1. business and industrial
2. energy
3. renewable energy
4. solar energy

4
AROUND
THE WORLD
8
© D.Michon/Artechnique-CEA
15
© H. Cachier-CEA
/// China becomes
a fully fledged member of the GIF
/// 14 teaching experts meet in Ghana
/// CEA and Helmhotz-Gemeinschaft
sign new cooperation
/// Indo-French collaboration in Nanosciences
/// European research council
scientific excellence
SOLAR ENERGY
/// Components
/// Projects
/// Buildings
CLEANUP
AND DISMANTLING
© A. Gonin-CEA
/// Techniques
/// Competences
/// Special Funding
© P. Stroppa-CEA
23
SCIENTIFIC
HIGHLIGHTS
/// CDs and DVDs
A rhapsody in blue
/// Risk management
Going after the gas layer
/// Imaging the human brain
with 7-Tesla MRI system
CEA News is edited by the French Atomic Energy Commission – Communication
Division – Headquarters – 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex - France - www.cea.fr
Publication Director: Xavier Clément
Contributors to this edition: Claire Abou, Anne-Marie Birac, Patrick Cappe de Baillon,
Olivier Caron, Xavier Clément, Pascale Delbourgo, Thierry Ethvignot,
Didier Kechemair, Florence Klotz, Lucia Le Clech, Brigitte Raffray, Priscille Valentin
[email protected]
Graphic design: MAYA press - www.mayapress.net
Cover photo: © D.Michon/Artechnique/CEA
CEA NEWS 2 March 2008
/// Glass of Embiez
tells its tale
/// Pollution and the Olympic
games in Beijing
30
EXHIBITIONS
FOREWORD
The Embassy counselor Network, key
part of the CEA's international policies,
is also there to serve you in your work
The CEA has a network of representatives within the French Embassies in our
leading partner countries. This network is overseen by the CEA International
Relations Division. The names and e-mail addresses of these contacts are regularly
printed on the back of CEA News. Faithful readers who remember back to the first
issue may have noticed that the CEA has been spreading the network ever wider. It
was initially formed around the major nuclear powers, with bases in Washington,
Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, Vienna (IAEA) and Brussels (European Union). Over the last
two years, representatives have taken up new posts in Berlin, London, Helsinki,
Budapest and New Delhi, with another posting soon to open in Rome. In South Korea
and India, our representatives are referred to as “energy and new technologies
advisors”. Their role may reach into multiple countries around the capital where they
are based, as is the case in Moscow, Berlin, Helsinki and Budapest. CEA representatives
are always attached to the French diplomatic mission, and often have a small staff
team that is heavily involved in direct contacts with local counterparts. This network
provides a great opportunity for the CEA and the wider French nuclear research
community to promote and further international cooperation in the various fields
that the CEA works in, ranging from the specifics of the nuclear sector to basic
research and technological development. The representatives also regularly feed back
press articles to French research bodies, whenever the subjects are related to our
collaborative ventures. The International Relations Division regularly draws the
representatives together for meetings, during which experiences from the various
different host countries are shared by team members.
Nuclear advisors based in Brussels, working with the European Union, and in
Vienna, working with the IAEA, also work to promote France’s interests within these
international bodies.
These contacts are a key part of the CEA's international policies, and are also there
to serve you in your work. Whether you are looking for information on our scientific
or technological activities, a contact with our laboratories, a potential collaborative
venture or simply want to find out more about the CEA's international policy stance,
please do get in touch. Our representatives can then put you in touch with the right
people within the CEA, and will do all they can to help you make a success of your
project. They draw on their knowledge of our activities, their personal energy and
drive, and their language skills (don't worry, this is an important criterion for us).
My aim, therefore, writing from the International Relations Division HQ in Saclay,
France, is to encourage each of these representatives to work to further develop their
contacts with all players within our field in their host countries. In the next few
issues of CEA News you will be hearing more from each of the representatives about
I
their posting and their key activities.
Mr. Olivier Caron
Director of International Relations
Photos: © GéoAtlas
CEA NEWS 3 March 2008
AroundTheWorld
Nuclear energy
RENEWED INTEREST
IN NUCLEAR ENERGY
The renewal of interest in the nuclear energy sector was
confirmed in 2007 all over the world.
Geoatlas ©1998 Graphi-Ogre
The CEA has responded to this by developing its activities
in Europe and the rest of the world and reasserting its
support for French industry. This is consistent with its
strategy to ensure that French nuclear expertise is exploited
to the full. Today, many countries are seeking to gain access
to or develop civil nuclear technology. This can be seen the
world over, from the Far East and South Asia, with China,
India, Korea, Vietnam and Japan, to the nations along the
southern shores of the Mediterranean, with Morocco, Tunisia,
Libya, Algeria and Egypt, from other countries in the Arab world,
such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and even Saudi Arabia, to
South Africa and the USA. Some of these countries signed agreements
with France last year.
NUCLEAR
ENERGY
EXPANSION
Through the support it gives to
major industry players in this
field in France, the CEA also
seeks to put French nuclear
expertise to the best possible
use for export markets.
A number of countries signed an
agreement with France in 2007
giving them access to civil
nuclear energy. Morocco, Algeria
and the United Arab Emirates
were among them.
There was a strong demand that
year from countries wishing to
acquire nuclear technology or
develop their existing capabilities.
North African and Middle Eastern
countries included Tunisia, Libya,
Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
MEETING
14 teaching experts meet in Ghana
under the auspices of the IAEA
© D.R.
The International Atomic Energy Agency
held an international technical meeting in
Ghana from 11 to 14 September 2007. The
aim of the meeting was to promote training
and teaching using accelerators in the field
of nuclear sciences. Fourteen international
experts met to exchange ideas on the issues
surrounding accelerators and the current
situation in the teaching of nuclear sciences
and research in the field and to identify
and highlight international collaboration.
“Following this meeting, we are now in a
position to make recommendations on the
approach to be adopted when a country wishes
to conduct nuclear-related training using an
accelerator as a teaching tool,” explained
Lucile Beck, a member of the group of
experts and associate professor at INSTN
(French National Institute for Nuclear
Science and Technology).
CEA NEWS 4 March 2008
AroundTheWorld
“Energy Sources and Climate”:
CEA AND HELMHOLTZ-GEMEINSCHAFT
SIGN NEW COOPERATION MoU
bilateral cooperation agreements will be signed
with the different Helmholtz centers.
