Abstract: To resolve the problems of the manufacturing costs of an optoclectronic connector, and optoelectronic coupling integrated circuit chip (4) is mounted directly (12) into a package (1) of the connector. This package has an internal shielding metallization and metallizations (11) connected by microconnection techniques to pads (10) of the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has laser diodes (8) on its surface also connected (13) to the pads (14) of this integrated circuit. These laser diodes are spaced out with respect to one another by a distance corresponding to a distance (21) between the optical fiber terminations (17, 20) in a standardized optical connector (16). The number of elements of the connector is reduced whereas, at the same time, its efficiency in terms of electrical consumption and in terms of transmission quality of a signal is improved.

Abstract: The alloy contains, by weight, less than 0.05% of carbon, from 0.015% to 0.5% of silicon, from 0.4% to 1.4% of manganese, from 28% to 31.5% of chromium, from 8% to 12% of iron, from 2% to 7% of molybdenum, from 0% to 0.75% of aluminium, from 0% to 0.8% of titanium, from 0.6% to 2% in total of niobium and tantalum, the ratio of percentages of niobium plus tantalum and of silicon being at least 4, less than 0.04% of nitrogen, from 0.0008% to 0.0120% of zirconium, from 0.0010% to 0.0100% of boron, less than 0.01% of sulphur, less than 0.020% of phosphorus, less than 0.30% of copper, less than 0.15% of cobalt and less than 0.10% of tungsten, the remainder of the alloy, with the exception of unavoidable impurities of which the total content is at most 0.5%, consisting of nickel. The alloy is used, in particular, for the production of wires for the electro-gas welding of units or components of nuclear reactors and, more particularly, of pressurised water-cooled nuclear reactors.

Abstract: A fuel assembly for a pressurized-water reactor includes fuel rods held in cells of spacers, control rod guide tubes, and a headpiece and a foot piece, by which it is fixed to upper and lower core grids, respectively. A spacer having a first part, which lies on a radially outer side with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the fuel assembly, and a second part, which lies on a radially inner side and is completely surrounded by the first part are included to reduce the size of gaps between fuel assemblies. The second part is formed of Zircaloy. The first part is made of a metallic material, and when compared to the Zircaloy of the second part, has a lower growth in the radial direction, caused by neutron radiation and a higher coefficient of thermal expansion.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inspection probe for an internal wall of a duct, comprising at least one sensor mounted in a support adapted to be moved inside the duct whilst pressing said sensor flat against said internal wall. The support is formed by a shell which is moulded onto the sensor and comprises a body provided with a window for positioning said sensor and means for attaching said sensor flat against the internal wall of the duct, said means being integrally moulded with the body.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for expanding the ends of a sleeve that has previously been installed into a defective section of inaccessibly located soft metal heat exchanger tubing. The sleeve ends are expanded using an apparatus of a plastic bladder connected to a series of connectable sections of sufficient length to reach the ends of the installed sleeve. The expansion is performed by locating the plastic bladder inside the sleeve at one end and hydraulically compressing the plastic bladder and forcing it to expand in diameter as a function of Poisson's ratio to thus expand the sleeve end into the tube.

Abstract: A chip card connector having a base frame (2) with integrated contact springs (3) and a closing cover (4) hinged from above, where the closing cover (4), presses the chip card inserted into the base frame (2), against the contact springs (3), projecting into the interior of the base frame and has on the side and opposite its axis of rotation, two stop arms with their indexing tips (9, 10) engaged in closed position under the shoulders (11, 12) provided on the edge of the base frame (2) opposite and able to be folded one against the other at the cover (4) in order to bring about its closure.

Abstract: The alloy contains, by weight, less than 0.05% of carbon, from 0.015% to 0.5% of silicon, from 0.4% to 1.4% of manganese, from 28% to 31.5% of chromium, from 8% to 12% of iron, from 2% to 7% of molybdenum, from 0.05% to 0.75% of aluminium, from 0.1% to 0.8% of titanium, from 0.6% to 2% in total of niobium and tantalum, the ratio of percentages of niobium plus tantalum and of silicon being at least 4, less than 0.04% of nitrogen, from 0.0008% to 0.0120% of zirconium, from 0.0010% to 0.0100% of boron, less than 0.01% of sulphur, less than 0.020% of phosphorus, less than 0.30% of copper, less than 0.15% of cobalt and less than 0.10% of tungsten, the remainder of the alloy, with the exception of unavoidable impurities of which the total content is at most 0.5%, consisting of nickel. The alloy is used, in particular, for the production of wires for the electro-gas welding of units or components of nuclear reactors and, more particularly, of pressurised water-cooled nuclear reactors.

Abstract: In order to prestress a tube (4) of a heat exchanger in tension in the axial direction, with precise tailoring of the prestress, at least one of the end parts (4a, 4b) of the tube (4) is expanded diametrally using a hydraulic pressure while the tube (4) is fixed at its ends in the tube plates (3a, 3b). The value of the prestress in each of the tubes (4) of the heat exchanger is tailored by altering the initial radial clearance between the external surface of the end part (4a, 4b) of the tube (4) and the internal surface of the hole (5) passing through the tube plate (3a, 3b) in which hole the end part (4a, 4b) of the tube (4) is engaged before diametrally expanding the end part. The end part (4a, 4b) of the tube which runs substantially over the entire length of the hole (5) passing through the tube plate (3a, 3b) is hydraulically diametrally expanded.

