Abstract: The present invention relates to a vacuumable gel and the gel use to decontaminate surfaces, for example, radioactive decontamination. The gel is composed of a colloidal solution comprising: from 5 to 25 wt % of an inorganic viscosity modifier; from 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of a surfactant, preferably, a surfactant in an amount strictly below 0.1 wt %, wt % relative to the total weight of the gel; from 0.5 to 7 mol, per liter of gel, of an inorganic acid or base; and optionally from 0.05 to 1 mol, per liter of gel, of an oxidizer having a standard redox potential Eo greater than 1.4 V in a strong acid medium or of the reduced form of this oxidizer; the remainder being water. The gel may be applied, by spraying, to a surface to be decontaminated, and removed in the form of dry residues by suction or brushing after drying.

Abstract: Package assemblies and internal support structures for transport and storage of radioactive material generally include an internal support structure disposed within a container, the internal support structure being made from non-metallic materials. The package is designed to maintain the radioactive material in a subcritical configuration.

Abstract: A wall module is configured as a concrete prefabricated building element for building a structure and can be connected to further wall modules to form a structure and is configured to withstand improbable extreme loads. The wall module has a wall body with multiple edges, a plurality of reinforcement rods which all together form a regular reinforcement grid, and each extend parallel to the edges, and which are cast into the wall body. The reinforcement rods each penetrate the wall body substantially from edge to edge, and provided at their ends with connecting elements configured to establish a connection with complementary connecting elements of an immediately adjacent wall element. Each of the connecting elements is connected with clearance to the associated reinforcement rod such that it can be moved in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction on all sides by at least 2 mm.

Abstract: Method for producing a uranium concentrate in the form of solid particles, by precipitation from a uranium-containing solution using a precipitating agent, in a vertical reactor comprising a base, a top, a central part, an upper part, and a lower part, the solid particles of the uranium concentrate forming a fluidized bed under the action of a rising liquid current which circulates from the base towards the top of the reactor successively passing through the lower part, the central part and the upper part of the reactor, and which is created by introducing a liquid recycling current (flow) at the base of the reactor, said liquid recycling current being tapped at a first determined level (A) in the upper part of the reactor and sent back without settling to the base of the reactor, excess liquid being also evacuated via an overflow located at a second determined level (B) in the upper part of the reactor; a method in which the upper limit (C) of the fluidized bed of solid particles is controlled so that it is

Abstract: A method for producing a uranium oxide catalyst body includes the following steps: UO2+x powder, with x?0.7, having a purity of at least 50% is sintered in a first sintering process to obtain a UO2+y intermediate, where y?0.25. Then the UO2+y intermediate is oxidized with oxygen and converted in the process into a U3O8?z powder, with z?1. The U3O8?z powder is pressed to form a blank having a shape that corresponds with the catalyst body to be produced. The blank is sintered in a second sintering process at a temperature of at least 900° C. in an oxygen-containing sintering atmosphere.

Abstract: A photonic spectrometry device is provided. The photonic spectrometry device includes at least one sensor capable of detecting photons, at least one photon-emitting calibrating source having a reference spectral line, and processing means capable of providing, for the or each sensor, a measurement spectrum corresponding to the measurements, made by the or each sensor, of the radiation from a product during a time interval, and establishing, on the basis of the or each measurement spectrum, a net corrected spectrum according to a measured characteristic line corresponding to the or each calibrating source. The or each calibrating source is positioned outside the or each sensor.

Abstract: A photonic spectrometry device is provided. The photonic spectrometry device comprises several identical spectrometers each spectrometer comprising a radiation sensor and being capable of providing a measurement spectrum corresponding to the measurements of the sensor during a time interval, the spectrometers being capable of performing measurements simultaneously on one same radiation-emitting product and of providing measurement spectra for one same time interval, and a processor capable of determining a net spectrum from each of the measurement spectra provided by the spectrometers for one same time interval, and of determining a global spectrum resulting from the summation of the net spectra determined for one same time interval.

Abstract: Guide and retaining assembly for a press compensator comprising: a guide bushing (32) for the compensator (20) in its bore, said guide bushing being designed to be fitted around the compensator, a retaining nut (38) that that is configured to be screwed into the bore, the guide bushing (32) being located between a shoulder on the compensator and the retaining nut (38), and means (44) axially fixing the guide bushing (32) and the retaining nut (38) while maintaining an axial and transverse clearance between the guide bushing (32) and the retaining nut (38), said means (44) being such that the guide bushing (32) is free to rotate relative to the retaining nut (38).

Abstract: A method for monitoring the fill level of a liquid in a liquid container, in particular for monitoring the coolant fill level in a reactor pressure vessel of a pressurized water reactor system, wherein a determination is made about the drop in the liquid level below the installed height of a heated thermal element by way of the temperature difference measured between said heated thermal element and an unheated thermal element associated therewith, both of said elements being disposed in the liquid container, said method comprising the especially reliable triggering of an alarm with a short response time while maintaining a low level of physical and controls engineering complexity when the liquid level to be monitored falls below a critical value.