The main aim is to develop complementarity
and encourage exchanges
involving scientists in the
fields of nuclear energy,
renewable energy (solar and
photovoltaic energy, biomass),
hydrogen economy, energy
storage and research on
climate and the environment.
Other topics of common
interest may also be included
in the bilateral agreements, such as supercomputers
and health technologies.
Research on fusion and on the fundamental laws
of the universe will continue to be carried out
jointly on a larger scale at international level.
This closer cooperation is part of the CEA's policy
to forge strategic partnerships with the following
German research institutions: the Fraunhofer,
Max Planck, Helmholtz and Leibnitz institutes.
Germany is the CEA's number one partner in
Europe as far as patents and joint publications
are concerned.
© CEA
The CEA and the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, a key
research player in Germany, have decided to take
their collaboration on energy sources and climate
issues to a new level. A
cooperation Memorandum
of Understanding on the
subject of “Energy Sources
and Climate” was signed
in Berlin on December 3,
2007 by Alain Bugat,
Chairman of the CEA
and the Chairman of the
Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft,
Jürgen Mlynek. The MoU takes into account
the strong involvement of the two organizations
in this field and the growing importance the related
issues will assume in the near future.
Certain countries (including Germany and France)
and the European Union have defined a number
of energy and climate-related objectives as part
of a determined policy to address energy and
climate issues. These objectives, which include
reducing CO2 emissions, developing renewable
energy sources and improving energy efficiency,
can only be achieved through a considerable
R&D effort.
The MoU is the first step towards closer
cooperation between the two organizations ;
See also:
> www.botschaft-frankreich.de
C ooperation
© D.R.
An European Research Grouping on fuel
cells and hydrogen
The European Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technology
Platform (HFP) has proposed to create a Research Grouping
of European non-profit public research organisations,
universities ans research centres. Already 40 research
organisations over 15 countries have joined this initiative.
They represent about 1,500 researchers covering all the
fields of Research, Development and Innovation related
to Fuel Cells and Hydrogen : from the atom of hydrogen
to a prototype. The organisation of this grouping has been
assigned to Alain Bugat, Vice-Chairman of the Hydrogen
and Fuel Cells Technology Platform, and CEA's Chairman.
> https://www.hfpeurope.org/hfp/research-news
CEA NEWS 5 March 2008
E nvironment
Global warming
and energy sources:
the CEA
presents its
research online
Following the French Environmental
Summit (known in France as the “Grenelle
de l'Environnement”), a multimedia section
devoted to the CEA's research activities in
the field has been put online. The section
provides an overview of CEA research
activities aimed at measuring global
warming and developing sources of energy
with low carbon emission: nuclear energy
for the future, solar energy, hydrogen and
second-generation biofuels.
How can accurate assessments be made
of global warming? What can be done
about the rocketing energy consumption
in emerging countries? What technology
innovations will be needed to develop
sources of energy that do not emit
greenhouse gases? What role will be played
by future nuclear technology, hydrogen,
photovoltaic solar energy and secondgeneration biofuels? The answers to all
these questions can be found in the CEA's
special section on “Energy and Climate:
Research Challenges” (Energies, Climat :
les Défis de la recherche” on the website
www.cea.fr).
The section features an overview of the
issues studied and current avenues of
research, a selection of documents and
websites for those who wish to learn more
about the subject and video interviews
with leading scientists including Jean Jouzel,
Research Director and member of the
IPCC1, Jacques Bouchard, Chairman of
the Generation IV International Forum2,
Philippe Malbranche, of the Solar
Technology Department and Pierre SerreCombe, in charge of the hydrogen
technology program.
1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
2. The Generation IV International Forum or GIF
was set up on the initiative of the United States
Department of Energy to promote international
cooperation in the development of newgeneration nuclear systems.
AroundTheWorld
© CEA
The CEA and the Indian
Departement of Atomic Energy
(DAE) have signed up an
agreement in 2004 in which a
part is devoted to initiate
collaborations in the field of
Nanosciences. DAE is represented
by Prof Jatinder Yakhmi (Associate
Director, Physics Group, and
Head, Technical Physics &
Prototype Engineering Division)
Dr. Ariana FILORAMO (IRAMIS/SPEC:
Service de Physique de l’Etat Condensé)
giving a presentation of Nanosciences at
the Indo-French Technical Association of
Bombay (IFTA).
and gathers eight research centers
located in India. CEA is
represented by the new Saclay
Institute of Matter and Radiation
(IRAMIS : Institut Rayonnement
Matière de Saclay). First contacts
have been taken since 2005 and
first visits have been organised in
2006 when an Indian delegation
was welcomed in France (Saclay,
Caen and Grenoble). Three
collaborations projects already run
between Indian and French teams:
• “Study of superconductivity in
one dimension nanostructures”,
• “Nanoparticles at interfaces”,
• “Interfaces, self-assembly and
nanophase materials”.
To enforce and enlarge the
collaboration, a visit to the DAE
labs was organised in October
2007. The French delegation,
led by Dr. Pascal Boulanger (Deputy
Head of IRAMIS), was composed
of researchers from IRAMIS and
© DR
Indo-French Collaboration in Nanosciences
Indo-French workshop in SINP (Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics SINP – Kolkatta).
INAC (Institut des Nanosciences
et de Cryotechnologie) and
accompanied by Dr. Doris
Neumann (CEA / International
Relations Division) and the
Embassy nuclear counselor
Hugues de Longevialle. They
visited five research centers during
a very intensive, interesting and
lively week. This visit opens news
ways of collaboration. As a result,
an Indo-French Workshop on
Nanoscience will be held in Saclay
in 6-10 October 2008, with
an emphasis put on young
researchers in order to give both
Indian and French young
researchers the opportunity to
extend their network in our
respective countries.
EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE
GRANT FOR THREE YOUNG SCIENTISTS FROM CEA
Géraldine Servant's field of
research involves cosmology
and particle physics beyond
the standard model and, more
specifically, dark matter and its
possible manifestations,
at the LHC.
CEA NEWS 6 March 2008
© P. Stroppa - CEA
Dimitrios Sakellariou
isdeveloping a highly
innovative, high-resolution
nuclear magnetic
resonance equipment
concept, which has great
potential for applications in
the fields of medicine and
biochemistry.
