Patents Assigned to AREVA
  • Publication number: 20160329589
    Abstract: A large-capacity electrical energy storage device is provided. The electrical energy storage device includes a plurality of electrolytic cells and a four-quadrant electrical charger/inverter. Each electrolytic cell also includes a device for recycling gaseous hydrogen given off in the cathode compartment toward the anode compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventor: Gilbert CAZENOBE
  • Publication number: 20150340106
    Abstract: A system for the in-line characterisation of corrosion products in a cooling system of a nuclear reactor, the characterisation system having a tube connected to the cooling system of the reactor in which the coolant circulates, the system including at least two filters in series, the downstream filter having a smaller pore size than the filter located upstream, the filters being suitable for the coolant to pass therethrough; and differential pressure sensors combined with each of the filters making it possible to determine in-line the obstruction rate of each of the filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventor: Karsten NOWOTKA
  • Patent number: 9087317
    Abstract: A nuclear power station component is provided. The nuclear power station includes a metal structure having an external surface; at least one marking placed on the external surface and encoding information related to the component. The marking includes a plurality of luminescent nanoparticles, each provided to emit optical radiation having a certain emission wavelength when said luminescent nanoparticle is excited with optical radiation having a certain emission wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: AREVA
    Inventor: Mehdi Moussavi
  • Patent number: 9000055
    Abstract: A method for producing synthetic hydrocarbons from at least one carbonaceous material is provided. The method includes evaluating the resources of the carbonaceous material available on a determined territory; determining from the resources a total production capacity of synthetic hydrocarbons; determining from the total production capacity, a number of elementary production units required for obtaining the total production capacity, each elementary production unit having an elementary production capacity between a 100 and a 1,000 barrels a day of synthetic hydrocarbons; building the number of elementary production units on the territory; transporting the carbonaceous material from the territory as far as the elementary production units; producing the synthetic hydrocarbons in the elementary production units from the transported carbonaceous material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Areva
    Inventor: Michel Lecomte
  • Patent number: 8968434
    Abstract: An assembly for producing at least one synthetic hydrocarbon from at least one inflowing stream of carbon monoxide and one inflowing stream of carbon dioxide is provided. The assembly includes an electrolyzer provided for producing a first stream of hydrogen, a first conversion unit provided for producing an intermediate stream of carbon monoxide from at least one portion of the inflowing stream of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, a reactor for synthesizing said synthetic hydrocarbon; a second conversion unit provided for producing a second stream of hydrogen from carbon monoxide and water, the second hydrogen stream being directed towards the synthesis reactor; a guide assembly provided for selectively distributing the inflowing stream of carbon monoxide between the second conversion unit and the synthesis reactor, and for selectively distributing the first hydrogen stream between the first conversion unit and the synthesis reactor; a control unit provided for controlling the guide assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: AREVA
    Inventor: Michel Lecomte
  • Patent number: 8956770
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for optimizing the conductivity provided by the displacement of H+ protons and/or OH? ions in a conductive membrane made of a material permitting the insertion of steam into said membrane, wherein said method comprises the step of inserting under pressure gaseous flow containing the steam into said membrane in order to force said steam into said membrane under a certain partial pressure so as to obtained the desired conductivity at a given temperature, said partial pressure being higher than or equal to 1 bar, a drop in the operational temperature being compensated by an increase in said partial pressure in order to obtain the same desired conductivity. The invention can be used in particularly interesting applications in the fields of high-temperature water electrolysis for producing hydrogen, of the manufacture of fuel cells using hydrogen fuel, and of hydrogen separation and purification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignees: Areva, Societe des Ceramiques Techniques, Armines, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Béatrice Sala, Olivier Lacroix, Stéphanie Willemin, Kamal Rahmouni, Hisasi Takenouti, Arie Van Der Lee, Philippe Colomban, Patrice Goeuriot, Baroudi Benjeriou-Sedjerari
  • Publication number: 20140227626
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a proton-conductive electrochemical cell (10), comprising an electrolytic membrane (13) made of a ceramic and an electrode (11, 12) made of a cermet, said electrochemical cell (10) being obtained directly by a method of co-sintering a ceramic layer, capable of forming the electrolytic membrane (13), and a cermet layer, capable of forming the electrode (11, 12), in a sintering tool at a sintering temperature of the ceramic that makes it possible to render said ceramic layer, capable of forming the electrolyte (13), gas-tight, wherein said cell (10) is characterised in that said cermet consists of the mixture of a ceramic and an electronically conductive passivatable alloy including at least 40 mol % chromium capable of forming a passive layer, the nature and the chromium content of said passivatable alloy enabling said electrochemical cell to be co-sintered with a membrane densification of more than 90% without melting said alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicants: AREVA, ARMINES, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.)
