Patents by Inventor Bruno Fournel

Bruno Fournel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8172955
    Abstract: Process for decontaminating, cleaning a solid organic substrate contaminated by solid radioactive particulate inorganic contaminants, in which: the said solid substrate is brought into contact with an extraction medium, devoid of water, comprising: dense pressurized CO2; at least one nonhalogenated surface-active compound chosen from block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) PEO and poly(propylene oxide) PPO, such as (EO)x-(PO)y diblock copolymers, (EO)x-(PO)y-(EO)x triblock copolymers and (PO)x-(EO)y-(PO)x, triblock copolymers, where x and y are integers from 2 to 80 with x other than y; and polydi(1 to 6C)alkylsiloxanes, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); and at least one complexing agent chosen from tributyl phosphate (TBP), crown ethers, tributylphosphine oxide, triphenylphosphine oxide and tri(n-octyl)phosphine oxide; the solid substrate and/or the extraction medium is/are subjected, simultaneously with the contacting operation, to a mechanical action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignees: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Areva NC
    Inventors: Bruno Fournel, Julien Galy, Frédéric Barth, Patrick Lacroix-Desmazes, Serge Lagerge, Sophie Dussolliet, Jérôme Blancher
  • Publication number: 20100143608
    Abstract: Method for preparing a substrate comprising a solid support and a plurality of layers on the support; at least one layer consisting of a uniform, homogeneous, and continuous film of particles of one or more metal oxide(s), or of uniformly, homogeneously, dispersed particles of one or more metal oxide(s), on the support or on an underlying layer; at least one layer consisting of a continuous or discontinuous film of one or more metal(s) or of one or more metal alloy(s), or of dispersed nanoparticles of one or more metal(s) or of one or more metal alloy(s), on the support or on an underlying layer; the method comprising the following steps: a)—impregnating the heated solid support or an already deposited underlying layer with a solution of precursors of the metal oxide or oxides in a supercritical fluid, and depositing a uniform, homogeneous, and continuous film of particles of one or more metal oxide(s), or of uniformly, homogeneously, dispersed particles of one or more metal oxide(s), on the support or on the
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Ruiz, Bruno Fournel, Stephanie Thollon, Sebastien Donet
  • Patent number: 7718010
    Abstract: The present invention related to a method for treating a surface with a gel, as well as to a treatment gel. The treatment may be a decontamination, etching or surface degreasing treatment, for example. The method comprises in this order, the following steps: applying the treatment gel on the surface to be treated, maintaining the treatment gel on the surface to be treated at a temperature and relative humidity such that the gel dries by breaking up and that it has the time to treat the surface before forming a dry and solid residue, and removing the dry and solid residue from the treated surface by suction or brushing. The gel comprises a viscosing agent, a treatment agent and optional an oxidizing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignees: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique, Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires
    Inventors: Sylvain Faure, Bruno Fournel, Paul Fuentes, Yvan Lallot
  • Patent number: 7713357
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treating a surface with a gel, as well as to a treatment gel. The treatment may be a decontamination, etching or surface degreasing treatment, for example. The method comprises in this order, the following steps: applying the treatment gel on the surface to be treated, maintaining the treatment gel on the surface to be treated at a temperature and relative humidity such that the gel dries by breaking up and that it has the time to treat the surface before forming a dry and solid residue, and removing the dry and solid residue from the treated surface by suction or brushing. The gel comprises a viscosing agent, a treatment agent and optionally an oxidizing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignees: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires
    Inventors: Sylvain Faure, Bruno Fournel, Paul Fuentes, Yvan Lallot
  • Patent number: 7662754
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition which makes it possible to obtain a gelled aqueous foam capable of decontaminating, stripping or degreasing a surface. The composition of the present invention comprises one or more surfactants, one or more acidic or basic reactants and a gelling agent. The decontamination foam obtained from this composition exhibits long lifetimes, generally of between 1 and 10 hours, guaranteeing a prolonged time of action on the surface and a high decontamination effectiveness. These foams can be used to remove the radioactivity from an inaccessible plant, which is large in size and complex in design, by simple filling or by simple spraying over an accessible surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Sylvain Faure, Bruno Fournel, Paul Fuentes
  • Publication number: 20090186153
    Abstract: A process for the “in situ” manufacture, in a pressurized CO2 medium, of coated particles. The manufacturing process is characterized in that the steps of synthesising the particles and of coating these particles are coupled in such a way that the synthesised particles remain dispersed in a pressurized CO2 medium at least until the coating. The device comprises a reactor for synthesising particles in a pressurized CO2 medium; a means of injecting the coating material or precursor thereof into said reactor; a means of supplying said reactor with a pressurized CO2 medium; in which the means of injecting the coating material or precursor thereof is coupled to the synthesis reactor in such a way that the injection of the coating material or precursor thereof into said reactor does not destroy the dispersion of the particles, in a pressurized CO2 medium, in said reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicants: Commissariat A L"energie Atomique, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Universite Montpellier 2
    Inventors: Audrey Hertz, Bruno Fournel, Christian Guizard, Anne Julbe, Jean-Christophe Ruiz, Stephane Sarrade
  • Publication number: 20090056742
