Patents Assigned to Framatome
  • Patent number: 6655019
    Abstract: A device for aligning a PC board (2) on a manual press (50) for insertion of an electronic component (1) into an insertion zone (z). The device comprises a manually operated X-Y table, to which the PC-board (2) is secured. The X-Y table comprises an X carriage (40) movable along an X-axis and a Y carriage (11) movable along a Y-axis. Respective correction carriages (21,25) are movably mounted to each of the X and Y carriages. Respective correction carriages have corresponding correction motors for moving each of the correction carriages relative to the X and Y carriages. Encoders (17,18) are respectively connected to the X and Y carriages for detecting a position of the X and Y carriages. The encoders are connected to control units for operating correction motors of the correction carriages in response to a signal from the encoders indicating the position of the X and Y carriages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventor: Robert A. Wuyts
  • Patent number: 6656338
    Abstract: For dosing lithium in cooling water containing cationic impurities or for reducing cationic impurities, the invention guides cooling water cycle through a first side of an electrodialysis unit and guides a concentration cycle through a second side of the electrodialysis unit. Cationic impurities are filtered out of the medium of the concentration cycle with a selective ion exchanger that is disposed in the concentration cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: Framatome ANP GmbH, ENBW Kraftwerke AG
    Inventors: Manfred Meintker, Michael Bolz, Günther Enkler, Wilfried Rühle
  • Patent number: 6658077
    Abstract: An apparatus is described for catching and cooling a melt, in particular a core melt in a containment of a nuclear power plant. A porous body with which the melt comes into contact is provided. A pre-pressurized coolant is fed to the porous body so that the cavities in the porous body are filled with the coolant. After contact between the melt and the porous body, the pre-pressurized coolant penetrates into the melt and as a result leads to fragmentation, solidification and long-term cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: Framatome ANP GmbH, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Alsmeyer, Dietmar Bittermann, Manfred Fischer
  • Patent number: 6652298
    Abstract: The invention offers a connector which allows the stable insertion of a plurality of pairs of socket contacts and plug contacts that mutually fit together with the use of an operation lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventor: Shigeru Ohnuki
  • Patent number: 6648687
    Abstract: A shielded connector comprises a housing of insulating material accommodating a plurality of contact elements, and a shielding plate comprising a front half and a back half. The front half has a plurality of contact portions and the back half has contact ends for connection to a printed circuit board. The housing is provided with at least one channel at a front end thereof, this at least one channel being open at its back end and closed at its front end for receiving the front end of the shielding plate. The shielding plate is provided with a bend near its front end for cooperation with back end of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventors: Nadia Otto, Marc Fret, Hubert Booghmans, Werner Panis
  • Patent number: 6644346
    Abstract: The fitting, in particular a safety valve, operates according to the relief principle or according to the loading principle. The fitting is opened and closed by a plurality of pilot parts. The pilot parts are connected in series in the control line of the fitting and are each actuated by a pilot valve. The pilot parts open the fitting only when all the pilot parts are in a position which opens the fitting. The fitting closes as soon as even only one of the pilot parts is in a position which closes the fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann-Josef Conrads, Erwin Laurer, Jürgen Model
  • Patent number: 6639961
    Abstract: An automated machine for loading nuclear reactor fuel, BP, or APSR pellets from small trays having rows of pellets into reactor rods of long length wherein the pellets are individually counted and loaded into rows of a loading tray according to the desired number of pellets per row and total number of pellets per tray with the loading tray controls being moved to a que tray where they may be weighted and there from to an unloading tray for sequential row loading into the reactor rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome Cogema Fuel Co.
    Inventors: William E. Bailey, Dimick D. Heller, Steven D. Overby
  • Patent number: 6636578
    Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus to repair a fuel assembly to accomplish a load lift comprising a main body, an upper section, a connection configured between the main body and the upper section and a lower section connected to the main body. The invention also comprises an inner adjusting body with a top and a bottom wherein a mandrel is connected to the bottom, the mandrel configured to actuate a holding body upon actuation of the inner adjusting body, the inner adjusting body positioned inside the upper section, the main body and the lower section and an actuator connected to the upper section, the actuator configured to actuate the inner adjusting body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP Inc.
    Inventor: Darel Ray Clark
  • Patent number: 6633327
    Abstract: An environmental monitoring system for a hazardous work area, such as a nuclear power plant, which monitors the radiation exposure of personnel working in the nuclear power plant and overlays a visual representation of the exposure data onto a video display of the location the personnel are working in. The apparatus includes a video source, such as a plurality of PTZ cameras, for providing video image signals of the work area. In the preferred embodiment, individual radiation exposure sensors provide signals representative of the radiation received by each worker in the work area. A computer, outside of the work area, is connected to the sensors for converting the sensor signals to a visual video representation of the sensor measurements. A gen/lock overlay unit is connected to the computer for combining the video image signals and the visual video representation of the sensor measurements wherein the visual video representations are overlaid onto the video images of the work area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP, Inc.
