Patents Assigned to AREVA
  • Patent number: 8466833
    Abstract: A monitoring system for an inner area of a machine includes a radar source radiating or injecting radar radiation into the inner area and a radar receiver receiving radar radiation reflected in the inner area and emitting the reflected radar radiation as a received signal. A control and evaluation unit determines an actual signature from the received signal and compares the actual signature to a stored nominal signature representing a fault-free machine. An output unit outputs a fault error signal when a discrepancy between the actual signature and the nominal signature exceeds a tolerance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Areva GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Kluczewski
  • Publication number: 20130145594
    Abstract: A device of repairing a damaged area in an underwater wall region of a container or tank, in particular in the wall region of a tank of a nuclear reactor installation. The device has a guide system that can be mounted along a side wall, at a distance therefrom, and can be secured thereto. At least one first carriage is fitted onto the track of the guide system and movable in a longitudinal direction of the guide system. On the carriage there is displaceably mounted a receptacle for a repair overlay, which can be applied with an adhesive surface to the wall region containing the damaged area. At least one suction mount that is connected to a suction line is disposed on the first carriage and can be suctioned to the side wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA NP GMBH
    Inventors: GEORG KRÄMER, KONRAD MEIER-HYNEK, LOTHAR NEHR
  • Patent number: 8462476
    Abstract: A method and a differential protection apparatus for an electrical link in a medium, high or very high voltage power distribution network. This method, in which two differential protection devices are disposed at the two ends (A, B) of said link, includes a step during which a comparison is made between the current measured locally and the current measured remotely, after said devices have been resynchronized by phase shifting the data received from the end situated remotely by one half of the sum of the outward and return propagation times; and a second step during which, if an angular phase difference is found to exist between two currents after resynchronization, automatic compensation is effected by servocontrolling the angle of the current vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Areva T&D Protection & Controle
    Inventor: Jean Marmonier
  • Patent number: 8463588
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for modelizing a nuclear reactor core, includes the steps of: partitioning the core in cubes to constitute nodes of a grid for computer implemented calculation, calculating neutron flux by using an iterative solving procedure of at least one eigensystem, the components of an iterant of the eigensystem corresponding either to a neutron flux, to a neutron outcurrent or to a neutron incurrent, for a respective cube to be calculated. The eigensystem iterative solving procedure includes a substep of conditioning the eigensystem into a spare eigensystem wherein the components of an iterant of the spare eigensystem correspond only either to neutron incurrents coming into the cubes or to neutron outcurrents coming from the cubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventor: Rene Van Geemert
  • Patent number: 8453514
    Abstract: A method and a device measure for a deformation of a fuel element of a pressurized water reactor having a plurality of control rod guide tubes. A probe displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the control rod guide tube is inserted in the interior of at least one control rod guide tube having at least one reference axis, and supported in at least one section of the control rod guide tube on the interior wall thereof, such that the orientation of the at least one reference axis is unambiguously a function of the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the control rod guide tube in the section. The orientation of the at least one reference axis in the section of the control rod guide tube is determined relative to the orientation of the or a further reference axis of the probe in a different section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Areva GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hummel
  • Publication number: 20130130602
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for the insertion, guidance and evacuation of cylindrical parts to be ground in a centreless grinder (10). According to the invention, micrometric means (4, 40, 41) for adjustment of the alignment of the guides at the entry (3) to and the exit (5) from the guide chute (2) are provided and these micrometric adjustment means are independent from each other. The invention enables very precise adjustment of the alignment and prevents any shift of the parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA NC
    Inventors: Serge Fantini, Herve Medina
  • Patent number: 8445839
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for calibrating a first self-powered neutron detector for long term use in a nuclear reactor core with a second self-powered neutron detector, where the emitter material of the second self-powered neutron detector has a neutron absorption cross-section that is greater than the neutron absorption cross-section of the first emitter material for the first self-powered neutron detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP Inc.