© P. Stroppa - CEA
The Specific Programme “Ideas”, set up to fund
exploratory research at the frontiers of knowledge,
is the major innovation in the 7th EU Framework
Programme for Research and Development
(FP7). Its aim will be to promote excellence,
irrespective of the field of research, and encourage
the emergence of top-level projects to make
Europe more competitive by attracting top
international scientists to its laboratories. The
Sacha Brun's project involves modeling
solar turbulence using high-performance
computers. This type of phenomenon
may, in particular, initiate magnetic events
that can be observed from earth and which
may have an impact on human activities.
© CEA
As part of the 7th European Union Framework
Programme for Research and Development
(FP7), three scientists from the Physical
Sciences Division at CEA, Sacha Brun,
Dimitrios Sakellariou and Géraldine Servant,
are to be awarded a grant of up to
400,000 euros per year over a five-year period
by the European Research Council (ERC).
The grant rewards their innovative projects,
which have a strong impact on the
advancement of knowledge.
program is piloted by the European Research
Council (ERC) and involves 22 eminent
European scientists, with a budget of 7.4 billion
euros over seven years (representing some 15%
of the FP7 budget). Its grants are aimed at
two categories of scientists: young scientists
with 2-9 years' post-doc experience and more
experienced scientists.
Amid fierce competition, three young researchers
from CEA (Saclay Center) were awarded the
first grants for young scientists. Two of them,
Dimitrios Sakellariou and Sacha Brun, will
continue their work at CEA. Géraldine Servant
will continue her research project at Cern.
For further information:
> The Physical Sciences Division (DSM)
www-dsm.cea.fr
> European Research Council (ERC)
erc.europa.eu
> European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern)
public.web.cern.ch
AroundTheWorld
G E N E R AT I O N I V
China becomes a fully fledged member
of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF)
© V. Arnaud-CEA
The People's Republic of China has
acceded to the Framework Agreement
for International Collaboration on Research
and Development of Generation IV
Nuclear Energy Systems.
The announcement of its accession to this
Framework Agreement was made on
November 29, 2007 at the 22nd meeting
of the Generation IV International Forum
(GIF) Steering Committee, which took
place in Kyongju, Republic of Korea.
Following on from the signature of
the Forum's Charter by the Chinese
authorities in November 2006, the
accession formalizes China's membership
of the GIF and demonstrates its
commitment to playing an active role
in the research and development work
of the organization. With Chinese
membership confirmed, the GIF now
brings together most of the major
countries seeking to develop nuclear
energy as a way of meeting their
growing energy needs.
GIF members are working together to
develop new nuclear systems that meet
specific criteria including: the effective
use of natural resources, minimal waste
production, anti-proliferation measures
and enhanced physical protection, low
production costs compared with other
sources of energy and a level of financial
risk which is comparable to that of other
energy projects. Eight members have now
acceded to the Framework Agreement
(Canada, China, France, Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United
States and the European Atomic Energy
Community) while the remaining five
have yet to accede (Argentina, Brazil, the
Russian Federation, the Republic of South
Africa and the United Kingdom).
THE CEA TAKES PART IN EUROPEAN NUCLEAR ENERGY FORUM
FIRST KAERI-CEA
GENERAL SEMINAR
Following the renewal of their agreement
on April 11, 2007, the CEA and its Korean
counterpart,the KAERI,organized a seminar
in Daejeon on December 10-13, for talks
on scientific and technical cooperation in
the nuclear field.
© GéoAtlas
• Positive role of nuclear energy within the
framework of the fight against global warming,
• competitiveness of nuclear power,
• need for harmonized licensing procedures,
• continued proficiency and availability of
human resources,
• european regulatory framework on nuclear
safety and waste management,
• transparency and public information.
Dominique Ristori, Deputy Director General in
for Energy and Transport, concluded by stating
his support for the benefits of nuclear whilst
balancing against the need for continued work to
be made on waste management, continued highlevel of safety standards and more information for
the general public.
The seminar reflects the ambition of both
organizations to build up their relations and
focus on more concrete and closely targeted
projects. Many projects covering a wide
range of topics were identified, including
safety in light-water reactors, developing
fast-neutron reactors, dismantling and
waste management, research reactor fuel,
high-temperature materials, hydrogen
production and pyrochemical fuel treatment
processes. More than 20 cooperation
proposals were drawn up.
© D.R.
The ENEF, created by the European Council
on 8/9 March 2007, held its first meeting
in Bratislava on 26/27 November.
Opening the Forum, the Prime Ministers of the
Czech Republic, Mirek Topolanek, and Slovakia,
Robert Fico, sent strong signals in favour of nuclear,
as President of the European Commission Jose
Manuel Barroso in a welcome message.
Jean-Pierre Leroux, Vice-Chairman of the CEA,
demonstrated that much progress has been made
in 30 years. Philippe Pradel, as president of the
Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technological Platform,
presented the expected advances by fourth
generation reactors.
A review of interventions reveals a lot of points
of convergence:
CEA NEWS 7 March 2008
SOLAR ENERGY
TOPICS TO EXPLORE
/// Components /// Projects /// Buildings
PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY:
SOLAR COMPONENTS FOR
THE FUTURE FROM THE LCS
The LCS – the solar components laboratory of LITEN 1 Institute – is working with industry
and research to devise silicon-based technologies for developing new materials, cells
and manufacturing processes that offer improved performance at a lower cost.
I
© F.Vigouroux-CEA
n 2005, the LCS launched the
Phare project with the main aim
of developing a process for
manufacturing photovoltaic cells
on crystalline silicon with a 20%
peak conversion efficiency. The
project team has set itself a 2009
deadline to achieve this. The first
phase consists in screening all the standard
processes and non-conventional architectures,
such as back-contact solar cells, amorphous
silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction cells and
thin cells with a thin emitter and localized BSF.
The laboratory is also a stakeholder in the
TWIN project that was initiated at the end
of 2005 by two manufacturers – Photowatt
and EMIX – in association with two public
sector laboratories – the ENSCP and CEA.
The goal of this project is to create a silicon
ingot manufacturing process based on plasma
purification and electromagnetic casting –
or EMC – that will bring the price down below
the €20/kilo mark. The raw material will be
obtained by mixing several sources of silicon.
It will then be purified by plasma treatment.
The ENSCP will deal with the plasma parameter
research side of the problem, while EMIX,
which is responsible for making the silicon
ingots using the EMC method, will set up
an R&D continuous drawing pilot facility
using a cold crucible coupled with an
RF plasma torch placed above the molten bath.
The aim is to make 15x15 cm silicon blocks
with a fine-grain structure (for more solid
wafers) which can then be cut into very thin
wafers (180 µm). The CEA's task is to optimize
the cell manufacturing process to obtain
maximum efficiency before the cells are tested
on PHOTOWATT'S production lines.