Abstract: Spent fuel rods are stored in a container. In order to improve the retention capacity of the barriers for radioactive emitters (radionuclides), the spent fuel rods are embedded in a bulk fill of zeolite and/or activated charcoal.

Abstract: Marking of the cuts which have to be made, cutting of the section at two ends, removal of the section which has to be replaced, bevelling of the joint ends of the parts remaining after the section has been cut out from the pipe, adjustment of a new or replacement section for length and bevelling of its joining ends and positioning and narrow bevel welding of the ends joining the replacement section to the ends of the remaining parts of the pipe are performed outside the pipe. Within the pipe operations of machining and inspecting an internal part of the joining ends welded together are performed by remote control in a programmed way by introducing and positioning means for working within the pipe from a component of the primary circuit.

Abstract: A safe start-up of a boiling water reactor is achieved when two conditions are adhered to and monitored when the control rods are being moved out of the core: First, the drive of a control rod should be activated only when the directly and diagonally adjacent control rods remain at rest simultaneously, and, second, when all the directly adjacent control rods are still in the fully moved-in initial position.

Abstract: In order, in a pressure accumulator, to generate a required operating pressure of a fluid situated in the pressure accumulator, a heater device is provided, disposed in an upper region of the pressure accumulator. The device generates a vapor cushion and the required operating pressure. Where necessary, when the fluid flows out, the pressure in the pressure accumulator is automatically reduced after the level has fallen below a defined filling level, as a result of the vapor condensing at a cold insulating device with a high heat-accumulation capacity. The pressure accumulator is preferably used as an emergency shut-down tank or as an emergency accumulator in a nuclear power plant.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to an incremental link robot mast for vacuuming nuclear waste from a storage silo. The mast is made of incrementally linked segments that are clamshell in construction to enclose and shield the working cables of the vacuuming robot. Each segment is linked together as needed by a transverse hinge pin and two hydraulic connecting pins. The clamshell is hinged and latched together by an array of screws. The robot comprises a linked clamshell mast and a master-slave robot arm on the end of the mast which includes tools for viewing and breaking up the waste and vacuuming same to a removal area.

Abstract: A reactor pressure vessel with an upper support plate, in which an equalization opening is provided as a bypass is described. A process for temperature equalization between an upper dome chamber above a support plate and a lower chamber below it is described. It is proposed that the cross section of the equalization opening be variable as a function of the temperature, so that the flow of medium between the upper dome chamber and the lower chamber is varied as a function of the temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing the production of Pu-238 in a nuclear reactor during normal reactor operation is disclosed wherein the production of Pu-238 is confined to one or more selectively replaced fuel cells with target cells located in the inside of the active volume of the reactor core to maximize the neutron flux for target irradiation. The target cells are modified existing nuclear fuel assembly cells having some fuel rods replaced with target rods of Np-237 forming a cluster array and having rings of water filled rods surrounding the target cluster to produce the desired optimal Pu-238 production.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved abrasive delivery system for delivering an abrasive material to a waterjet cutting nozzle which has no external pressure effects on the orifice metering the flow of abrasive material from a container for the material by using air pressure to transport the abrasive material to the cutting nozzle through a standard metering orifice where equal pressure is maintained above and below the orifice to provide a constant volume of abrasive material flow to the cutting nozzle which is located up to 100 feet or more from the metering device.

Abstract: Described is a connector for a cable particularly adapted for airbag ignitions systems, comprising a casing part (1) with a holder (4) for a flat conductor strip (10) and means for contacting the casing part with contact ends (7), the contacting means being in the from of metal strips (6), having crimp plates (9) formed on their first end portions near the cable, and connected at their second end portions to one of the contact ends (7), the crimp plates including both an upper surface and underside regions, the upper surface of the crimp plates (9) including crimp profiles, and the underside regions of the crimp plates (9) positioned below the crimp profiles being suspended over an opening (14) included in the casing.

Abstract: The maintenance device comprises a robot (2) for carrying out maintenance work in a remote-controlled or programmed way in the maintenance region. The robot (2) comprises a supporting part (2a) connected to a clamping support (3) secured to a means (4) of transporting the maintenance device (1) between an introductory region and the maintenance region. The clamping support (3) comprises clamping shoes (11, 13a, 13b) which can be moved in roughly parallel and opposite directions so as to clamp the maintenance device (1) in the maintenance region. The transport means (4) may be constructed in the form of a carriage comprising two motorized wheelsets. The device and the method of the invention make it possible in particular to carry out machining or inspection work inside primary pipes of a pressurized water nuclear reactor.

Abstract: In order to switch, especially aerials, between two channels while at the same time ensuring pressure contact with a sufficiently wide contact area, a connector (1) is made which includes a resilient switching blade (3) provided with a side arm (4). This side arm (4) ensures linear contact with a pin (7) of another connector, especially a coaxial connector (70). This improvement means that such a connector is simple to use, to mount on a printed circuit.

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.