Patents by Inventor Jean-Luc Achard

Jean-Luc Achard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8206494
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for air/water extraction by semi-humid electrostatic collection, comprising a chamber (7) containing a discharge electrode (1) for generating an ion flow from an ionized gas accumulation surrounding the discharge electrode (1) and a counter-electrode (2), an inlet (3) for mixing air and aerosol to be extracted which contains liquid or solid particles, a steam supply tube (8) and an outlet (4) for the cleansed air. The invention is characterized in that the device enables steam to be introduce the steam supply tube (8) in the gap between the discharge electrode (1) and the counter-electrode (2) so as to form a steam sheath (10) enclosing the discharge electrode over its entire length, such that the treated air is not steam-saturated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignees: CNRS, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Ernest Galbrun, Jean Luc Achard, Yves Fouillet, Raymond Charles
  • Publication number: 20120082530
    Abstract: The instant disclosure relates to a system for submerging a hydraulic turbine engine, including an assembly including an elongate transverse flow turbine engine; a carriage for receiving said assembly in a prone position; a ship provided with a winch for supporting the carriage on the deck thereof, the bottom side of the turbine engine facing the stern of the ship, the top side being tied to the winch by a pull line; and jacks for righting the carriage and said assembly to a position that is vertically perpendicular to the stern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: Electricite de France
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Thomas Jaquier, Zanette Jeronimo
  • Patent number: 8123482
    Abstract: A device for holding a hydraulic turbomachine in position, the turbomachine comprising a drive shaft along which are distributed turbines designed to rotate the drive shaft when they are immersed in a moving liquid, each turbine comprising drive blades distributed around the drive shaft, the device comprising at least one post extending along at least more than half of the length of the drive shaft and formed of the stacking of at least two post portions, each post portion being associated with a turbine or with an assembly of adjacent turbines; and a first linking mechanism attached to one of the post portions and to a bearing receiving the drive shaft and arranged between two adjacent turbines; and a second linking mechanism connecting at least one of the posts to the around by a rigid connection with respect to the ground along at least one axis parallel to the liquid motion direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignees: Institut polytechnique de Grenoble, Electricite de France
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Didier Imbault, Thierry Maitre
  • Publication number: 20110206467
    Abstract: The instant disclosure relates to a seat portion structure for a ground-based hydraulic turbine engine. The seat portion structure includes a base plate. A first bearing element is connected to the base plate and contacts the ground. At least three arms are connected to the base plate by a pivoting link. The arms are adapted for pivoting relative to the base plate between a first position, in which the arms are placed near each other, and a second position, in which the arms radially extend from the base plate. A second bearing element is connected to one end of each arm and contacts the ground. A positioning device is adapted for changing the distance between the end of at least one arm and the associated second element. The structure includes, for each arm, a device for locking the arm in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicants: Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble, Electricite de France
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Thomas Jaquier, Didier Imbault
  • Publication number: 20110174082
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of measuring the flow rate of an electrically conductive liquid in laminar flow and to an implementation measurement device that are easy to implement, simple to produce and compact. For this purpose, the invention provides a device for measuring the flow rate, comprising: a channel (1); a pair of electrodes (2a-2b); and at least one device (3) for measuring the voltage (V) between the electrodes (2a-2b) of said pair, an electrical double layer forming at the interface of each electrode with the conducting liquid. The device comprises means (4, 5) designed so that, when the conducting liquid is flowing through the channel, the flow velocity fields in the diffuse layers facing each electrode are different and so that the convective/diffusive charge equilibria of the electrical double layer at the interface of each electrode are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Pierre Joly, Jean-Maxime Roux
  • Publication number: 20110006534
    Abstract: The invention relates to a turbine engine that includes at least first and second lift turbine stacks with transverse flow. The shafts of adjacent turbines in the first stack are connected by a first coupling device adapted for compensating space misalignments, and the shafts of adjacent turbines in the first stack are connected by a second coupling device adapted for compensating for space misalignments. The turbine engine includes a device for supporting the first and second turbine stacks, which is symmetrical to said plane, and a control device adapted for permanently maintaining the symmetry between the first and second turbine stacks relative to the plane, and for maintaining the rotation speeds of the first and second turbine stacks at equal values in opposite rotation directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Didier Imbault, Ali Tourabi
