Patents by Inventor Philippe Pradel

Philippe Pradel 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).

  • Method for treating spent nuclear fuel
    Patent number: 8394346
    Abstract: A method for treating spent nuclear fuel, which includes first decontaminating the uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in a nitric aqueous phase resulting from dissolving the nuclear fuel in HNO3. The uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in the solvent phase is then split in a first aqueous phase and a second aqueous phase. Next, the first aqueous phase is stored. Following, the plutonium or other mixtures found in the first aqueous phase is purified relative to the fission products still found in said phase, in order to obtain, at the end of said purification, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of Pu and U or Pu, U and Np. Finally the resulting mixture of Pu and U or the mixture of Pu, U and Np is co-converted into a mixed oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignees: Areva NC, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Jean Luc Emin, Francois Drain, Francois Poncelet, Binh Dinh, Philippe Pradel, Pascal Baron, Michel Masson
  • METHOD FOR TREATING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
    Publication number: 20120128555
    Abstract: A method for treating spent nuclear fuel, which includes first decontaminating the uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in a nitric aqueous phase resulting from dissolving the nuclear fuel in HNO3. The uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in the solvent phase is then split in a first aqueous phase and a second aqueous phase. Next, the first aqueous phase is stored. Following, the plutonium or other mixtures found in the first aqueous phase is purified relative to the fission products still found in said phase, in order to obtain, at the end of said purification, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of Pu and U or Pu, U and Np. Finally the resulting mixture of Pu and U or the mixture of Pu, U and Np is co-converted into a mixed oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicants: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, AREVA NC
    Inventors: Jean Luc Emin, Francois Drain, Francois Poncelet, Binh Dinh, Philippe Pradel, Pascal Baron, Michel Masson