    Inventors: Veldon D. Holaday, Richard C. Deveney, Alexander Y. Cheng, John Wesley Davis, Wesley D. Stults
  • Publication number: 20130122789
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for dressing a grinding wheel, comprising a sleeve to hold a corundum rod laterally and to guide it along its longitudinal axis, a ram to apply constant thrust force onto the corundum rod held in place and guided in the sleeve, to bring it into contact with the grinding wheel, means of rigidly connecting the ram shaft to the end of the corundum rod, and linear guide means for the sleeve for translating the corundum rod parallel to the axis of the grinding wheel while keeping the rod pressed against the grinding wheel with a constant force. Application to a centreless grinder in which the grinding wheel is used to grind nuclear fuel pellets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA NC
    Inventors: José Bened, Hervé Medina
  • Publication number: 20130108002
    Abstract: A shut-off device for a nuclear reactor component duct is provided that includes a plurality of elastic sealing rings, each radially expandable with respect to a common longitudinal axis between a retracted position at a distance from a wall of the duct and an expanded position for leaktight contact with the wall of the duct; a device provided for selectively moving the sealing rings between their retracted positions and their expanded positions; at least one member for locking in position the shut-off device in the duct to be shut off, distinct from the sealing rings, radially expandable with respect to the central axis between a retracted position in which the locking member is moved away from the wall of the duct and a locking position in which the locking member bears against the wall of the duct; a device provided for selectively moving the locking member between its retracted position and its locking position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Gilles Kapala, Walter-John Chitty, Jean Philippe Vernot
  • Patent number: 8426769
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of displaying and monitoring the profile of a weld bead (4), in which, placed inside the groove, there is an assembly (10) comprising, facing one another, an image acquisition means (11), a light source (12), the beam of which is directed towards said image acquisition means, and, between the image acquisition means and the light source, a mask (13); the optical axis of the image acquisition means (11) is oriented so as to be approximately parallel to the sidewalls (5, 6) of the groove (3); a light beam produced by the light source (12) is directed towards the mask (13) and the image acquisition means (11); a central shadow zone and a peripheral halo are formed by means of the light beam and the mask (13), said halo illuminating, approximately perpendicularly, the weld bead (4) and the sidewalls (5, 6); the profile of the weld bead (4) and the sidewalls (5, 6) are displayed on a display/monitoring means; and said assembly (10) is moved inside the groove (3) longitudinally and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Ferlay, Jean-Mathieu Mestre-Bresson
  • Publication number: 20130087242
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a bi-material sleeve is provided. The sleeve includes an annular outer sleeve and an annular inner sleeve bonded to each other. The bottom pouring of the outer sleeve is carried out in a casting space delimited by a wall of a first ingot mold and by an outer upwardly moveable wall of a second ingot mold concentric with the first. The moveable wall of the second ingot mold is raised so as to uncover the skin of the outer sleeve which has solidified thereagainst. The bottom pouring and the solidification of the inner sleeve are carried out in a casting space delimited by said skin and an inner stationary wall of said second ingot mold, the bonding of both sleeves being effected by diffusion between said sleeves. Forging and/or machining of one of said bonded sleeves are optionally carried out. A device for using this method and a sleeve produced by this method are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA CRUESOT FORGE
    Inventor: Frederic Perdriset
  • Publication number: 20130089173
    Abstract: A securing device for a control rod in a nuclear facility contains a control rod drive and a drive housing enclosing the control rod drive and configured to pass through a reactor pressure wall. The securing device further has a reactor pressure wall connection piece arranged inwardly of the reactor pressure wall and connected to the reactor pressure wall. A device of this type is to be producible as cost-effectively as possible, is to perform its intended tasks reliably and is to be maintenance-free during operation. Accordingly, a number of connection elements are provided for this purpose between the reactor pressure wall connection piece and the drive housing. A respective connection element forms a form-locking connection to the drive housing and a form-locking connection to the reactor pressure wall connection piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA NP GMBH
    Inventor: AREVA NP GMBH
  • Patent number: 8416912
    Abstract: The nuclear fuel assembly means a group of nuclear fuel rods disposed in a substantially regular array together with a support skeleton (5), the assembly having: two nozzles; guide tubes interconnecting the nozzles; and spacer grids secured to the guide tubes for holding the rods. The assembly includes at least one support skeleton reinforcing device disposed between two successive spacer grids and secured to guide tubes. The reinforcing device is disposed inside the group of rods and presents a transverse extent that is smaller than the transverse extent of the array of nuclear fuel rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventors: Guy Gentet, Angelo Beati, Jacques Gauthier