  • Patent number: 7713484
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for isolating, on a reactive surface, an analyte from a liquid sample containing the analyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignees: Biomerieux, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Frederic Ginot, Jean-Luc Achard, Laurent Drazek, Pascale Pham
  • Publication number: 20100000540
    Abstract: Device for extracting particles from exhaled breath, comprising a cooling system (16) for creating droplets by condensation of the water vapour contained in the exhaled breath; a droplet recovery unit (7) provided with a side wall (2) having a grid form and converging towards an outlet opening (9), allowing the droplets attracted towards said side wall (2) to flow along the latter towards the outlet opening (9); and a discharge electrode (1) mounted inside the droplet recovery unit (7), said side wall (2) of said droplet recovery unit (7) defining a counter electrode to said discharge electrode (1) in order to attract droplet-collecting particles carried by exhaled breath towards said side wall (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Patrick Pouteau, Jean Luc Achard
  • Publication number: 20090283483
    Abstract: A method of extracting a liquid phase from a suspension, the method comprising: injecting said suspension into a duct presenting a first section that is straight and a second section that is curved; and at the outlet from said curved section of the duct, extracting a liquid-enriched fraction of said suspension that is spatially separated from a particle-enriched fraction of the suspension; the method being characterized in that the injection flow rate of the suspension and the geometry of the duct are selected in such a manner that: in the straight section, lift forces cause particles to be superconcentrated in a ring around the longitudinal axis of the duct; and in the curved section, Dean secondary flows deform said ring and give rise to spatial separation between said liquid-enriched fraction and said particle-enriched fraction. A device for implementing such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Jean Luc Achard, Elodie Sollier, Herve Rostaing
  • Publication number: 20090283474
    Abstract: A device for extracting a liquid phase from a suspension, the device being characterized in that it comprises: a main duct for conveying a flow of said suspension, the duct being of a length that is sufficient to enable a layer of said suspension to develop that is depleted in solid phase; flow disturbance means for disturbing the flow of said suspension, said means being provided in the main duct and being adapted to cause at least one recirculation vortex to form so as to increase locally the thickness of said depleted layer; and liquid extraction means disposed in a region of the device where said suspension is enriched in liquid phase as a result of said recirculation vortex. A method of extracting a liquid phase from a suspension, the method comprising injecting said suspension into such a device at a flow rate suitable for causing at least one recirculation vortex to be formed, and extracting a fraction of said suspension that is enriched in liquid as a result of said vortex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Elodie Sollier, Yves Fouillet, Herve Rostaing
  • Publication number: 20090134009
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for displacing a volume of liquid (1) under the action of an electrical voltage, comprising: iv) a first substrate with a first electrode (4,5); v) a second substrate with a second electrode (4, 5) facing the first substrate; vi) means for applying a first voltage (3) between the first and the second electrode, one of the two electrodes comprising, in essence, a matrix (5) consisting of a number of microelectrodes and having means for applying a second voltage between two microelectrodes. The invention also relates to a method for displacing a volume of liquid (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Jean Maxime Roux, Jean Luc Achard, Yves Fouillet
  • Publication number: 20090129923
    Abstract: A device for holding a hydraulic turbomachine in position, the turbomachine comprising a drive shaft along which are distributed turbines designed to rotate the drive shaft when they are immersed in a moving liquid, each turbine comprising drive blades distributed around the drive shaft, the device comprising at least one post extending along at least more than half of the length of the drive shaft and formed of the stacking of at least two post portions, each Post portion being associated with a turbine or with an assembly of adjacent turbines; and a first linking mechanism attached to one of the post portions and to a bearing receiving the drive shaft and arranged between two adjacent turbines; and a second linking mechanism connecting at least one of the posts to the around by a rigid connection with respect to the ground along at least one axis parallel to the liquid motion direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Achard, Didier Imbault, Thierry Maitre
  • Patent number: 7531072
    Abstract: A device for reversibly displacing at least one volume of liquid under the effect of an electrical control, including first electrically conductive device, second electrically conductive device, and a device for inducing a reversible displacement of a volume of liquid, from the first to the second electrically conductive devices, without contact with the conductive device during the displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignees: Commissariat A l'Energie Atomique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Jean-Maxime Roux, Jean-Luc Achard, Yves Fouillet
