Patents Assigned to Np
  • Publication number: 20150354030
    Abstract: A treatment process for a zirconium alloy is provided. The process includes the following steps: a zirconium alloy ingot is prepared, the composition of which is: 0.40%?Nb?1.05%; traces?Sn?2%; (0.5Nb?0.25)%?Fe?0.50%; traces?Ni?0.10%; traces?(Cr+V)%?0.50%; traces?S?35 ppm; 600 ppm?O?2000 ppm, preferably 1200 ppm?O?1600 ppm; traces?Si?120 ppm; traces?C?150 ppm; the remaining being Zr and unavoidable impurities; the ingot undergoes at least one reheating and hot shaping step, and possibly a reheating and quenching step following a hot shaping step; optionally the hot-shaped ingot undergoes an annealing; the hot-shaped and possibly annealed ingot undergoes at least one cycle of cold rolling-annealing steps; the annealing of at least one of the cold rolling-annealing steps being performed at a temperature comprised between 600° C. and the lowest of either 700° C. or (710?20×Nb %)° C., and the annealings of the other cold rolling-annealing steps, if any, being performed at a temperature not higher than 600° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Pierre BARBERIS, Pascal GUERIN, Pascaline FREMIOT
  • Patent number: 9208910
    Abstract: The installation provided includes at least one structure for receiving and holding guide tubes and structural elements; a carriage movable parallel to the guide tubes; at least one welding tool; and displacement means for moving the welding tool, the displacement means connecting the pincer to the carriage and presenting at least six degrees of freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: AREVA NP
    Inventor: Thierry Taillandier
  • Publication number: 20150348657
    Abstract: An anchor device and a nuclear facility comprising such an anchor device are provided. This anchor device comprises a female part and a male part, the female part comprising a groove extending along a longitudinal axis, the groove having a width which decreases longitudinally and a transverse section, the male part comprising a slider with a shape mating that of the groove and able to be longitudinally inserted into the groove, the transverse section of the groove being configured so as to prevent the extraction of the slider out of the groove transversely to the longitudinal axis. The anchor device comprises a locking device able to prevent the slider from longitudinally sliding out of the groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Luc BRESOUS, Serge ROILLET
  • Publication number: 20150310941
    Abstract: A nuclear fuel assembly having varying spacing between fuel rods is provided. The nuclear fuel assembly includes a bundle of fuel rods. The fuel rods are arranged in a first lattice with a non-uniform pitch between the fuel rods in the lowermost section of the fuel assembly and in a second lattice with a uniform pitch between the fuel rods in the uppermost section of the fuel assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Robert Koch, Otmar Bender
  • Publication number: 20150302134
    Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method for verification of a layout of an integrated circuit according to a design intent with a selected manufacturing process. The method comprises defining corner points of a first circuit part 1 as seed points 3, projecting a specifically designed polygon shape 4 proximal to a seed point 3 and calculating an overlap area 5 between the projected polygon shape 4 and a second circuit part 2. The layout is rejected when the overlap area does not conform to a threshold overlap area determined by the design intent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: NP KOMPLETE TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventor: Martinus Maria Berkens
  • Publication number: 20150287481
    Abstract: A fuel rod support insert for a nuclear fuel assembly spacer grid, a spacer grid and a nuclear fuel assembly are provided. The support insert is for a nuclear fuel assembly spacer grid comprising interlaced straps defining a lattice of cells for receiving fuel rods, the insert being adapted to be secured to the straps for extending in at least one cell. The insert extends along an axis intended to be parallel to that of a cell and comprises two axially spaced end portions for connecting the insert to the straps and at least one elongated blade-like spring extending axially between the end portions for supporting a fuel rod. The spring has a non-rectilinear cross-section in each plane perpendicular to the insert axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Jörg Peucker, Norbert Schmidt, Veit Marx, Julien Desbois
  • Patent number: 9138572