The QC-Passi project, which also involves the
CNRS and ECN, focuses on the development
of amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon
heterojunction cells with all the contacts on
the back of the cell (i.e. back-contact cells).
Conversion efficiency should exceed 20%
with this architecture.
Another project – the Duosil project – was
launched at the end of 2006 with support
from the French National Research Agency
(ANR) to demonstrate the feasibility of
photovoltaic cells using silicon nanoparticles
or nanowires by 2009. Theoretically, it should
be possible to combine a conventional silicon
cell (with a 1.1 eV forbidden band) and a
silicon nanoparticle- or nanowire-based cell
(with a 1.7 eV band gap) to obtain a dualjunction cell with a potential efficiency of
42%. The laboratory will consider several
processes for manufacturing nanoscale
objects. These processes include pulverization
and laser pyrolysis for nanoparticles and
growth by CVD and chemical etching for
nanowires. The purpose of this study is to
identify the properties required to produce
photovoltaic cells, such as forbidden band
width, size, absorption coefficient, doping
and photoconductivity.
The first two years of the project team's work
will be devoted to producing and characterizing
nanoparticles and nanowires. At the same
time, a significant amount of work will be put
into simulating the quantum confinement
and conduction properties found in these
nanostructures (nanocrystals and nanowires).
Work during the third year will focus on
making a single cell (with a single junction)
from nanoparticles or nanowires.
Michel Queruel/Marc Jary
Le Mensuel de Grenoble No.118
December 2007
1. LITEN: Laboratory for
Innovation in New Energy
Technologies and
Nanomaterials.
> EMIX: Emix makes and sells
polycrystalline silicon blocks
and wafers used primarily for
photovoltaic solar energy cells.
> ENSCP: National School
of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering in Paris and
the Pierre et Marie Curie
University. Condensed Matter
Chemistry Laboratory, jointly
run by the CNRS.
> PHOTOWATT: One of Europe's
leading photovoltaic systems
manufacturers, founded in 1979.
> ECN: Ecole Centrale of Nantes.
CEA NEWS 8 March 2008
PV ALLIANCE
© D.Michon/Artechnique-CEA
A LEADING SOLAR ENERGY CONSORTIUM IN FRANCE
”
© A.Gonin/CEA
Front of a multicrystalline
silicon photovoltaic cell: grid
contact and anti-reflection coating.
HIGHER-EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS
FROM THE RESTAURE PLATFORM
If photovoltaic electricity is to compete successfully with other
energy sources, performance must be improved, which is why
the CEA decided to build a new technology platform to optimize
silicon solar cell manufacturing processes.
The aim of the platform is to obtain higher electrical conversion
efficiency more cheaply.
The Restaure technology platform, built
with backing from the ADEME1, started
up in 2003. It consists of a 1,200 m2
laboratory (including 650 m2 of clean
rooms) and all the equipment required
to make large, high-efficiency, crystalline
silicon photovoltaic cells. Thanks to
this platform, research teams can now
assess new photovoltaic materials or
test new equipment and processes
under conditions representative of
those found in industry. The aims
of this work include increasing cell
efficiency, making thinner silicon
wafers and allowing the use of lower
grade silicon.
This platform is home to several
development programs focusing on
photovoltaic cells.
The Reducop project, carried out in
association with Photowatt and the
CNRS, aims to cut cell production costs.
The CEA's task in the project is to improve
on conventional cell manufacturing
technology to achieve 17% conversion
efficiency on polycristalline silicon. Research
teams are exploring a wide range of options.
For example, some are trying to reduce the
natural reflectivity of silicon through surface
texturing and optimized anti-reflection
treatments. Others are looking for ways to
create shallower junctions to put high-energy
CEA NEWS 9 March 2008
photons to better use or optimize the use of
pastes to reduce ohmic loss and shading.
Initial results are encouraging as the partners
have achieved conversion efficiencies of 16.2%
on multicrystal silicon cells. At the same time,
Photowatt is looking into new solutions that
could be used to make large cells at a lower cost.
Tests have been performed on silicon wafers
with a surface area of 200x200 mmcompared
with 150x150 mm for earlier products.
The CNRS is exploring innovative processes
for use in anti-reflection treatments, shallow
junctions formation and thinner silicon wafers.
The overall aim is to achieve 20% conversion
efficiency. The last step will be to apply the
technology to multicrystal silicon to combine
high-performance technology with a lowcost substrate, which is the goal of the
European HETSI project.
Michel Queruel
Le Mensuel de Grenoble No. 114 – May-June 2007
1. ADEME: French Environment and Energy
Management Agency.
200x200 mm silicon wafers in front of the phosphorus
diffusion furnace used to produce photovoltaic cell emitters.
© D.Michon/Artechnique-CEA
“
Research teams
are exploring a wide
range of options for
photovoltaic energy.
PV Alliance is a young consortium based in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère, near the French
National Institute for Solar Energy (INES). It brings together three partners: two companies,
Photowatt and EDEV ENR Parties (an EDF subsidiary) and the CEA. Its goal is to speed up
innovation in the field of photovoltaic solar cell production.
PV Alliance development work will focus on three main technology areas:
• perfecting solar cells made from silicon obtained using the Photosil process,
• using microtechnology tools to develop high-efficiency (i.e. 20%) photovoltaic cells,
• investing in nanotechnologies.
SOLAR ENERGY
Preparing flexible
photovoltaic solar
energy cells in glove
boxes, in a nitrogen
atmosphere. Once
encapsulated, the cells
are resistant to oxygen
and humidity.
© C.Dupont-CEA
INES
A WEALTH OF NEW SOLAR
ENERGY PROJECTS
It didn't take long for the French National Solar Energy Institute (INES) to reach cruising
speed. At least sixty research scientists are already at work at the Savoie Technolac
science park, injecting new life into French solar energy research. This field of research
is brimming with innovative projects on every level: silicon material, cells, modules and
systems as well as electricity storage technology and positive-energy buildings.
©
C.
Du
po
nt
-C
EA
Three main challenges
The main area of technology involved in
photovoltaic solar energy is based on the use
of crystalline silicon and much effort is needed
to make it more competitive. With this in
mind, the INES has launched R&D projects
concerning every aspect of the field:
silicon material, cells, modules and
systems as well as electricity
storage technology and
positive-energy buildings.