Abstract: The main subject-matter of the present invention is a process for the dissolution of at least one element chosen from niobium and tantalum and at least one other element chosen from uranium and the rare earth elements, advantageously for the dissolution of niobium, tantalum, uranium and rare earth elements, present in an ore or an ore concentrate. Said process comprises: the roasting of a material, comprising said elements, which material is mixed, dry or/in the presence of water, with an acid roasting agent in order to obtain a calcine; said material consisting of said ore or concentrate or having been obtained from said ore or said concentrate and said acid roasting agent providing for roasting in a sulphate medium; and the dissolution in an aqueous solution of the calcine obtained in order to obtain a slurry, the liquid fraction of which includes iron, in the ferric state, at a concentration of at least 50 g/l, advantageously of at least 70 g/l and very advantageously of at least 120 g/l.

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.

Abstract: A method for determining tube support plate blockage of a steam generator includes the following steps: measuring at least five different eddy current values per tube support intersection; calculating a nominal clean fit radius of flow hole; determining a center signal response; converting the center signal response to a deposit thickness; determine an edge reduction; converting the edge reduction to an edge thickness; calculating the resulting flow hole radius; verifying the reasonableness of the resulting flow hole radius; and determining a virtual calibration range.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sealing element fastening system for at least one sealing element of a pressure vessel, which has at least one opening and a sealing part, in particular a cover, provided for the opening. In the operating state of the pressure vessel each sealing element is at least partially inserted in an accommodating groove in the sealing part and corresponding sealing element fastening devices are positioned in each case in an indentation in the sealing part. The indentations are in each case sealed by a fill element in the operating state of the pressure vessel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of decontaminating an oxide layer-comprising surface of a component or a system of a nuclear facility, wherein the oxide layer is treated with gaseous nitrogen oxide (NOx) as oxidizing agent.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade pitch angle adjusting apparatus for adjusting the pitch angle of a blade of a wind turbine is provided. The apparatus includes an electric pitch motor able to output a maximum motor torque Tm and a pitch brake assembly able to generate a maximum brake assembly torque Tb. The pitch brake assembly includes a plurality of individual pitch brakes each able to generate a maximum individual brake torque Tsb, the maximum brake assembly torque Tb is the sum of all maximum individual brake torques Tsb, and the maximum motor torque Tm is higher than the maximum individual brake torque Tsb of any one of the pitch brakes.

Abstract: A method for treating a nitric aqueous liquid effluent containing nitrates of metals or metalloids, comprising a step for calcination of the effluent in order to convert the nitrates of metals or metalloids into oxides of said metals or metalloids, at least one compound selected from the nitrates of metals or metalloids and the other compounds of the effluent leading upon calcination to a tacky oxide, and a dilution adjuvant leading upon calcination to a non-tacky oxide being added to the effluent prior to the calcination step, a method wherein the dilution adjuvant comprises aluminium nitrate and at least one nitrate selected from iron nitrate and rare earth nitrates.

Abstract: A device for turning a container about a turning axis is provided. The device includes a stationary holding member and two bearing members which are spaced apart along the turning axis on each side of a space for receiving a container, and which are capable of being used for bearing on the container while enabling the rotation of the container about the turning axis relative to the bearing members. The device includes a movable holding member that is mounted onto the stationary holding member so as to rotate about the turning axis, at least one bearing member being supported by the movable holding member while being mounted onto the movable holding member so as to rotate about the drive axis, the or each bearing member supported by the movable holding member not rotating about the turning axis relative to the stationary holding member when the movable holding member rotates about the turning axis relative to the stationary holding member.

Abstract: A method for removing corrosion products from a system, the method including: adjusting the system temperature to between 115° F. to 212° F.; injecting a cleaning dissolution solvent into the system; injecting a gas into the system after the system is filled with the cleaning dissolution solvent; the gas mixing with the solvent in the system; draining the solvent from the system after a predetermined period of time of dissolution; injecting a passivation composition into the system; injecting a gas into the system, the gas mixing the passivation composition; draining the system of the composition after a predetermined period of time of passivation; rinsing the system with a low volume solution; and rinsing the system at with a full volume solution.

Abstract: A method for selecting a loading map for a nuclear reactor core including the following steps: a) providing production data relating to the nuclear fuel assemblies, b) providing neutron data which are representative of the operation of the core, c) calculating the three-dimensional distribution of the local power in the core, d) calculating the extreme value reached by at least one thermomechanical parameter within the nuclear fuel assemblies, and e) selecting, in accordance with the extreme values calculated, a loading map from the loading maps envisaged. A system, computer program and storage medium for selecting a loading map for a nuclear reactor.

Abstract: A method including placing around the shoulder of the lid a ring-shaped gasket formed by a metal strip maintained on the vertical wall of the shoulder by self-maintaining members firmly attached to the strip, placing the lid bearing the ring-shaped gasket above the vessel by positioning it at a determined height, carrying out a cleanliness inspection of the gasket plane, lowering and laying the lid on the vessel so that the end side edges of the strip will come into contact with a horizontal wall of the lid and of the vessel flange respectively and attaching this lid on the vessel.