    Abstract: A medical valve has an open mode that permits fluid flow, and a closed mode that prevents fluid flow. To that end, the medical valve has a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and a resilient member within the housing. The resilient member has a body portion with a free state when undeformed by external mechanical forces and a deformed state when the valve is in the closed mode. The body portion is formed to return toward the free state as the valve transitions from the closed mode to the open mode and defining at least part of a fluid path through the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: NP Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Zeytoonian, Ian Kimball
  • Patent number: 9140498
    Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing a bundle of plates for a heat exchanger made up of a stack of plates. The method includes reducing by machining the initial thickness of each plate by making at least at the periphery of the plate, at least one connecting shoe having a height greater than the thickness of the machined plate, forming on the central portion of the plate, corrugations, to be superposed pairwise on the plates, connecting the shoes in contact with the plates of each pair through a weld bead, superposing the pairs of plates and connecting the shoes in contact with the pairs of plates through a sealed weld bead by arranging a superposition of open or closed ends for alternate inflow or outflow of said fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignees: ALFA LAVAL VICARB, ALFA LAVAL PACKINOX, Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives, AREVA NP
    Inventors: Gilles Francois, Gabriel Merle, Patrice Tochon, Franck Pra, Claude Roussel, Olivier Noel Baron, Pierre-Xavier Bussonnet, Alain Bourgeon
  • Patent number: 9079005
    Abstract: A sampling port includes a hub having a body that forms a hub chamber for containing a fluid. The hub also has a proximal opening to the hub chamber for receiving a medical implement, and the hub chamber has a valve member that normally closes the opening. The valve member has a valve wall forming a valve interior. The sampling port also has a first and second fluid channel formed by the hub body and in fluid communication with the hub chamber. The first and second channels have radial portions and proximally extending portions with proximally extending longitudinal axes. The proximally extending longitudinal axes form a plane therebetween that diverges from the longitudinal axis of the first fluid channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NP Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Chelak, Ian Kimball, Nicholas Dennis, Luis Maseda
  • Patent number: 9068684
    Abstract: A sealed stopper for an opening in a tubing for joining a chamber and a piping including a fastening ring is provided. The stopper includes a rigid bearing plate and a sealing member carried by the bearing plate, and includes a seal having a planar and flexible central portion with a reduced thickness extending below the bearing plate and a peripheral portion radially deformable by a central expander of the peripheral portion against the inner surface of the fastening ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Lionel Le Gall, Pierre Chevalier, Guillaume Ruiz, Blaise Carles
  • Patent number: 9053830
    Abstract: The rod contains substantially cylindrical oxide nuclear fuel pellets based on enriched uranium oxide. The H/D ratio of the height over the diameter of the pellets lies in the range 0.4 to 0.6. The initial diametral clearance between the pellets and the cladding does not exceed 200 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Christine Delafoy, Pascal Deydier
  • Patent number: 9042507
    Abstract: A sintered fuel pellet for a water nuclear reactor fuel rod including a peripheral wall extending along a central axis and two end faces. At least one of the end faces includes at least a first chamfer extending from the peripheral wall towards the central axis with a first non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis and a second chamfer extending from the first chamfer towards the central axis with a second non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the first slope is different from the second slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Wolfgang Doerr, Andreas Hoff, William Jentzen, Dave Curran, Alain Chotard, Pascal Deydier
  • Publication number: 20150131768
    Abstract: A nuclear fuel cladding is provided. The nuclear fuel cladding includes a base cladding; and at least one nanomaterial layer deposited on a surface of the base cladding, the nanomaterial layer having an average grain size of between 5 to 400 nanometers. A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel cladding is also provided. The method includes depositing nanoparticles on a base cladding to form at least one nanomaterial layer, the nanoparticles having an average grain size of between 5 to 400 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA NP INC.
