The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 28, 2006
Maximilian Körzendörfer, Forchheim, DE;
Andreas Möckel, Grossenseebach, DE;
Bernd Block, Erlangen, DE;
Hans-joachim Lippert, Höchstadt, DE;
Maximilian Körzendörfer, Forchheim, DE;
Andreas Möckel, Grossenseebach, DE;
Bernd Block, Erlangen, DE;
Hans-Joachim Lippert, Höchstadt, DE;
Areva NP GmbH, Erlangen, DE;
Abstract
In a method for heat treating a fuel assembly channel made of zircaloy, the channel is continuously moved relative to a heat-treatment device and, longitudinal sections of it are heated to the beta phase range in an inductive heating zone. The longitudinal section of the channel heated in this manner is than cooled in a cooling zone to a temperature within an alpha phase range. The heat treatment is effected by at least two heating devices, which are spaced apart from one another, operate independently of each other, and each contain at least one induction coil and together form a heating zone. The channel section is first heated using a first heating device and then heat-treated using a second heating device which has less power and in that cooling is effected using a stream of inert gas applied to the outer surface of the channel.