Abstract: A BWR steam dryer remote visual inspection system including a support moveable along a first axis over the steam dryer, the support having a longitudinal direction; a trolley movable along the support in the longitudinal direction; a mast fixed to the trolley and moveable at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane defined by the first axis and longitudinal direction; and a camera coupled to an end of the mast.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 8, 2009
Publication date:
May 13, 2010
Applicant:
AREVA NP INC
Inventors:
Mark A. Sloman, Chuck Werner, Frank Klahn, Russ Croucher, Bob Furter, Gary Pitcher
Abstract: A method for decontaminating nuclear plant surfaces, which have been contaminated with alpha emitters, is carried out subsequently to a decontamination process which is aimed at the removal of oxide layers. The surfaces are treated with an aqueous solution which contains a cationic or zwitterionic surfactant and oxalic acid. At least a part of the solution, after having acted on a surface, is conducted across an ion exchanger.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 27, 2009
Publication date:
May 13, 2010
Applicant:
AREVA NP GMBH
Inventors:
Horst-Otto Bertholdt, Rainer Gassen, Christoph Stiepani, Bertram Zeiler
Abstract: A heat treatment method for desensitizing a nickel-based alloy with respect to environmentally-assisted cracking, the alloy having the following composition in percentages by weight: C?0.10%; Mn?0.5%; Si?0.5%; P?0.015%; S?0.015%; Ni?40%; Cr=12%-40%; Co?10%; Al?5%; Mo=0.1%-15%; Ti?5%; B?0.01%; Cu?5%; W=0.1%-15%; Nb=0-10%; Ta?10%; the balance being Fe, and inevitable impurities that result from processing, characterized in that the alloy is held at 950° C.-1160° C. in an atmosphere of pure hydrogen or containing at least 100 ppm of hydrogen mixed with an inert gas. A part made of a nickel-based alloy having the composition and that has been subjected to the heat treatment.
Abstract: The invention relates to a device for automatic under-water welding for making a welding joint (3) on a surface (2), of the type comprising a welding torch (20) including an electrode (21) surrounded by a protection envelope (23) that defines together with said electrode (21) an annular channel (24) connected to means for supplying a protection gas. The welding torch (20) is provided axially at the centre of a set (30) of two concentric envelopes (31, 32), one of which at least is capable of axial displacement and can be adjusted relative to said surface (2), said envelopes defining between them an annular gap (34) for injecting a flow for drying the welding area and keeping it away from the water.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 26, 2007
Publication date:
May 6, 2010
Applicant:
AREVA NP
Inventors:
Emmanuel Viard, Andre Thomas, Jean Mouget, Gabriel Merle
Abstract: A fixed cluster for the core of pressurized-water nuclear reactor including rods and a holder for rods. The holder includes: an upper head; fins extending radially towards the outside from the upper head; systems for mounting the rods and distributed on the fins; and at least two abutment elements on the upper plate of the core, each of the abutment elements protruding longitudinally from a respective fin beyond the mounting systems so as to be vertically oriented towards the top when the fixed cluster is provided on a nuclear fuel assembly.
