Carrier of Mr. Ryouiti Tanaka
Awards:
February 1997,
Award given by Japan Institute of Energy.
Contribution for Development of High Temperature Air Combustion
Technology.
December 1995,
Social Achievement Award given by
Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers.
November 1993,
Contribution Award received from Combustion Society of Japan.
April 1986,
Blue Ribbon Award given by
Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Social Assignment (Public sector):
March 1994October 1997,
March 1978March 1994,
April 1992October 1997,
Vice Chairman of International Flame Research Foundation.
(The Netherlands)
Executive Director of International Flame Research Foundation.
(The Netherlands)
Executive Director of The Materials Process Technologies Center.
May 1992October 1997,
July 1991October 1997,
Chairman of The Japan Industrial Furnace Manufactures Association.
Managing Director of The Japan Industrial Furnace Manufactures
Pension Foundation.
March 1978October 1997,
Executive Director of Japan Energy Conservation Center
April 1977October 1997,
Chairman of Japan Flame Research Committee.
Government Committee:
September 1992November 1993, Commissioner of Gas Safety Reinforce Study Group.
October 1978June 1986,
July 1975March 1977,
August 1973August 1978,
July 1973June 1975,
June 1971May 1978,
Specialist Member of Council for Aircraft and Machinery,
Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Commissioner of Combustion Efficiency Technology Goal
Set-up Committee, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy
Commissioner of Energy Diversification Study Committee
Agency of Natural Resources and Energy
Commissioner of Combustion Efficiency Technology Goal
Set-up Committee, Agency of Science and Technology.
Specialist Member of Council for Electronics and Machinery,
Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Company Position:
April 1950October 1997,
January 1967October 1997,
May 1980October 1997,
October 1996October 1997,
August 1997October 1997,
President of Nippon Furnace Kogyo Kaisha, Ltd. (NFK)
Director of Ihara Furnace Kogyo, Ltd.
(Glass Melting Furnace Manufacturer)
President of Nippon Furnace Manufacturing Ltd.
President of TERRA Corporation.
(Joint Venture Company between NFK and Toyota Motor)
President of Eco-Flame Corporation.
(Joint Venture Company between NFK and NKK Corp.,)
Achievement:
IFRF
In 1977, Mr. Tanaka established Japan Flame Research Committee (JFRC) as a branch
organization of International Flame Research Foundation (IFRF), the headquarters of which
is located in the Netherlands. He had a vision to promote international exchange of
combustion technology through JFRC. He was elected as the chairman of JFRC in 1977 and
he was elected as one of executive directors of IFRF in 1978. In 1992, he was nominated as
vice-chairman of IFRF and thus he had been taking strong leadership in management and
technology policy not only domestically but also internationally.
Other International Activities
Mr. Tanaka visited US DOE in March 1995 and made presentation of the High Performance
Industrial Furnace Development Project and expressed the key points of the technology such
as the energy saving capability, low NOx emission and smaller size facilities. He also
attended IEA Annex Committee in August 1996 where he presented the technology.
He also made lectures at First Asia Pacific Combustion Convention and then at Japanese
Flame Day ’97 held in Osaka in May 1997. He had appealed for this unique technology
originated in Japan to the world for the sake of improving global environment.
JIFMA
For 40 years since Mr. Tanaka has engaged in the industrial furnace field, he noticed there
had been no event for introducing the industrial furnaces to the public people despite those
play very important role in the production process of major industries.
In April 1993, Mr.Tanaka as the chairman of JIFMA decided to hold First International
Industrial Furnace Exhibition THERMTEC ’93 in Tokyo. 164 firms participated in the
exhibition even from foreign countries U.S. and Germany. The number of visitors to the
exhibition was as many as approx. 20,000 and 19 papers were presented at the symposium
held during the exhibition.
In September 1997, Second exhibition THERTEC ’97 was held in Tokyo. The operation of
the exhibition was conducted very efficiently according the experience of the first exhibition.
Mr. Tanaka himself made a special opening lecture having approx. 160 audiences despite of
his bad health condition after serious surgical operation. He welcomed Dr. Habig, Managing
Director of VDMA (German Machinery and Plant Association) and the member firms of
VDMA from Germany. He emphasized the advantages and future growing potential of High
Temperature Air Combustion technology which had been developed in Japan during the
exhibition.
Specific achievement of High Performance Industrial Furnace Development Project
Among a number of achievements, it is the outstandingly excellent one “High Performance
Industrial Furnace Development Project”. The project started since FY1993 on basis of his
genius ideas from basic concept, general picture, and program policy, executing
organizations and evaluation system concerning the project.
Along with the progress of the project, some new facts have been revealed such as
originality, usefulness, generality and potentiality of the technology. As a result of
cooperative efforts by industry, government and academic sectors, the project period was
expedited by one year and it has completed in FY1998. (R&D of tubular heater will complete
in FY1999).
In 1997, he was hospitalized for surgical operation of one of lungs because of cancer
suspicion. From the hospital where he stayed, he got out carrying an oxygen breeder device
and visited the government office for convincing the necessity of proving the new technology
on the conventional furnaces in the field. The Japanese government has budgeted approx.4
billion yen for carrying out the Field Test Demonstration Project.
He passed away in October 1997 by bearing in his mind the special budget prepared by the
government; thus he had devoted whole of his life for improvement of industrial furnace
technologies until the last moment he spelt forever.