  • Publication number: 20090104080
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for isolating, on a reactive surface, an analyte from a liquid sample containing the analyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicants: BIOMERIEUX, COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Frederic Ginot, Jean-Luc Achard, Laurent Drazek, Pascale Pham
  • Publication number: 20080295687
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for air/water extraction by semi-humid electrostatic collection, comprising a chamber (7) containing a discharge electrode (1) for generating an ion flow from an ionized gas accumulation surrounding the discharge electrode (1) and a counter-electrode (2), an inlet (3) for mixing air and aerosol to be extracted which contains liquid or solid particles, a steam supply tube (8) and an outlet (4) for cleansed air. The invention is characterized in that the device enables stream to be introduced through said steam supply tube (8) in the gap between the discharge electrode (1) and the counter-electrode (2) so as to form a steam sheath (10) enclosing the discharge electrode over its entire length, such that the treated air is not steam-saturated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Ernest Galbrun, Jean Luc Achard, Yves Fouillet, Raymond Charles
  • Patent number: 7449341
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for isolating an analyte from an initial sample containing same, on a reactive surface in contact with all or part of the initial sample, characterized in that it comprises the following steps which consist in: 1) forming and/or maintaining a reaction volume entity, comprising an internal liquid medium, corresponding to all or part of the initial sample, the entity including an interface with an external medium, having with the latter a surface tension; 2) applying a temperature difference between at least two thermal points located: a) proximate to and/or b) on the surface and/or c) within said entity, said thermal points being respectively different, in terms of temperature and positioning; 3) fixing the analyte on the reactive surface, positioned on the path of forces convection generated by the temperature difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignees: Biomerieux, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Frederic Ginot, Jean-Luc Achard, Laurent Drazek, Pascale Pham
  • Patent number: 7211223
    Abstract: The device enables a second drop to be mixed in a first drop deposited on an electrically insulating layer of an analysis support, in a viscous liquid environment and to mix the resulting drop. The device comprises at least one injector forming the second drop above the first drop. After formation of the second drop, a voltage impulse is applied between a first electrode, arranged under the electrically insulating layer of the analysis support, underneath the first drop, and a second electrode arranged near the outlet orifice of the injector. The voltage impulse fosters the coalescence phenomenon between the two drops, while preventing risks of contamination of the injector by the reagent of the first drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Commissariat A. l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Yves Fouillet, Jean-Luc Achard, Olivier Fuchs
  • Publication number: 20050179746
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for reversibly displacing at least one volume of liquid (10) under the effect of an electrical control, comprising first electrically conductive means (8), second electrically conductive means (4), and means for inducing a reversible displacement of a volume of liquid, from the first to the second electrically conductive means, without contact with said conductive means during the displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicants: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: Jean-Maxime Roux, Jean-Luc Achard, Yves Fouillet
  • Publication number: 20050064603
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for isolating an analyte from an initial sample containing same, on a reactive surface in contact with all or part of the initial sample, characterized in that it comprises the following steps which consist in: 1) forming and/or maintaining a reaction volume entity, comprising an internal liquid medium, corresponding to all or part of the initial sample, the entity including an interface with an external medium, having with the latter a surface tension; 2) applying a temperature difference between at least two thermal points located: a) proximate to and/or b) on the surface and/or c) within said entity, said thermal points being respectively different, in terms of temperature and positioning; 3) fixing the analyte on the reactive surface, positioned on the path of forces convection generated by the temperature difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Frederic Ginot, Jean-Luc Achard, Laurent Drazek, Pascale Pham
  • Publication number: 20040136876
    Abstract: The device enables a second drop to be mixed in a first drop deposited on an electrically insulating layer of an analysis support, in a viscous liquid environment and to mix the resulting drop. The device comprises at least one injector forming the second drop above the first drop. After formation of the second drop, a voltage impulse is applied between a first electrode, arranged under the electrically insulating layer of the analysis support, underneath the first drop, and a second electrode arranged near the outlet orifice of the injector. The voltage impulse fosters the coalescence phenomenon between the two drops, while preventing risks of contamination of the injector by the reagent of the first drop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Yves Fouillet, Jean-Luc Achard, Olivier Fuchs