    Abstract: Process for decontaminating, cleaning a solid organic substrate contaminated by solid radioactive particulate inorganic contaminants, in which: the said solid substrate is brought into contact with an extraction medium, devoid of water, comprising: dense pressurized CO2; at least one nonhalogenated surface-active compound chosen from block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) PEO and poly(propylene oxide) PPO, such as (EO)x-(PO)y diblock copolymers, (EO)x-(PO)y-(EO)x triblock copolymers and (PO)x-(EO)y-(PO), triblock copolymers, where x and y are integers from 2 to 80 with x other than y; and polydi(1 to 6C)alkylsiloxanes, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); and at least one complexing agent chosen from tributyl phosphate (TBP), crown ethers, tributylphosphine oxide, triphenylphosphine oxide and tri(n-octyl)phosphine oxide; the solid substrate and/or the extraction medium is/are subjected, simultaneously with the contacting operation, to a mechanical action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Bruno Fournel, Julien Galy, Frederic Barth, Patrick Lacroix-Desmazes, Serge Lagerge, Sophie Dussolliet, Jerome Blancher
  • Publication number: 20060211592
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition which makes it possible to obtain a gelled aqueous foam capable of decontaminating, stripping or degreasing a surface. The composition of the present invention comprises one or more surfactants, one or more acidic or basic reactants and a gelling agent. The decontamination foam obtained from this composition exhibits long lifetimes, generally of between 1 and 10 hours, guaranteeing a prolonged time of action on the surface and a high decontamination effectiveness. These foams can be used to remove the radioactivity from an inaccessible plant, which is large in size and complex in design, by simple filling or by simple spraying over an accessible surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2003
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Sylvain Faure, Bruno Fournel, Paul Fuentes
  • Publication number: 20060032518
    Abstract: The present invention related to a method for treating a surface with a gel, as well as to a treatment gel. The treatment may be a decontamination, etching or surface degreasing treatment, for example. The method comprises in this order, the following steps: applying the treatment gel on the surface to be treated, maintaining the treatment gel on the surface to be treated at a temperature and relative humidity such that the gel dries by breaking up and that it has the time to treat the surface before forming a dry and solid residue, and removing the dry and solid residue from the treated surface by suction or brushing. The gel comprises a viscosing agent, a treatment agent and optional an oxidizing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Sylvain Faure, Bruno Fournel, Paul Fuentes, Yvan Lallot
  • Patent number: 6932330
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a foam from a liquid phase and a gas phase, a method for placing a foam in circulation in an installation, and a method for cleaning an installation by placing a foam in circulation. Generation of the foam is made by aspiration of an appropriate liquid phase and an appropriate gas phase to generate a foam through a porous lining. The invention also relates to a system for generating a foam and to a system for generating and placing a foam in circulation in an installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Inventors: Bruno Fournel, Maria Faury, Jean-Marie Le Samedy
  • Patent number: 6905610
    Abstract: A method, a module, and a device for gas-liquid contacting. The liquid is sent, in the presence of the gas, in jet form in a first direction onto a wall inclined at an angle of 35-55 degrees with respect to the first direction, the wall dispersing the liquid jet into the gas. The module includes a structure (23, 25) for sending a liquid jet in a first direction, a structure (21) for creating a gas flow, and a wall (11) inclined at an angle of 35-55 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Turchet, Bruno Fournel, Xavier Frechou
  • Publication number: 20040175505
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treating a surface with a gel, as well as to a treatment gel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Sylvain Faure, Bruno Fournel, Paul Fuentes, Yvan Lallot
  • Publication number: 20040163671
    Abstract: The invention relates to a degreasing composition in liquid, gel or foam form for degreasing and/or decontaminating solid surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Bruno Fournel, Laetitia Vauclair
  • Publication number: 20040051188
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, a module, and a device for gas-liquid contacting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Turchet, Bruno Fournel, Xavier Frechou
  • Publication number: 20030150480
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a foam from a liquid phase and a gas phase, a method for placing a foam in circulation in an installation, and a method for cleaning an installation by placing a, foam in circulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Bruno Fournel, Maria Faury, Jean-Marie Le Samedy
  • Patent number: 6561200
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a foam from a liquid phase and a gas phase, a method for placing a foam in circulation in an installation, and a method for cleaning an installation by placing a foam in circulation. Generation of the foam is made by aspiration of an appropriate liquid phase and an appropriate gas phase to generate a foam through a porous lining. The invention also relates to a system for generating a foam and to a system for generating and placing a foam in circulation in an installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignees: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Compagnie Generale des Matieres
    Inventors: Bruno Fournel, Maria Faury, Jean-Marie Le Samedy
  • Patent number: 6475296
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a degreasing composition, to a liquid, to a gel and to a degreasing foam which comprise said composition. The composition according to the invention comprises a base, a polyethoxylated fatty alcohol, saturated or unsaturated, a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and water. The invention also relates to a degreasing and/or decontamination process of a surface using said composition, said liquid, said gel, and/or said degreasing foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignees: Electricite de France, Commissariat A l'Energie Atomique, Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Gauchon, Jacques Delagrange, Maria Faury, Bruno Fournel