Abstract: Method for thermally treating a scrolling steel strip (5), said method comprising the following steps: heating the strip (5) in a zone for heating with a direct flame (10); temperature homogenisation of the strip (5) in a homogenisation chamber (20) comprising at least one radiant heating tube (25), so as to homogenise the strip (5) in temperature after the passing thereof into the zone for heating with a direct flame (10) of the preceding step; oxidation of the strip (5) in an oxidation chamber (30) with an oxidising atmosphere having an oxygen volume concentration greater than 1%; reduction of the strip (5) in a reduction zone (40).

Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for cooling a metal strip (2) having a liquid coating to be solidified, wherein said strip is continuously moving. Said equipment is characterized in that each half-cooler (11, 12) is divided, over the length thereof, into at least two sections, a first section (13) and a second section (14), in the direction of the movement of the strip (2). The first section (13) is separated from the second section (14) in each half-cooler (11, 12) by a respective internal adjustment device (7, 8), making it possible to change the gas flow/pressure parameter so that the value of said gas flow/pressure parameter is different in the first section (13) from the value of said parameter in the second section (14).

Abstract: A tower for a concentrated solar power plant includes: an upper external platform on which is arranged an essentially cylindrical solar receiver with an external side surface and an upper base, the side surface of the receiver including a plurality of removably mounted receiving panels; and a placement and maintenance system for the receiving panels. The placement and maintenance system for the receiving panels includes a crane mounted so as to be rotatable 360° and guided using at least two concentric rails, on the upper base of the receiver.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of exchange tubes (1) mounted joined longitudinally in such a way as to create a front surface portion (4) creating an obstacle to an incident heat flow and at least one heat flow sensor (5) disposed in a support (12) located between two adjacent exchange tubes (1), characterized in that the support (12) of the heat flow sensor (5) is brazed to at least one of the two tubes (1) and is flattened on the side that is to be disposed at the front (4), with reference to the incident heat flow, in such a way as to be able to be inserted between the two adjacent tubes (1) at the location of said local deformations (11).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mandrel comprising a radially movable portion (6, 8) and a retaining device for a sleeve (7) having an annular cross-section. Said device comprises a mounting (14), inserted in or built into the mandrel, and a retaining tab (1) pivotably mounted around an axis (3) that is in a direction parallel to the axis of the mandrel and onto said mounting (14). Said retaining tab (1) is designed to be, during use, pivotable from a first position, in which said retaining tab covers a portion of the annular surface of the sleeve (7), toward a second position, in which said retaining tab releases the annular surface of the sleeve (7). The pivotal movement from the first position toward the second position, or vice versa, is, during use, automatically actuated by radially moving the movable portion (6, 8) of the mandrel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device comprising at least one vertical pump (3) and at least one associated turbine (4) for transporting, over a level difference, a heat-transfer fluid brought to a high temperature, wherein the device further comprises a device for mechanically coupling the turbine (4) with the pump (3), comprising a gearbox (21) with a gimbal coupling (41) located on the turbine (4) side, allowing the mechanical energy produced by the turbine (4) to be reused to actuate the pump (3).

Abstract: Method for coiling and on-line inspection of a continuously-rolled metal strip, involving continuous coiling on at least one mandrel of a coiling station, preferably of carousel type, wherein: the strip is cut by a shears situated before the coiling station, advances over a certain length on an insertion table so as to at least partially cover this table and is then cut a second time by the shears in order to obtain a specimen; —the coiling performed on the mandrel is terminated and the coil is discharged from the coiling station; at the same time, the insertion table bearing the specimen is moved parallel to the rolling-coiling line until it lies in an inspection line comprising an inspection table; —the specimen is inspected on the inspection table so that faults can be detected; —once the specimen has left the insertion table, the latter is placed back in the rolling-coiling line.

Abstract: A method for generating a steam cycle at a pressure around 200 bars and a temperature around 600° C., using an industrial steam generator with a solar receiver admitting an incident solar flux around 600 kW/m2, includes: generating a water-steam mixture in the evaporator by transferring heat from the incident solar flux onto the evaporator; separating the water-steam mixture into saturated water and saturated steam in the separator drum, the saturated steam having a pressure from 160 to 200 bars and a temperature from 347 to 366° C.; injecting the teed water into the mixing drum, where it is mixed. with the saturated water from the separator drum, the mixed water next returning toward the evaporator via the return pipe provided with the circulation pump, such that the temperature of the mixed water entering the evaporator is below the saturated steam temperature, by a value from 5 to 15° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a horizontal strip accumulator in a continuous processing strip line, comprising a looping carriage riding on a pair of external rails (6) and a plurality of adjacent strip supporting roll carriages (1) riding on the same external rails (6) to support the strip (10) between the looping carriage and a strip feeding location, wherein the strip supporting carriages (1) have a horizontal triangular lower part (2) and a vertical framework (3), the triangular lower part (2) having an open transverse base (15) opposite to an apex (14), to allow the telescoping of the strip supporting carriages (1) in the internal triangular space between the open base (15) and the two other triangular sides rejoining at the opposite apex (14).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an installation for the hot-dip coating of a metal strip (11) with a liquid metal, comprising a pot (4) containing a bath of liquid metal, an immersed sink roll (1) for deflecting the strip entering the bath to a vertical exit path and at least one additional roll (2, 3) for controlling the strip flatness, the axes of said sink and additional rolls (1, 2, 3) being supported by arms (16) connected to a main metal frame (8, 8A) itself connected to a base on each side of the pot by means of supports (9, 10), characterized in that the metal frame is a double beam made of a removable beam (8A) connected to an intermediate beam (13) itself anchored to the base by the supports (9, 10).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling the thickness of a coating made of a liquid film on a moving strip (3), characterized in that automated structure for reducing the gas flow at each of said nozzle sides comprise a moving carriage (10) guiding a retractable cable (9) able to be applied respectively onto and out of the gas discharge opening (4), inside the nozzle chamber (5) and in that, at each transversal side of the nozzle (1), a transition, between an external nozzle section where the gas flow is reduced and an internal nozzle section where the gas flow is not reduced, is assured by two together-moving grooved wheels or pulleys (6, 7) connected to the moving carriage (10), located side by side and having their axis perpendicular to the nozzle, so that the cable (9) is successively located against the opening (4) on an external side of the first pulley (6), between the two pulleys (6, 7) and distant from the opening (4) on an internal side of the second pulley (7).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling the thickness of a coating made of a liquid film on a moving strip (3), comprising a nozzle (1) fed with a pressurized fluid (6) in a chamber (2) of the nozzle, said chamber (2) being terminated by nozzle lips (11) making an elongated discharge opening (12) for discharging the pressurized fluid onto the moving strip (3), said chamber (2) comprising also a perforated baffle plate (8) obstructing a cross-section L×h of the chamber (2) in the fluid flow, the perforated baffle plate (8) having a number of holes (13) so that the total surface of said holes (13) is higher than 90% of said cross-section and having a thickness Th higher than 3 times the individual diameter of any of said holes (13) and higher than 3 mm, characterised in that the perforated baffle plate (8) has a honeycomb geometry, i.e. a geometry having cells (13) with hexagonal section.

