[en] One of the first Nuclear Innovation Boot-camps was organized by the Berkeley University in august 2016, its aim was to develop innovation in nuclear technology through a collective approach in which people from different sectors share information and knowledge. The rules to follow come from the EFICA method: first, no censorship during the 'construction' phase, any idea is welcome; secondly, the more ideas, the more likely to get a relevant one; thirdly, unrealistic ideas can be turned into realistic ideas more often than expected so participants have to be imaginative; and fourthly, favor discussions in which ideas from different participants combine and generate new ideas. The Breakthrough Institute has made 5 propositions to favour innovation in the American nuclear sector: 1) to reform the certification process so that small companies can take part into it; 2) to make public laboratory equipment available to private enterprises; 3) to increase the public financing of research; 4) to let the private sector select the most appropriate technology even if there are public funds in the process. (A.C.)

[en] 3 leaders working in the nuclear industry for 3 different French entities: AREVA, EDF and CEA detail the role of innovation for tomorrow's nuclear energy. For AREVA, innovation is the response to the 4 challenges facing nuclear industry: improving the current business models, getting more modern and reliable plants, anticipating customers' wishes, and luring new young talents to ensure the future of the nuclear industry. As for EDF, innovation is the tool that will make nuclear energy absolutely necessary to counter-balance the intermittency of most renewable energies. EDF sees 3 main challenges to overcome: reactor safety, load following and developing a broader offer of reactors including small and modular reactors. For CEA, it is necessary to get a broad view of new nuclear systems and the nature of innovations can be very varied and for instance it can focus on a particular spot like fuel cladding or metal corrosion or on a complete new type of reactor. Innovation should also lead towards more predictive simulations. In all cases nuclear industry requires a better public financing for accelerating the implementation of innovations. (A.C.)

[en] Within the framework of the 'France Relance' program, 2 projects concerning welding have been selected. The first one has been proposed by Onet Technologies, the aim is to develop an automated welding process able to adapt its parameters (speed, voltage, intensity, oscillation...) in real time and to assess the quality of the weld before the final testing. This welding process will be developed first for the welding of pipes on site. The second project, called SOUFLUX is proposed by CIMAT. It consists in the purchase and installation of a new machine allowing the automation of welding of big components in factory. All the parameters of the welding (intensity, speed,...) will be recorded to ensure traceability. The machine will be 5 to 6 times as quick as a certified welder for long welds. The aim of the 2 projects is to improve the quality of welds and to get the job well done at the first attempt. (A.C.)

[en] Nuclear industry plays an important role for instrumentation manufacturers and for service suppliers. This role is more an question of high-tech, know-how and company image than a matter of turnover. Nuclear activities are highly regulated and procedural: a lot of tests, checks and calculations have to be performed for new equipment and the consequences of the Fukushima accident and the EDF's policy of extending the operating life of reactors have strengthened this trend. The high levels of excellence demanded for companies working in the nuclear sector allows them to apply the same standards in other industrial sectors which is good for their competitiveness. Although the nuclear sector appears to be ahead of its time for issues concerning quality, reliability and safety, it has to face other challenges such as digitalization, 2.2 future industry, composite materials, internet of things or cyber-security, like any other industrial sector. Progress in robotics, additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence open the way for promising technological applications in the nuclear industry. (A.C.)

[en] Innovation is the guiding principle of most enterprises. At Orano Melox site a FabLab has been installed to accelerate innovation. This FabLab is equipped with 3D laser printers, a laser cutting machine, tools for virtual reality and there is also an electronic bench. This FabLab is run by a dynamic team and is open to all employees and subcontractors. It eases a quick testing of new ideas and will favor creativity through discussions with people from different backgrounds and enterprises. Being innovative means also being able to implement on-the-shelf new technologies that can improve the competitiveness of the enterprise. For instance Orano has chosen the Vokkero system that allows an efficient communication between workers in very noisy environments. (A.C.)

[en] Sodium tripolyphosphate, a condensed phosphate applied in various industries, can be produced according to a new dry single-stage method or a classic spray drying two-stage method. To compare variants of sodium tripolyphosphate production, three multi-criteria methods (Borda, compromise programming and analytical hierarchy process) were applied. Assessment criteria of individual—best available technologies not entailing excessive costs options of sodium tripolyphosphate production and complex quality assessment calculation results allowed for the determination of a decision matrix for a choice of sodium tripolyphosphate production technology based on the applied decision methods. Applying the above methods allowed for ordering of the variants of tripolyphosphate production from the most to the least advantageous. The use of various criteria types (technological options and indices for complex quality assessment) as evaluation criteria in multi-criteria analysis allowed for an independent evaluation of the technology. Calculations from Borda and compromise programming methods showed that, in all cases, the assessment criteria used reached the highest possible level for dry single-stage technology for sodium tripolyphosphate production. Results obtained by analytical hierarchy process method confirmed the conclusions from Borda and compromise programming methods. Ranking of the developed technological solutions indicated the dry single-stage method of sodium tripolyphosphate production to be the advantageous technological variant.

[en] Nuclear industry uses digital tools to a large extend to improve its competitiveness, to accelerate innovation cycles and to be attractive to young engineers and technicians. To face big challenges like EDF's Big Review program or reactor dismantling projects, digital 3-dimension twins of nuclear installations have been built thanks to photos and on-site laser scanning. Another use of digital tools appears as a great time-saver in the management of controls and tests of equipment: all the documentation (texts, photos, present and previous results, certificates,...) have been entered in an application that generates a technical report and draws a synthesis automatically. (A.C.)

No abstract available

[en] Nuclear Innovation Institute will seize the opportunity the nuclear industry faces today to accelerate our future by advancing technologies to adopt a modernized approach to make operations more efficient, adaptable and cost effective, and sustainable from a societal and environmental perspective

No abstract available