combination of successful in-reactor testing and a sound understanding and application of scientific theory.
The body of work led by Ian is a large part of the foundation for understanding and modeling CANDU fuel performance used throughout the CANDU industry, and has contributed significantly to the international understanding of UO2 fuel performance.
Ian was also instrumental in the development of new and novel CANDU fuels. He was an original member of the CANFLEX fuel development team, designed and tested numerous other fuel types to improve fuel performance and reactor margins, and made significant contributions to the advancement of research reactor fuels. He also extended his expertise to fusion fuel studies as part of the Canadian contribution to fusion research.
Bob Tapping
Bob is an internationally recognized leader in water chemistry, metallurgy and component performance. A 27-year veteran of AECL, his multidisciplinary research is innovative, spanning all reactor systems and components, particularly heat exchangers, steam generators, fuel channels and feeders. A pioneer in the highly competitive research and development field of materials degradation, Bob has a unique ability to apply mechanistic understanding to chemistry and materials-degradation issues. He has been particularly effective in applying AECL’s knowledge to support reliable reactor operations.
Bob has also been instrumental in the development and implementation of the cutting-edge SMART reactor technology, which allows reactor engineers to anticipate and address issues proactively, resulting in improved capacity factors.
Bob was selected in 2004 by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to serve on an eight-member international panel to identify reactor components that could degrade in the future and provide input for developing proactive management programs.