Abstract: Method for coiling and on-line inspection of a continuously-rolled metal strip, involving a step of continuous coiling on at least one mandrel (10, 20) of a coiling station (3), preferably of carousel type, characterized by at least the following steps: the strip is cut by a shears (4) situated before the coiling station, advances over a certain length on an insertion table (6) so as to at least partially cover this table and is then cut a second time by the shears (4) in order to obtain a specimen;—the coiling of the coil performed (1, 1?, 1?, etc.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable industrial instrument for performing, in an integrated and two-way manner, an interferometric fringe projection and shearography, on a object to be tested, so that, when the two-way interferometer (1) is associated with the coherent or quasi-coherent projection device (2), the instrument is able to measure the 3D shape of the object by interferometric fringe projection, also known as moiré method, and, when the two-way interferometer (1) is associated with the recording or imaging device (4), the instrument is able to perform shearographic measurements on the object, the direction of the traversing light beam in the interferometer (1) being reversed when shifting from one measurement configuration to the other one.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat exchanger configured to capture energy by radiation, comprising at least one flag-shaped basic exchanger (10), including: a) an input collector (5) and an output collector (6); b) a plurality of exchange tubes (1) connected to the input collector (5) and to the output collector (6), respectively, and stacked so as to halt the incident radiation, each tube (1) being provided in the form of a hairpin with one curved part at the head of the pin (4) and two arms (2, 3) adjoining essentially vertically and on the largest part of the length thereof, the end of the tubes (1) at the pin head (4) being free and the tubes (1) being self-supported at the ends thereof connected to said collectors (5, 6).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a horizontal strip accumulator in a continuous processing strip line, comprising a looping carriage riding on a pair of external rails (6) and a plurality of adjacent strip supporting roll carriages (1) riding on the same external rails (6) to support the strip (10) between the looping carriage and a strip feeding location, wherein the strip supporting carriages (1) have a horizontal triangular lower part (2) and a vertical framework (3), the triangular lower part (2) having an open transverse base (15) opposite to an apex (14), to allow the telescoping of the strip supporting carriages (1) in the internal triangular space between the open base (15) and the two other triangular sides rejoining at the opposite apex (14).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat exchanger configured to capture energy by radiation, comprising at least one flag-shaped basic exchanger (10), including: a) an input collector (5) and an output collector (6); b) a plurality of exchange tubes (1) connected to the input collector (5) and to the output collector (6), respectively, and stacked so as to halt the incident radiation, each tube (1) being provided in the form of a hairpin with one curved part at the head of the pin (4) and two arms (2, 3) adjoining essentially vertically and on the largest part of the length thereof, the end of the tubes (1) at the pin head (4) being free and the tubes (1) being self-supported at the ends thereof connected to said collectors (5, 6).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for assembling at least two simple sheet metal elements (1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 21, 21?, 22, 22?) for producing a structural part with open section, preferably U-shaped, or closed section, at least one of the metal elements having a high or very high yield strength and low deformability. The invention is characterized in that the metal elements are formed by at least a folding process; the metal elements are arranged relative to each other along a junction section; the metal elements are assembled by a crimped lap-joint (4) along the junction section of said elements.

Abstract: An electroluminescent device comprising two electrodes (3, 5) whereby at least one organic electroluminescent semiconducting layer (4) is arranged therebetween, in addition to a substrate (2) supporting said device, and an electric current source (1) which is electroconductively linked to said electrodes. The inventive device is characterized in that substrate (2) is made or a metal or metal alloy.

Abstract: The invention concerns a beam structure comprising at least a wing (1, 1′) made of at least a first metal and at least a core (2, 2′) made of at least a second metal, said core being assembled substantially perpendicular to said wing and said core being a sheet material or sheet metal. The invention is characterised in that the first metal has a high or very high yield strength, and associated with a yield strength/tensile strength ratio close to 1, the second metal has a yield strength substantially lower than that of the first metal; the second metal has a yield strength/tensile strength ratio substantially less than 0.9 and less than the value of said ratio exhibited by the first metal.