Type:
Application
Filed:
November 16, 2007
Publication date:
May 6, 2010
Applicant:
AREVA NP
Inventors:
Michel Monchanin, Thierry Delannoy, Didier Pergue, Roman Ferry
Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing 228Th from a natural thorium salt, which comprises in succession: a) the separation of the radium from the other radioelements present in this salt, by at least one coprecipitation of the radium by barium sulphate, this coprecipitation comprising: i) the addition of sulphuric acid and a barium salt to an aqueous solution of said natural thorium salt in order to form a barium-radium sulphate coprecipitate and ii) the separation of the coprecipitate from the medium in which it has formed; b) the extraction of the thorium 228 coming from the decay of radium 228 from the coprecipitate thus separated; and, optionally c) the purification and concentration of the 228Th thus extracted. Applications: manufacture of radiopharmaceutical products useful in nuclear medicine, in particular in radioimmunotherapy for the treatment of cancers and AIDS.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 18, 2008
Publication date:
April 29, 2010
Applicant:
Areva NC
Inventors:
Gilbert Andreoletti, Michel Belieres, Pascal Nardoux, Jean-Paul Moulin, Anne Montaletang, Patrick Bourdet
Abstract: This interrupter device includes a parallel branch (4) in which a vacuum switch chamber is connected for breaking current. The branch is inactive in normal operation, with current flowing in it only when the disconnector (2) has started its opening movement, by progressive transfer of the current from the main power line (1) to the branch (4). Since the vacuum switch (6) is generally at rest, it no longer needs to be dimensioned to satisfy stringent electrical and dielectric requirements for normal operation.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 21, 2009
Publication date:
April 29, 2010
Applicant:
AREVA T&D SAS
Inventors:
Daniel Piccoz, Floriane Decq, Patrice Grosjean
Abstract: A first switch (10) has a first pair of contacts (12, 14) that are mounted to move relative to each other in translation. A circuit-breaker second switch (20) has a second pair of contacts (21, 24) that are mounted to move relative to each other in translation, the second switch (20) being put in parallel with the first switch (10). A disconnector third switch (30) has a third pair of contacts (32, 34) that are mounted to move relative to each other. Synchronization means (50, 50?) make it possible, while breaking is taking place, for the contacts of the first switch (10) to separate before the contacts of the second switch (20) separate, the contacts of the second switch themselves separating before the third contacts (32, 34) separate fully. The synchronization means are actuated by a servomotor (40).
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.
Abstract: A method for design of a fuel assembly for nuclear reactors, including structural components made from zirconium alloy: the mean uniaxial tensile or compressive stress to which the components are subjected during the assembly life is calculated, the zirconium alloy of which the components are made is selected according to the following criteria: those components subjected to an axial or transverse compressive stress of between ?10 et ?20 MPa are made from an alloy with a content of Sn between Sn=(=0.025??0.25)% and Sn=?0.05?%: those components subjected to such a stress of between 0 et ?10 MPa are made from an alloy the Sn content of which is between Sn=traces and Sn=(0.05?+1)%: those components subjected to such a stress of between 0 and +10 MPa are made from an alloy the Sn content of which is between Sn=0.05% and Sn=(0.07?+1)%: and those components subjected to such a stress of between +10 and +20 MPa are made from an alloy the content of SN of which is between 0.05% and 1.70%.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 7, 2007
Publication date:
April 15, 2010
Applicant:
AREVA NP
Inventors:
PIerre Barberis, Veronique Rebeyrolle, Jean-Jerome Vermoyal
Abstract: This invention relates to the control of a switch apparatus having two interrupters, such as a busbar disconnector and a grounding disconnector. The invention provides: a rotary control shaft arranged away from, and at right angles to, the planes of straight line motion of the movable contacts; at least one disk cam fastened to the control shaft and having two distinct internal cam grooves; and two pairs of levers hinged to each other, with one of the levers of a given pair having one end hinged at a fixed point while its other end is hinged to the other lever of the same given pair, which is itself hinged to one of the movable contacts, a spigot being located between the two ends of each of the levers that has one end hinged at a fixed point, the spigot being engaged in one of the cam grooves so as to constitute a cam follower. The mechanism of the invention enables there to be an additional actuating ratio between the disk cam or cams and each associated movable contact.
Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a thread in a bore (2) by remote automatic machining characterized in that the method consists in introducing into the bore (2) an electrode (11) provided with a thread (20) whose shape and dimensions are pre-determined according to the shape and dimensions of an inside thread to be produced, in machining the internal threads by electroerosion displacing the electrode (11) in an orbital manner in the bore (2) according to a predetermined number of operations and in adjusting the machining parameters according to each operation. A device for carrying out said method is also disclosed.
Abstract: A nuclear power plant is provided including a BWR, a reactor cooling system cooling the BWR, an HWC hydrogen injection system connected to the reactor cooling system and an alcohol injection system connected to the reactor cooling system. Methods for providing methanol and hydrogen are also provided.