    Inventors: Don Ronald Williams, Scot Rodney Wilson, Gerald Stewart Burk, Clifford John Maunz
  • Patent number: 6630683
    Abstract: A first antiradiation concrete includes a metallic aggregate having a grain size of up to 7 mm, and at least 5.0% by weight, in particular at least 7.8%, of a boron-containing aggregate having a grain size of up to 1 mm and being finer-grained than the metallic aggregate. A second antiradiation concrete includes a boron-containing aggregate having a grain size of up to 1 mm, and between 80 and 90% by weight, in particular 85 to 89%, of a metallic aggregate having a grain size of up to 7 mm. For the second concrete, the boron-containing aggregate is between 1.0 and 1.5% by weight. To achieve a shielding action that absorbs as much heat and radiation as possible, an antiradiation shell (2) has a wall region (2a to 2z) formed from the first or second antiradiation concrete where each has a boron-containing aggregate with a grain size up to 1 mm and a metallic aggregate grain size up to 7 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Vanvor
  • Patent number: 6617558
    Abstract: A furnace is provided for microwave sintering of nuclear fuel. A stationary wave is generated in an antenna cavity and used to extract microwaves through slots into a resonance chamber containing the nuclear fuel. A position of the slots is adjusted in such a way that a predetermined temperature profile is produced in the nuclear fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Dörr, Thorsten Gerdes, Gerhard Gradel, Bruno Schmitt, Monika Willert-Porada
  • Patent number: 6614868
    Abstract: A device for sealing a tube in an opening which is located in a component. The tube is in particular a lance shaft and the component is in particular a nozzle connected to a cover of a reactor pressure vessel. A pressure element is in operative connection with the tube. As a result, the tube is pressed against the component. Provision is made for the pressure element to be driven hydraulically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Zuch
  • Patent number: 6613153
    Abstract: The radioactivity of a metal part is reduced in the process. In the method, firstly a layer of oxide is removed from the metal part using a decontamination solution. Then, an agent which has an oxidizing action and is still present is removed from the decontamination solution. As a result, a layer of the metal is removed. Since radionuclides are to be found only in the layer of the metal part which is close to the surface, the remaining metal can be scrapped in the conventional way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Horst-Otto Bertholdt, Rainer Gassen, Franz Strohmer
  • Patent number: 6607119
    Abstract: A method of welding two work pieces that define a connecting zone between them is described. A friction pin is fed at a starting point into the connecting zone and into opposite regions of the work pieces on both sides of the connecting zone. The friction pin is moved in a welding direction along the connecting zone resulting in the work pieces being welded. The friction pin is led out of the connecting zone after welding the work pieces. The friction pin is fed into a sacrificial element while lifting the friction pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Engelhard, Rainer Bauer, Dieter Pellkofer, Helmar Adams
  • Patent number: 6607670
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for very rapidly cleaning very small, colloidal particles from nuclear reactor water subjected to a high-energy waterjet cutting of metal using metal shot particles for cuffing such as garnet particles with the cutting causing fracturing of the metal shot as well as the cut metal fines into a negatively charged colloidal suspension having a large area. This colloidal suspension causes water turbidity and makes known filtration techniques impractical for rapid removal of such suspensions for recycling to the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome Anp. Inc.
    Inventors: Philip N. Baldwin, Raymond E. Beatty, James E. Day, Gary J. Guy
  • Patent number: 6608878
    Abstract: A method and a device are provided for monitoring a power rise during startup of a nuclear reactor (diversitary excursion monitoring). In order to be able to shut down the reactor during startup in the event of prompt critical states, a power band situated in a lower measuring range is prescribed for a signal of power range channels which detects the reactor power in the power range. Startup is continued only when the signal does not exceed an upper limit within a minimum time, after the last occasion of exceeding a lower limit of the power band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventor: Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 6606367
    Abstract: The measurement device comprises a real-time measurement-signal acquisition module (25) and means (23, 24) for connecting the cables for picking up the voltage from electrical windings for measuring the movement of the control rods to the acquisition module (25), in order to deliver, to the acquisition module (25), voltage signals corresponding to the voltage induced in the windings while the control rods are being dropped. The signal acquisition module (25) is thus permanently connected to the voltage-signal pickup cables (29) and the signals relating to the set of nuclear reactor control rods may be recorded simultaneously. Means (26, 27) for using the voltage signals delivered by the acquisition system (25) allow the drop times of the control rods to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP
    Inventors: Hervé Halluin, Philippe Paris
  • Patent number: 6600800
    Abstract: In a boiling water fuel assembly, some of the fuel rods are shortened. It is necessary to establish a sufficiently high maximum power for transition to boiling. To optimize this power, spacers are at a constant distance at a bottom and are at a shorter distance at a top. The spacers belonging to upper group have turbulence-generating vanes which, however, do not project above the shortened fuel rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Bender, Otmar Bender, Hans-Joachim Lippert, Walter Übelhack
  • Patent number: 6600799
    Abstract: For the redistribution of a coolant flow from a first region into a second region, in particular in boiling-water-reactor fuel elements having an eccentrically disposed water passage, a fuel-rod bundle is constructed in a mirror symmetry manner relative to a diagonal. A distance between adjacent fuel rods increases monotonically in particular along a diagonal. In addition, a fuel-rod bundle as an entity may be offset eccentrically along the diagonal. To compensate for asymmetry in the reactor core, a redistribution of coolant is provided which is advantageous in pressurized-water-reactor fuel elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Kreuter
  • Patent number: 6595790
    Abstract: An electric connecting unit (1) having a pair of electric connectors (3, 4), one (3) of which is fittable to a supporting member (2), and which are connectable mutually along a longitudinal axis (A) and each comprise an insulating enclosure (5, 20) defining a number of longitudinal cavities (6, 21) for respective electric terminals (7, 22). The unit (1) also has a locking member (35) carried by, and movable with respect to, a first (20) of the enclosures in a transverse direction (B) crosswise to the longitudinal axis A) to connect respective substantially cylindrical mating portions (18, 25) of the enclosures (5, 20) in a lock position; and cam means (36)interposed between the locking member (35) and a second (5) of the enclosures to grip the connectors (3, 4) along the longitudinal axis (A) as the locking member (35) moves in the transverse direction (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventor: Pier Carlo Bigotto