Research teams have their
sights set on several
targets: making
s o l a r- g r a d e
metallurgical
silicon using a
melting-recrystallization
purification process, increasing solar cell
efficiency from the current value of 15% to
18% by 2008 and developing innovative
energy storage systems. One price objective
is to bring the cost of the kilowatt hour
down from 0.5 to 0.1 euro.
R&D work in the thermal solar
energy field should lead to the
optimization of products
already available on the
market and fine-tune
them according to
CEA NEWS 10 March 2008
use or the selected backup energy source
(wood, gas, etc.). Particular attention is paid
to the development of combined systems (for
hot water and heating) and solar air
conditioning. At the beginning of 2006, a
team of ten researchers (from the CNRS,
FerroPEM, Apollon Solar and the CEA) started
work on a new silicon purification concept
to produce a material capable of meeting the
requirements of photovoltaic applications at
a competitive price.
Production line
A prototype production line has been
developed to integrate this concept and
the first tons of purified silicon should soon
be ready for sampling. This project, called
Photosil, has a budget of nearly €10 million
© C. Dupont-CEA
The INES building with its solar
panels, viewed from
the outside.
“
Reducing the
cost of the kilowatt
hour is a main
objective of solar
energy research.
those of the CEA offer the project their
expertise in metallurgy and crystal growth,
supported by the Restaure technology
platform. These skills find applications
in material characterization and, more
particularly, in solar cell manufacturing.
© C.Dupont-CEA
and benefits from the outstanding scientific
and technological synergy existing between
its partners. Photosil was initiated by Apollon
Solar, a start-up which is now a stakeholder
in the EDF-Energies Nouvelles group.
FerroPEM is the world's number 2
metallurgical silicon producer and has a
strong base in the Rhône-Alpes region. The
INPG/CNRS (formerly the EPM-Madylam
laboratory) has developed a novel purification
process with a built-in plasma torch as part
of the Photosil project. This laboratory and
New cell concepts
LITEN Institute's solar components laboratory
(LCS) works with the Restaure technology
platform, employing some thirty researchers
to develop novel silicon cell concepts.
Two other research labs work alongside it
on the site. One of them, called “Solar
systems”, consists of a team of about twenty
CEA, CNRS and INPG researchers, who
work to develop new concepts in photovoltaic
systems and batteries specifically targeting
solar energy applications. The other laboratory
is called “Systems integration” and it also
employs about twenty researchers (from the
CEA, CNRS and CSTB). With research
focused primarily on the sector downstream
of production, it studies new solutions for
improving the integration of solar or
combined power systems into buildings to
save energy.
Michel Queruel
Le Mensuel de Grenoble No. 114 – May-June 2007
INES BUILDINGS TO COVER
A TOTAL AREA OF 7,000 M2
CEA
© C.Dupont-
© E.De Lavergne-CEA
”
These test chassis are used to assess
different cell systems (mono- or polycrystalline,
for example), as well as to test specific
panel/battery/inverter systems, connected to
EdF's electricity grid, which are being studied
for domestic use.
Founded in 2005, the INES drives many projects aimed at stimulating
research in the photovoltaic and thermal solar energy fields. Its steering
committee is divided into two groups:
• the first group consists of educational and research organizations,
with the CEA, CNRS, CSTB, the University of Savoie, ADEME and
INES Education,
• the second consists of public funding organizations such as the RhôneAlpes Region, the Conseil général de Savoie and the French government.
Industrial firms such as Photowatt, EDF, Tenesol and Saft are also involved.
Its teams are made up of engineers and research scientists specializing in
new energies and include 65 CEA members. The institute's building
currently cover an area of 4,300 m2, housing several test platforms,
divided up as follows: Photosil (1,200 m2), PV/storage system platform
(2,000 m2), storage/cell platform (700 m2) and the thermal platform
(400 m2). About 3,000 m2 of new laboratories are currently under
construction, together with four “concept” houses that will be used as
laboratories. During his visit to the Institute on November 9, 2007, French
Prime Minister François Fillon unveiled the model of a highly energyefficient building on which the INES plans to start construction work in
2008. The new building will be highly emblematic of progress in this field.
CEA NEWS 11 March 2008
© C.Dupont-CEA
SOLAR ENERGY
ROOFTOP DEMONSTRATOR SYSTEM
The INES is looking to create large-scale demonstrator systems for
research teams, industry and business people in the sector. As part
of this initiative, a microgrid (PRISMES) is being built. A 100 kWp
(kilowatt-peak) photovoltaic generator built on the roof of the
planned new buildings (3,000 m2) will form the heart of the
network. The aim is to create the only platform of its kind in Europe
for studying innovative grid-connected and/or standalone systems.
This tool will mainly be used by research teams seeking to optimize
the management of energy flows, taking into consideration solar
energy production and storage.
THE QUEST FOR
MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT
BUILDINGS
The French National
Institute for Solar
Energy (INES) works to
design buildings – both
new and renovated –
that are more energy
efficient and to reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions. With this
in mind, it develops
model-based, global
approaches to the
problems involved
and explores possible
applications of
innovative technology.
T
his 1974 building in
Lyon has a total floor
area of 2,000 m2 and
provides office space
for 60 people. There's
one problem, however.
The building is not
insulated, so inside
temperatures
can
sometimes rise above 30°C during the
summer, while energy consumption is high
all year round. Installing
air-conditioning would only have made things
worse, increasing the energy bill by half again.
Instead; it has been decided to install external
insulation, a reversible heat pump and
photovoltaic panels, thereby reducing energy
consumption fourfold.
“We didn't take an installer's or design
department's approach,” explains
André Manificat,
Examples of
buildings that make
the most efficient use
of solar energy.
© Siemens Solar
CEA NEWS 12 March 2008
© CEA
© CEA
ALLP building before and
layout after renovation.
head of the GENHEPI1 program. “Instead,
we considered the problem through a researcher's
eyes, defining thermal areas, modeling the
building, simulating parameters such as insulation
thickness or types of glazing and so on. We
also intend to fit the building with instruments
and keep track of temperatures, energy
consumption, heat loss, etc. for three years.”
Since it began in 2005, GENHEPI has used
actual job sites as in vivo demonstrators but
it aims to broaden the scope of its activities
to develop an overall approach to energy
efficiency in all types of buildings – homes,
work places and public buildings.
In practical terms, the aim is to design
buildings where primary energy consumption
would not exceed 60 kWh/m2, which is about
a third of current values, and where
greenhouse gas emissions would be divided
by four.