  • Patent number: 8401834
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for modelizing a nuclear reactor core, including the steps of: partitioning the core in cubes to constitute nodes of a grid for computer implemented calculation, calculating neutron flux by using an iterative solving procedure of at least one eigensystem, the components of an iterant of the eigensystem corresponding either to a neutron flux, to a neutron outcurrent or to a neutron incurrent, for a respective cube to be calculated. The neutrons are sorted in a plurality of neutron energy groups, and the eigensystem iterative solving procedure includes a substep of conditioning the eigensystem into a restricted eigensystem corresponding to the eigensystem for a selection of some neutron energy groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventor: Rene Van Geemert
  • Patent number: 8394346
    Abstract: A method for treating spent nuclear fuel, which includes first decontaminating the uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in a nitric aqueous phase resulting from dissolving the nuclear fuel in HNO3. The uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in the solvent phase is then split in a first aqueous phase and a second aqueous phase. Next, the first aqueous phase is stored. Following, the plutonium or other mixtures found in the first aqueous phase is purified relative to the fission products still found in said phase, in order to obtain, at the end of said purification, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of Pu and U or Pu, U and Np. Finally the resulting mixture of Pu and U or the mixture of Pu, U and Np is co-converted into a mixed oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignees: Areva NC, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Jean Luc Emin, Francois Drain, Francois Poncelet, Binh Dinh, Philippe Pradel, Pascal Baron, Michel Masson
  • Publication number: 20130057579
    Abstract: Methods are provided for creating dynamic lists from selected areas of a power system of a utility company. The utility company has an energy management system with a control panel. The energy management system is used to access one or more source displays of a site. Rubber-banding or lassoing is used to create selected areas from at least a portion of the source displays. Lists are dynamically created. Operator defined information is displayed for each element type in a list of network elements from the selected areas that have been rubber-banded or lassoed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: AREVA T & D, INC.
    Inventor: Areva T & D, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8389884
    Abstract: A switch apparatus comprising two interrupters, such as a busbar disconnector and a grounding disconnector. Common actuator means are provided for the movable contacts of the interrupters, for permitting one of the interrupters to be opened while holding the other interrupter closed, and vice versa, which enables the strokes performed by the movable contacts to be crossed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Areva T & D SAS
    Inventors: Bernard Gelloz, Christophe Rech
  • Patent number: 8378280
    Abstract: Receivers for use in solar energy collector systems and solar-powered electrical energy generating plants are provided. The receivers comprise a solar radiation absorbing core that converts absorbed solar radiation to thermal energy. The core comprises a refractory material to allow the receivers to operate continuously at high temperatures reached by absorbing concentrated solar radiation. The thermal energy so generated in the core may be stored in the receiver for a transitory period, or for a more extended period. Receivers may comprise one or more fluid channels in and/or around the core for conveying a working fluid to facilitate extraction of stored thermal energy from the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Areva Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Mills, Peter K. Le Lievre
  • Patent number: 8371820
    Abstract: A paneling (30) of a nacelle (12) of a wind energy installation (10), in which an upturned panel ceiling (40) is provided in installation position, is created with a hatch opening (46), that is provided in the panel ceiling (40). The hatch opening (46) is advantageously provided so large, that components of the entire area of a drive train (24) of the wind energy installation (10) can be removed upwards, or inserted from above into the nacelle (12) through the hatch opening (46). Furthermore, such a hatch opening (46) is choosingly closable by means of a hatch cover (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: AREVA Wing GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo deBuhr, Martin Lehnhoff
  • Patent number: 8372289
    Abstract: A method for conditioning a contaminated ion exchange resin includes mixing the contaminated ion exchange resin with water and at least partly breaking up the contaminated ion exchange resin into water-soluble components or fragments through the use of an oxidizing agent added to the water. A resulting aqueous solution is consolidated with a binder, optionally after concentration by evaporation of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Gassen