    Inventors: Béatrice Sala, Frédéric Grasset, Elodie Tetard, Kamal Rahmouni, Dominique Goeuriot, Baroudi Bendjeriou, Hisasi Takenouti
  • Publication number: 20140079172
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor is provided that includes a core with nuclear fuel assemblies; a circuit for cooling the core in which circulates a fluid coolant; and a device provided for injecting nanoparticles into the fluid coolant. The nanoparticles include first nanoparticles of a first type having a first form factor of less than two, and second nanoparticles of a second type different from the first type having a second form factor greater than two, the nanoparticles comprising between 10% and 90% by weight of the first nanoparticles and between 90% and 10% by weight of the second nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventors: Mehdi Moussavi, Mickael Guillodo, Marylise Caron-Charles
  • Publication number: 20130345325
    Abstract: A method for producing methanol or hydrocarbons is provided. The production method comprises producing a synthesis gas from carbonaceous material, according to a method comprising at least one reforming step, the synthesis gas having a first hydrogen/carbon monoxide molar ratio under the first operating conditions for the reforming operation; producing a stream of hydrogen from a hydrogenated raw material and from a first consumed electric power, the hydrogen stream having a first molar flow rate for said first consumed electric power; and lowering the consumed electric power for producing the hydrogen stream, down to a second electric power below the first electric power and transitioning to second operating conditions different from the first for the reforming operation in order to compensate for the lowering of the molar flow rate of the hydrogen flow, the synthesis gas having a second hydrogen/carbon monoxide molar ratio greater than the first under the second operating conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventors: Michel Lecomte, Alejandro Carlos Mourgues Codern
  • Publication number: 20130270340
    Abstract: A nuclear power station component is provided. The nuclear power station includes a metal structure having an external surface; at least one marking placed on the external surface and encoding information related to the component. The marking includes a plurality of luminescent nanoparticles, each provided to emit optical radiation having a certain emission wavelength when said luminescent nanoparticle is excited with optical radiation having a certain emission wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventor: Mehdi Moussavi
  • Publication number: 20120247566
    Abstract: A tubular pipe (10) for transporting liquid sodium is suitable for inhibiting any leaks of sodium outside the pipe. The pipe includes a pipe body (20) covered on the inside with an inner layer which includes: a first continuous layer (40) made of ceramic or a metal or metal alloy, for being placed in contact with the liquid sodium carried by the tubular pipe; and between the pipe body and the first ceramic layer, an intermediate layer (50) made of a reactive material which, when the layer contacts the liquid sodium, the layer turns into a modified material which has separate electric conductivity from that of the reactive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventors: Mehdi Moussavi, Annalisa Ambroso
  • Publication number: 20120174582
    Abstract: A collector is provided including at least one photovoltaic cell for converting solar energy into electric energy, and at least one heat sink for converting solar energy into heat energy by heating a fluid, arranged so as to receive solar energy through the photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell includes a plurality of vertically adjacent semiconductor junctions having different forbidden energy bands, each semiconductor junction having a forbidden energy band of greater than or equal to 1.2 eV, in particular greater than or equal to 1.4 eV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventor: Mehdi Moussavi
  • Publication number: 20120172460
    Abstract: A method for producing synthetic hydrocarbons from at least one carbonaceous material is provided. The method includes evaluating the resources of the carbonaceous material available on a determined territory; determining from the resources a total production capacity of synthetic hydrocarbons; determining from the total production capacity, a number of elementary production units required for obtaining the total production capacity, each elementary production unit having an elementary production capacity between a 100 and a 1,000 barrels a day of synthetic hydrocarbons; building the number of elementary production units on the territory; transporting the carbonaceous material from the territory as far as the elementary production units; producing the synthetic hydrocarbons in the elementary production units from the transported carbonaceous material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Areva
    Inventor: Michel Lecomte
  • Publication number: 20120123000
    Abstract: An assembly for producing at least one synthetic hydrocarbon from at least one inflowing stream of carbon monoxide and one inflowing stream of carbon dioxide is provided. The assembly includes an electrolyzer provided for producing a first stream of hydrogen, a first conversion unit provided for producing an intermediate stream of carbon monoxide from at least one portion of the inflowing stream of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, a reactor for synthesizing said synthetic hydrocarbon; a second conversion unit provided for producing a second stream of hydrogen from carbon monoxide and water, the second hydrogen stream being directed towards the synthesis reactor; a guide assembly provided for selectively distributing the inflowing stream of carbon monoxide between the second conversion unit and the synthesis reactor, and for selectively distributing the first hydrogen stream between the first conversion unit and the synthesis reactor; a control unit provided for controlling the guide assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: AREVA
    Inventor: Michel Lecompte