Ten or so partners from industry have already
joined the research teams (CEA, CSTB, CNRS,
University of Savoie) on the project. In
particular, these include solar equipment
and heat pump manufacturers, consultants,
architects' firms, a power utility (Gaz de
France) and energy specialists such as
Schneider, Clipsol and Atlantic. Local
authorities and a major company have
adopted the concept and will soon provide
demonstrator versions.
Research teams involved in the project are
focusing
on all types
of buildings and
utilization profiles,
such as offices, child care
centers, individual and
collective housing and village halls in an effort
to increase energy efficiency by some 20%.
Thesis work carried out as part of GENHEPI
seeks to promote the industrial transfer of
innovative technology such as dynamic
management of multiple energy-source systems.
CEA Technologies No. 84 – February 2007
1. GENHEPI stands for Gestion de l’Energie pour l’Habitat
Econome Promoteur d’Innovations (Energy management
for economic and innovation-based housing).
“
Energy efficient
buildings reduce heating
and cooling use as well as
greenhouse gas emissions.
CEA NEWS 13 March 2008
”
INNOVATION
SOLAR ENERGY
CAPENERGIES
BUILDING TOMORROW'S WORLD TODAY
© Photodisc
We can slow down the global warming process, find alternatives to fossil
fuels and achieve energy savings of up to 20% without making any
significant change to our lifestyle.
How? By cutting down on loss and waste and developing a new energy mix.
Solutions must be found for tomorrow's problems and that is exactly what all
thestakeholders in Capenergies are concentrating on. The competitiveness
cluster was created in November 2005 on the initiative of the CEA and EDF,
bringing together 200 participants from business, industry, research and the
academic world, who pool their skills and talents to drive innovative projects.
In just two years, 141 projects have been examined, 107 officially certified and
56funded for a total amount of €128 million (including 51 million in subsidies).
Alternative solutions must be found at all costs. Capenergies and its partners on
the French island territories overseas are already at work to promote the use of
forward-looking mixed energy systems in the French overseas departements
and territories. These regions have been chosen because they have to import
most of their energy resources and will therefore be the first affected by the
rising cost and eventual scarcity of fossil fuels.
Atouts Cadarache No. 17 – October-December 2007
> For further information: www.capenergies.fr
Example of the use of solar panels at isolated sites.
it also offers a global approach, testing the system
and its components (hot water tank, valves,
regulators, backup system, etc.) under the
conditions encountered in use. While the
ultimate goal of the INES is to introduce a
performance measurement standard, its research
teams are currently working to develop a method
for simulating one year's real operating conditions
in a virtual home in just two weeks. This opens
up exciting prospects for many companies who
already see the system as a means of developing
and optimizing their products.
The thermal solar energy1 market is booming
in France, but can we really gauge and guarantee
the performance of all the available systems?
There are so many parameters involved, such
as the size of houses, insulation, temperature
differences and sunlight exposure, not to mention
variations in weather conditions from one place
to another. The French National Solar Energy
Institute (INES), of which the CEA is a founding
member, has invested in an unprecedented
thermal system test bench to overcome this
problem. Not only does the new bench use
its software-driven hot and cold modules to
simulate all the thermal constraints involved,
© C.Dupont-CEA
Aude Ganier
Les Défis du CEA No. 125 – October 2007
1. Thermal solar energy:
atechnology that
converts radiation
into heat (for hot
water, heating
systems) in
contrast to
photovoltaic solar
energy, which
generates electricity.
CEA NEWS 14 March 2008
© C.Dupont-CEA
ON THE PERFORMANCE TEST BENCH
The complete Puma test platform
includes a central heating system
(temperature range between +180° and
-5° for the cold part) and everything
required to simulate the home
environment; simulation software is
used to scale performance.
CLEANUP AND DISMANTLING
WRAPPING UP
THE NUCLEAR CYCLE
The life of a basic nuclear
installation does not just
come to an end with
the activities or research
programs for which it was
designed. A great deal of
work must be done between
the shutdown of the facility
and decommissioning. To a
certain extent, cleanup and
dismantling operations are a
demonstration that the final
phase of the nuclear cycle
is properly controlled.
© A.Gonin-CEA
TOPICS TO EXPLORE
/// Techniques
/// Competences
/// Special Funding
CEA NEWS 15 March 2008
T
determine the nuclear activity of building
structures and robotics for remote handling
operations in radioactive environments.
Of the fifty or so basic nuclear installations
at the CEA's various research centers, about
fifteen are currently concerned by this type
of operation. Each installation has its own
specific features, depending on its purpose
and background. A research reactor, for
example, is not the same as a “hot lab” or
waste storage facility in terms of radioprotection,
physical layout or operating requirements.
>>>
“
Left: Testing the Maestro robot on the remote
control platform. The force-feedback master-slave
hydraulic arm can handle tools (shears, a disk
harrow, a plasma torch or screwdriver, etc) on a
model, prior to its use on a real worksite.
Centre: Hot cutting to dismantle the incinerator at
the liquid and solid waste treatment plant (mainly
low-level radioactive biological waste).
Right: Storing very low-level radioactive waste
from the dismantled Triton research reactor in big
bags, before being transported to the
waste repository.
Research and development of
decommissioning processes is
integral to industry success.
”
© P. Stroppa-CEA
he cleanup and dismantling
phase includes the removal of
waste materials on shutdown,
complete cleanup of the facility
and waste processing. It also includes
dismantling the process equipment and even
the actual buildings. One of the chief tasks
of the CEA's Nuclear Energy Division is to
help manage legacy or new radioactive waste,
in line with the 2006 Act on waste
management. This task involves setting up
resources to treat and store waste and renewing
treatment centers and shipping casks.
It may be decided to keep the infrastructure
of a decommissioned facility, in which case
the facility may be given a new lease of life
in another field of activity. Should it be
decided to dismantle the facility completely,
the site must be cleaned up and returned to
its initial condition.
Cleanup and dismantling call for highly
specialized skills or even whole new specialist
areas and these operations are proving to be
a field of opportunity for Research and
Development. For example, they make use
of newly developed scientific
models to
© P.Dumas-CEA
CLEANUP AND DISMANTLING
CEA NEWS 16 March 2008
© A.Gonin/CEA
© A.Gonin/CEA
TECHNIQUES
© P. Dumas-CEA
The HERA platform for operations in hostile environments is equipped with remote manipulator
robots, lasers and nuclear measurement equipment to meet the requirements of the other
Marcoule facilities – whether they are undergoing dismantling or devoted to research.