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Laurence Lamanna, Garry Garner, Brian Lockamon
  • Publication number: 20150112271
    Abstract: A sampling port includes a hub having a body that forms a hub chamber for containing a fluid. The hub also has a proximal opening to the hub chamber for receiving a medical implement, and the hub chamber has a valve member that normally closes the opening. The valve member has a valve wall forming a valve interior. The sampling port also has a first and second fluid channel formed by the hub body and in fluid communication with the hub chamber. The first and second channels have radial portions and proximally extending portions with proximally extending longitudinal axes. The proximally extending longitudinal axes form a plane therebetween that diverges from the longitudinal axis of the first fluid channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: NP Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Chelak, Ian Kimball, Nicholas Dennis, Luis Maseda
  • Patent number: 9014325
    Abstract: A nuclear fuel assembly tie plate is provided. The nuclear fuel assembly tie plate is formed by intersecting strips delimiting between them tubular guide cells each for allowing a fuel rod to extend through the tie plate. The strips delimit between them tubular flow cells separate from the guide cells, each flow cell for allowing coolant flow through the tie plate. Guide cells and flow cells are arranged at nodes of a lattice defined by a repeating pattern comprising four corner nodes in a square lattice arrangement and a central node at the center of the four corner nodes, with one guide cell at each corner nodes, separated by a pair of parallel spaced strips intersecting a pair of parallel spaced strips, the two pairs of strips delimiting a four-walled central flow cell at the center node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventors: Erhard Friedrich, Dieter Umlauft, Dirk Blavius, Klaus Kurzer
  • Publication number: 20150092901
    Abstract: A method of operating a nuclear reactor is provided. The method includes defining a layer increment of a deposit layer modeling a deposit on a heat transfer surface of the nuclear reactor; periodically updating a thickness of the deposit layer by adding the layer increment to the deposit layer; recalculating properties of the deposit layer after each layer increment is added to the deposit layer; determining a temperature related variable of the heat transfer surface as a function of the recalculated properties of the deposit layer; and altering operation of the nuclear reactor when the temperature related variable of the heat transfer surface reaches a predetermined value. A method of modeling a deposit on a heat transfer surface of a nuclear reactor is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: AREVA NP Inc.
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Joseph R. Wyatt, John C. Griffith
  • Patent number: 8993828
    Abstract: Method of stabilizing radium present in radium-containing effluent, in which the effluent and a metal chloride are mixed, then the previously obtained mixture is reacted with a sulfate ion to obtain effluent containing stabilized radium. The chloride can be a barium, strontium or lead chloride. The sulfate ion can be supplied by the addition of sulfuric acid, sulfuric anhydride, soluable sulfate or soluble sulfate salt. The method applies in particular to the treatment of solid radium-containing effluents or effluents containing substances in suspension coming from chemistry or metallurgy of zirconium or treatment of uranium-containing minerals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventor: Denis Vayr
  • Patent number: 8995802
    Abstract: An IR supercontinuum source for generating supercontinuum in the MIR or possibly LWIR spectral bands comprises a supercontinuum fiber formed from a heavy metal oxide host glass having low optical loss and high non-linearity over the spectral band that is stable, strong and chemically durable. The supercontinuum fiber is suitably a depressed inner clad fiber configured to support only single transverse spatial mode propagation of the pump signal and supercontinuum. The source suitably includes a tapered depressed inner clad fiber to couple the pump signal into the supercontinuum fiber. The source may be configured as an “all-fiber” source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: NP Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Arturo Chavez-Pirson, Daniel Larry Rhonehouse, Dan T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8978714
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventor: Frederic Perdriset
  • Patent number: 8976920
    Abstract: A nuclear power plant with an improved cooling system using nanoparticles in solid or fluid form is provided. The nanoparticles are delivered in locations such as the cold leg accumulator and high and low pressure pumps of an emergency core cooling system. Motor driven valves and pressurization can aid in the delivery. Methods for providing the nanoparticles are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Brian Glenn Lockamon