Abstract: Embodiments of a method and a system for recovering a metal, such as uranium, from a metal-containing material are disclosed. The metal-containing material is exposed to an extractant containing a liquid or supercritical-fluid solvent and an acid-base complex including an oxidizing agent and a complexing agent. Batches of the metal-containing material are moved through a series of stations while the extractant is moved through the stations in the opposite direction. After the extraction step, the metal is separated from the solvent, the complexing agent and/or other metals by exposing the extract to a stripping agent in a countercurrent stripping column. The complexing agent and the solvent exit the column and are separated from each other by reducing the pressure. The recovered complexing agent is recharged with fresh oxidizing agent and recombined with fresh or recovered solvent to form a recovered extractant, which is distributed through the extraction stations.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 12, 2006
Date of Patent:
March 30, 2010
Assignees:
Idaho Research Foundation, Inc., Areva NP, Inc.
Abstract: A method and a device for detecting a pulse-type mechanical effect at a system component, include continuously recording an operating noise in the system component with a sensor disposed at the system component and converting the operating noise with the sensor into a measured signal subjected to a mathematical transformation. A sliding mean is calculated by determining quantiles from determined transformations and an evaluation function, which displays an application of the pulse-type mechanical effect on the system component, is derived from the sliding mean.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 4, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 23, 2010
Assignee:
Areva NP GmbH
Inventors:
Bela Bechtold, Peter Jax, Vojtech Ocelik, Jan Zach
Abstract: An electrical contact member, suitable for electrically interconnecting two conductive members in series, which members can move relative to each other and are part of an electrical apparatus. The electrical contact includes a strength-imparting base layer made of an electrically conductive material, and a coating layer formed from metallic silver and configured to come into contact with the two electrically conductive members. The coating layer has a micro-structure formed by pure silver crystals, with a presence of nodules made of silver and of an additional metallic material formed by at least one additional metal that is different from silver.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 28, 2004
Date of Patent:
March 16, 2010
Assignee:
Areva T&D SA
Inventors:
Jean-Luc Bessede, Pierre Giannini, Oana Visata
Abstract: A containment vessel of a boiling-water nuclear power plant and a method of operating a condenser in a nuclear power plant, include a drain pipe which connects a top region of the containment vessel to a condensing chamber disposed in the containment vessel. The drain pipe draws off noncondensible gases from the surroundings of a building condenser in the containment vessel and thus maintains reliability of performance of the building condenser. The noncondensible gases flow automatically into the condensing chamber through the drain pipe. As a result, the building condenser may have a simple and cost-effective structure.
Abstract: The invention relates to a glove box with a sealed containment delimited at least partially by a wall having a polycarbonate partition (6) and a biological protection partition (8) spaced from the polycarbonate partition and arranged externally with respect to same, the glove box also comprising lighting means of the containment, said lighting means comprising a light source (20). According to the invention, the light source (20) is housed between the polycarbonate partition (6) and the biological protection partition (8).
Abstract: Sealing means comprising a seal carrier and a seal connected thereto, wherein the seal carrier is removably fixable between two areas insulated from each other, and a transfer device between two chambers, which are separated by a wall, wherein said transfer device comprises a transfer mechanism and at least one sealing means according to the invention which is positioned between the wall and the transfer mechanism.
Abstract: Operating mechanism for medium and high voltage switchgear, in which a rotatable main shaft is coupled to a switch, and a rocker plate is rotatable with the main shaft, the main shaft being arranged to open and close said switch by tilting the rocker plate. The rocker plate constitutes a plurality of force transmission levers and comprises a plurality of zones distributed around the main shaft. A rotary actuator has force transmitting means for driving the rocker plate in a direction corresponding to closing of the switch, and an opening spring for driving the rocker plate in a direction corresponding to opening of the switch. Closed switch locking means are coupled to the rocker plate (4) and are disposed substantially in a common plane of the rocker plate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 12, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 2, 2010
Assignee:
Areva T&D AG
Inventors:
Ernst Suter, Xavier Allaire, Philippe Manin