The whole platform makes use of the mechanical engineering center, which is used for making
prototype parts, adapting existing vehicles or carriers for new uses and building mockups of the
environmental conditions in which remote operators or robots will have to work.
Much of the building is given over to robotics. First of all, there are four “master-slave-arm”
workstations representing every possible configuration found at a nuclear facility. These are
used for validating processes before they are implemented under radioactive conditions,
nuclearizing certain instruments and training future users. The remote handling hall covers an
area of 336 m2, with an available height of 6 meters under an overhead crane hook, offering
ideal conditions for simulations on very large-scale mockups.
Question: How can we find out whether a remote manipulator is best used hanging from an
overhead crane or mounted on a caterpillar-tracked vehicle? Answer: By simulating the future
working environment and trying out both
systems during “critical” phases of the
scenario, when 3D simulation and current
knowledge of processes are not enough. This
hall will also be used for performing
acceptance tests on the MAESTRO forcefeedback hydraulic system.
The platform also includes a laser testing zone.
The aim here is to qualify a remote-operated
cutting process using a 6 kW YAG laser and to
train operators in using it for the future
dismantling of the dissolvers at the old UP1
plant. This technique should be less tiring for
operators and reduce maintenance costs
compared with conventional mechanical cutting
methods. It also looks more promising than the
plasma torch – another thermal technique – in
that it gives off between eight and tens times
fewer aerosols and is easier to position. Tests
are underway in a non-radioactive
environment. The main purpose of the tests is
to adjust the cutting power to the object to be cut up. The program is continuing with a more
powerful laser to extend the scope of the new technology. It is expected that different types of
front and orbital industrial cutting tools will be available by 2009 to cut steel parts up to
100 mm thick in the air or under water. Such tools could be used, for example, for dismantling
the Phenix or Rapsodie reactor vessels or bases at Cadarache.
Lastly, there is the nuclear measurement laboratory. This facility is equipped with two test
benches and mockups to simulate working environments such as reactor vessels and barrels.
It will be used to develop and perfect new methods and measuring tools for gamma and alpha
imaging and for spectrometry.
Rive droite Rive gauche No. 66 - July 2007
© CEA
ROBOTICS
GAMMA CAMERA
The former intermediate-level
radioactive waste storage cell of
the waste treatment station is a
9 x 2 m lead cask. Before cleanup
and dismantling operations could
begin on the cell, studies had to
be carried out to learn more about
its radiological conditions,
identify any hot spots (i.e. areas
where radioactivity is
concentrated), characterize its
irradiation (type of radionuclides)
and measure activity levels. This
was achieved using a “gamma
camera” developed and
implemented by the CEA in
Marcoule. As the inside of the cell
can only be accessed through
35 cm ports, a special device had
to be designed to perform this
explorator y work.
The data acquired by the gamma
camera was color coded and
superimposed on a visible-light
image then used to create an
optimized dismantling scenario,
tailored to the radiological
conditions inside the cell.
Rive droite Rive gauche No. 66 - July 2007
CEA NEWS 17 March 2008
Three types of projects
Teams must deal with three mains types
of projects.
The first is to do with installations that must
be dismantled from top to bottom, like
Rapsodie or the enriched uranium processing
plant. Although these are technically long
and heavy operations, they are relatively
easy to organize as the entire facility has
been shut down.
The second involves working on just a part
of a facility, with the rest continuing to
operate. This type of work is going on at
the advanced fuel examination laboratory,
where a remote handling line is being
dismantled. Although this type of operation
is not technically complicated, high-level
organizational skills and considerable
preparation are required because the facility
operator and dismantling team have to carry
out their different activities concurrently
and because so many people are involved.
A third type of project concerns the removal
from storage and recovery of various
categories of waste or waste packages. Safety
and radiation protection requirements have
grown stricter over the years, especially with
regard to the identification, characterization,
traceability and conditioning of radioactive
waste. This means that some waste packages
need to be upgraded, others must be
transferred to storage facilities that meet the
latest safety requirements and yet others have
to be routed to new, recently created outlets.
It is within this context that waste packages
stored in a storage facility are gradually being
transferred to the new radioactive waste
conditioning and storage facility CEDRA.
“
© CEA
CLEANUP AND DISMANTLING
Left: Research on processing spent fuel, transuranic and radioactive
waste was carried out at the plutonium chemistry laboratory.
Centre: Radiological inspection of Type A waste drums to be
transported to the low-level radioactive waste repository.
Right: CEDRA facility: for conditioning and disposing of Type B
radioactive waste (low- and intermediate-level waste).
”
SPECIAL FUNDING
© A. Gonin-CEA
Methods are improved from one project
to another, building on expertise.
Two special funds have been set up to cover the costs of dismantling
CEA facilities. One was set up in 2001 for dismantling civil facilities, the
other at the end of 2004 for facilities dedicated to defense research.
Contributions are paid into each of these two funds by the government, the CEA
and its industrial partners concerned by these facilities. Two independent fund
management committees have been set up. Each committee is responsible for examining the
long-term plan for work execution, the annual expenditure budget and the fund's annual
statement of accounts and for defining the management policy for the fund's financial assets
proposed by the CEA.
These funds will guarantee long-term financing for operations and help to ensure that costs
and lead times are properly controlled.
The operations planned or already underway on the CEA's Fontenay-aux-Roses, Grenoble,
Marcoule and Cadarache sites are built around an overall approach and driven by a twofold
ambition: a) decommission facilities that have come to the end of their life and b) eventually
group together all operational basic nuclear installations on the CEA's two main nuclear
energy sites - Cadarache and Marcoule. Over the next ten years, the Grenoble and Fontenayaux-Roses centers will be totally denuclearized and the nuclear support facilities at
Cadarache completely renovated.
© A. Gonin-CEA
Stéphane Laveissière
CEA NEWS 18 March 2008
© P. Dumas-CEA
SPECIALISED JOBS
Preparatory work
Before cleanup and dismantling can begin,
it is vital to learn all about the historical
background of the facility: what materials
were handled, what processes were
developed and what incidents may have
occurred there. This work is part of standard
practice in the field. Much of an operation's
success depends on the quality of the
preparatory work that has gone before it.
A detailed preliminary study must be
carried out for each operation. This
involves taking radiological measurements,
preparing practical working methods,
developing special tools, and carrying out
modeling and simulation tasks. These
all form part of the operating strategy.
Once this has been done, a whole array
of risks must be identified and assessed.
