Pgh Section Member Receive Prestigious ASME International Award

The Bernard F. Langer Nuclear Codes and Standards Award was established in 1977 to honor B.F. Langer, a man instrumental in the development of the rules for nuclear vessels. The award recognizes an individual or individuals who have contributed to the nuclear power plant industry through the development and promotion of ASME Nuclear Codes and Standards or the Nuclear Certification Program. Mr. Kenneth Balkey has been selected to receive this award for distinguished contribution, leadership and professionalism in advancing nuclear codes and standards worldwide, and for pioneering efforts in developing criteria for risk technologies in design, testing, and inspection or components in nuclear power plants and facilities.

Higher Education

University of Pittsburgh 1972, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

University of Pittsburgh 1980, M.S. Mechanical Engineering

Career

Kenneth Balkey is a Fellow Engineer at the Westinghouse Electric Company responsible for providing technology leadership in risk-informed initiatives – e.g., inservice inspection (ISI), inservice testing (IST), repair/replacement activities, and design. He actively interfaces with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Westinghouse Owners Group (WOG), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and other domestic and international nuclear stakeholder organizations, as required, to establish the use of risk-informed technology in nuclear power plant programs. He led ASME Research efforts for 15 years and worked with ASME Codes & Standards organizations resulting in the development of more than 10 ASME Code Cases for risk-informed ISI, IST and repair/replacement activities. He provided technical direction on first-of-a-kind pilot plant trial applications of technologies associated with these ASME Code Case initiatives in close collaboration with fellow Westinghouse, WOG, ASME and industry colleagues. He heavily interfaced with the NRC to obtain regulatory approval of this work.

Mr. Balkey is currently a member of the ASME Board of Nuclear Codes and Standards, severing as Liaison to the ASME Nuclear Engineering Division. He is providing technology leadership in helping to establish the use of risk-informed technology in all ASME Nuclear Codes & Standards and to coordinate this work with NRC initiatives to risk-inform the nuclear regulations. He is also a member of the ASME Joint Council Task Force of Risk Communication that is to promote risk analysis as a technically sound and socially responsible method to facilitate decision-making by industry, government and the general public.

He has published 80 technical papers primarily related to probabilistic and risk-informed evaluations of nuclear power plant systems and components that have gained the acknowledgement of nuclear industry representatives, regulatory authorities, and professional colleagues of Mr. Balkey as an authority on these initiatives. The publications provide a continuum of first-of-a-kind solutions to a wide range of risk-informed applications. Many of the applications either address technical concerns or provide the bases for the development of risk-informed programs that enhance safety while reducing unnecessary burden and cost.

Honors Received

1983 George Westinghouse Award for Outstanding Engineering Achievement for generic resolution of pressurized thermal shock issue with innovative probabilistic methods

1985 Westinghouse Engineering Achievement Award for innovative patent development on Reactor Vessel Integrity Monitoring System

1986 George Westinghouse Signature Award of Excellence for leadership of engineering groups associated with Point Beach reactor vessel life extension study.

1986 Westinghouse Marketing Award for sale of Point Beach reactor Vessel life extension study and formation of BWR Structural Reliability and Risk Assessment User’s Group.

1987 Westinghouse General Manager E-Award for Engineering Excellence for quality performance in successfully completing Pint Beach reactor vessel life extension study on time and within budget.

1988 Westinghouse Corporate Community Service Award for supporting Junior Achievement’s Project Business Program at Linton Junior High School and for coordinating fund-raising activities to support the needy through the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese’s Parish Share Program.

1988 George Westinghouse Signature Award of Excellence for timely technical leadership in addressing the NRC Genric Letter 88-11 requirements related to new reactor vessel-operating limits for Westinghouse plants.

1989 George Westinghouse Signature Award of Excellence for coordinating the development of state-of-art alternative fuel management and internals designs for reactor vessel flux reduction to maintain the life extension option of the Zion units.

1990 George Westinghouse Signature Award of Excellence for developing and advancing to many nuclear and non-nuclear utilities, petro-chemical, insurance, and government agencies the application of risk-based technologies for addressing complex structural integrity issues.

1992 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Dedicated Service Award for dedicated voluntary service to the Society marked by outstanding performance, demonstrated effective leadership, prolonged and committed service, devotion, enthusiasm, and faithfulness in chairing the ASME Research Task Force on Risk-Based Inspection Guidelines.

1994 George Westinghouse Signature Award of Excellence for Risk-Based Technologies Initiative to generate the visibility and acceptance of risk-based in-service inspection and testing technologies as integrated industry programs for enhancing safety while reducing costs.

1996 George Westinghouse Signature Award for Risk-Based ISI Technologies Development and Application for dedicated and innovative efforts in the development and first-of-a-kind application of risk-based inservice inspection (ISI) methods to total plant piping systems.

ASME Activities

Member – Joint Council Task Force on Risk Communication (2000-Present)

Member – Board of Nuclear Codes & Standards (BNCS) (2000-Present)

Chair – BNCS Risk Management Task Group (2002-Present)

Co-Lead – Track 10 Codes, Standards and Regulatory Developments for the International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (2000-Present)

Lead – Section XI Task Group on Risk-Informed Classifications & Requirements (2000-Present)

Member – Section III Special Working Group on Probabilistic Methods (2001-Present)

Chair – Research Committee on Risk Technology (1993-1999)

Chair – Research Task Force on Risk-Based Inservice Testing (1993-1996)

Chair – Research Task Force on Risk-Based Inspection Guidelines (1986-1998)

Member – Risk Analysis Task Force (1985-1991)

Co-Developer – ASME Short Courses “Risk-based Decision-Making for Power & Process Facilities” (1991) and “ASME Risk-based Inspection Guidelines” (1996)

Member – Ad Hoc Task Group on Reliability to Main Committee (1988-1990)

Member – Reliability Subcommittee to Pressure Vessel & Piping Division (1982-1986)

Member – ASME (1972-Present) actively supporting the Pressure Vessels & Piping, Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis, and Nuclear Engineering Technical Divisions in chairing and organizing technical paper sessions & invited panels and in delivering technical papers.

Secretary – ASME Mechanical Engineering Student Membership – University of Pittsburgh (1970-1972)

Other Activities

Serve as a reviewer for proposed technical articles for the International Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Design, published by Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2001-Present)

Mr. Balkey has been a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania since 1976.

Mr. Balkey and his wife Ruth Anne reside in Churchill Borough.