[en] The construction and the startup of the Eurochemic reprocessing pilot plant is presented. (AF)

No abstract available

[en] A physico-chemical water treatment system including a clarifier and a cation ion-exchange column of sodium cycle has been designed and constructed to obtain experience in design and technology of these systems. Water hardness is reduced from 500 PPM to zero PPM by reaction of lime with raw water in clarifier and passage of this partially softened water through the cation ion-exchange column for complete softening. The system has the capacity of treating 30,000 liters of water per cycle of operation. Ascending water velocity in the clarifier and volume and concentration of the regenerant and flow rate of water in the cation ion-exchange column have been experimentally determined. The project has enhanced and upgraded ENTEC'S water experts abilities to design and construct water treatment systems at higher industrial scales. (Author)

[en] Research and development activities would involve the scaled modelling activities in order to investigate theory, facts, thesis or concepts. In commercialisation activities, scaling-up proses is necessary for the development of pilot plants or prototypes. The issue with scaled modelling is the similarity between the small scaled model and the full scaled prototype in all aspects of the system such as physical appearance, dimension and the system behaviour. Similarly, for scaling-up process, physical parameters and behaviour of a smaller model need to be developed into a bigger prototype with similar system. Either way, the modelling process must be able to produce a reliable representation of the system or process so that the objectives or functions of the system can be achieved. This paper discusses a modelling method which may be able to produce similar representation of any system or process either in scaled-model testing or scaling-up processes. (author)

[en] The paper brings to light some of the reasons why technology transfer is difficult in fusion, examines some of the impediments to the process, and finally looks at a successful example of technology transfer. The paper considers some subjective features of fusion - one might call them the sociology of fusion - that are none the less real and that serve as impediments to technology transfer

[en] This paper reports that to evaluate accurately the effects of a loss of offsite power at a plant site with multiple units, an approach has been developed which accounts for t myriad of multiple unit conditions which may exist. This approach has been demonstrated successfully at multiple unit sites, and has proven to be a valuable tool in the identification of potential inter-unit vulnerabilities associated with loss of offsite power events

No abstract available

[en] This paper, reviews briefly the technological difficulties encountered in designing a blanket, this component of the fusion reactor which performes two crucial tasks: to recover 80% of the energy released by the fusion reaction, and to breed tritium to replace that burned in the fusion process. The four blanket concepts presently developed in the European Community have been designed so as to meet the specifications of a fusion demonstration reactor. Two of these concepts rely on the use lithiated ceramics as breeding material of beryllium as neutron multiplier material, and of helium as coolant. They mainly differ by the cooling system: pressure tubes for one externally-cooled breeder rods for the other. The two other concepts use Li₁₇Pb₈₃. One is water-cooled, the other self-cooled

[en] Mining and processing plant projects are very capital intensive and as such tend to follow the typical project development route of 1) Scoping Study (SS), 2) Pre-feasibility Study (PFS) and 3) Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS). This is an attempt at mitigating risk at each stage and to identify the development option(s) which will yield the highest probability of financial success. The early phases are an opportunity to evaluate the various options, to define the most viable processing route with the lowest capital and technical risks. The use of metallurgical testing is key to remove risk that can have a negative impact on capital cost as well as ongoing operating costs. Metallurgical testing and piloting are essential to properly assessing the appropriate processing route to produce the desired end-product from variable ores which are potentially mined over many years. This enables the selection of the most appropriate flowsheet and has a direct impact on capital costs. Extended piloting campaigns at the DFS phase are also a way to minimize risks for operating costs. Changes or modifications of the flowsheet at the early stages of the project are much less costly than at later stages. In some cases, it is impossible to change the fundamental process once the project has been given the Notice to Proceed (NTP). Metallurgical testing and piloting is of particular importance for the fast-growing market for lithium ion battery feedstock such as cobalt and nickel sulphate and lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. This is due to the fact that the processing methods are not tried-and-tested mature processes. The feed materials are highly complex and variable, and the end-product specifications are very tight and require careful process control and development. This makes metallurgical testing and piloting crucial in the development of a project. Case studies will be presented. (author)

[en] Full text: This study concluded with a series of suggestions concerning the methodology of maintaining a Cryogenics Nuclear Plant where the maintenance is either fundamental or only of importance. The implementation of this methodology can be achieved in two main steps. The first step concerns the conception of the scientific basis for maintenance, while the second step regards the implementation. The first step describes the management of maintenance in conditions of quality, risk and cost constraints. The conditions are established on the basis of a project of research in maintenance. The second step notifies the aspects of design and technology in maintenance of nuclear industrial units. The nuclear complex technical systems of the Cryogenics Pilot Plant at ICSI - Rm Valcea implies the development of some dedicated software, to ensure the designing, realization and operation of the plant, and prototypes of integrated software modules, to ensure the systems operation during of the life cycle. The implementation method is based on vibration analyses and mechanical studies while a flexible data acquisition system for monitoring, and control must be developed as a platform to ensure a more precise diagnosis and prediction of machinery malfunction. With a flexible data acquisition and analysis system in operation it is possible to easily increase the number of input channels. (author)