Risks include the conventional risks
encountered on any building or
dismantling site, specific risks related
to the materials and substances used
and, of course, radiological risks.
These must all be considered for
prevention purposes.
Building on experience
The wide range of facilities and the consequent
variety of different situations encountered means
that each operation is unique and a rich source
of information. Methods are developed and
improved from one project to another, building
on the knowledge and expertise acquired from
each operation. A database has been created to
pool all the information concerning the amounts
of waste generated, dosimetry and the cost and
duration of operations.
Operating feedback from cleanup and
dismantling projects is integrated from the
very earliest stages of operations to achieve
optimum safety and generate ever less waste.
CEA NEWS 19 March 2008
© P. Dumas-CEA
Atout Cadarache No.15 - June 2007
© A. Gonin-CEA
Descaling the tiled floor of the Triton reactor pit.
Operators working in a containment airlock designed to isolate
the worksite. They wear protective suits made of woven paper
cloth and use respiratory protection equipment.
Cleanup and dismantling
operations call on two
specialist fields: nuclear
specialists for dealing with
materials management,
measurement, safety,
radiation protection and
waste management and
transportation, and civil
engineers for removal,
cutting, dismantling and so
on. These two aspects have
given rise to new professions
such as dismantling project
manager, planner and
coordinator, all of whom must
combine experience,
familiarity with the nuclear
sector and organizational
skills. In recent years,
specialized training courses
have been set up both within
the CEA and at engineering
schools and universities1.
As contracting authority, the
CEA guarantees observance
of the regulatory baseline of
the facility to be dismantled,
calling on approved specialist
partners with the necessary
resources and experience.
Dismantling projects like the
ongoing project at the
enriched uranium processing
plant involve half a dozen
CEA employees, working in
conjunction with several
dozen employees working for
subcontractors.
In addition to the special
conditions encountered in a
nuclear environment, other
specific requirements are
involved in cleanup and
dismantling operations,
relating to the shape of
buildings and equipment and
the constantly changing
configuration of the facility as
it is taken down.
Each job is carried out under
close scrutiny from the safety
team and the industrial
health and safety
department, which make
recommendations and
monitor working conditions.
These can be tough! Teams
sometimes have to work at
height, using ladders or aerial
working platforms in
confined spaces where
access is generally difficult.
Other difficulties stem from
the measures taken to
eliminate or reduce risks –
such as having to work in
ventilated suits or confined
“break-up rooms”. In
keeping with the ALARA
principle, every step is taken
throughout the facility's
lifetime to keep the exposure
of work teams below
regulatory thresholds. These
teams must be able to work
efficiently and as comfortably
as possible in spite of the
protective clothing and
equipment required. Safety
measures apply to CEA
personnel and to
subcontractors' employees.
Preventive measures are
taken and inspections carried
out at different levels by
various parties, including the
contracting authority, prime
contractor, subcontractors,
nuclear installation managers,
nuclear safety engineers,
industrial safety engineers,
radiation protection
department staff, support
units and the company
committee on health, safety
and working conditions.
Environmental monitoring is
also carried out at all times.
The cleanup and
dismantling phase – like
the operating phase – is
covered by the facility's
regulatory baseline and is
part of the Quality-SafetyEnvironment approach.
1. Many training courses in
various aspects of dismantling
are available at the French
National Institute for Nuclear
Science and Technology
(INSTN), in particular in
partnership with the university
of science in Grenoble and the
education and research
university in Nîmes.
One example of this is the
“3Ds professional degree”
in dismantling, waste
and decontamination.
> ALARA : As Low
As Reasonably
Achievable, given
economic and
social constraints.
2015
CLEANUP AND DISMANTLING
Deadline for cleanup and dismantling Grenoble and Fontenay projects
What about CEA centers
GRENOBLE
“Passage” project
Following the shutdown of the
Mélusine (1988), Siloé (1997) and
Siloëtte (2002) experimental
reactors in Grenoble, the research
activities of the active materials
research laboratory were moved
to Cadarache. The “Passage”
project was launched in Grenoble
in January 2001.
Once this work has been
completed, the facilities could
be given a new lease of life for
non-radioactive activities. A
steering committee brings together
representatives from the Grenoble
and Cadarache centers and CEA
functional divisions twice a year.
The project is built around three
themes. The first is to ensure that
dismantling regulations are
scrupulously observed, which has
meant clarifying the different steps
in the regulatory process and
drawing up lists of the documents
and studies required.
The second theme is centered
on human resources. Staff
management problems induced
by the gradual shutdown of
facilities were pre-empted back
in 1997 through a personnel
transfer, recruitment and
subcontracting strategy.
The third theme covers the
technical and economic aspects.
All the necessary technical
measures must be taken to ensure
that dismantling operations are
The Siloëtte experimental reactor
was officially decommissioned on
August 1st, 2007.
Commissioned in May 1964, the 100kW
reactor was used for testing core
configurations in the Siloé reactor and
for training purposes. After three years
of final shutdown operations, the
Grenoble teams took less than two
years to complete all the dismantling
operations in accordance with the
regulatory baseline.
successfully completed. This
means sorting materials left behind
from the past experimental and
scientific activities of the facilities,
characterizing, treating and
Cleanup at
Mélusine.
The operators
sort, cut and
characterize
objects in the
reactor pool.
The French nuclear safety authority has given its approval for the
remaining nuclear activities of the Fontenay-aux-Roses center to
be grouped together on a limited area of the site. There are now
two basic nuclear installations on the site instead of four. This
represents a major step forward in the site's denuclearization,
which began in 2001. The remaining nuclear activities are vital to
the completion of denuclearization, which is planned for 2015.
© D. VinÁon-CEA
FONTENAY-AUX-ROSES
A step nearer denuclearization
CEA NEWS 20 March 2008
conditioning them before they
can be routed to the appropriate
waste management solutions and
guaranteeing their traceability.
Emmanuelle Volant
MARCOULE
© D. VinÁon-CEA
Top-to-bottom
investigation of the APM facility
There is absolutely no room for
improvisation when it comes to
dismantling programs – especially
when they concern a facility
as complex as the APM – the
Marcoule Pilot Facility. Before the
two-year program could begin
at the end of the summer 2007, a
thorough investigation of the site
had to be carried out. The aim was
to identify ways of minimizing
personnel exposure and operating
costs and optimizing waste flows.
As the type and weight of the waste
to be managed – and the storage
or disposal solution adopted –
have a direct impact on the cost
of operations, it soon became
clear that the waste had to
be characterized directly. This
was especially true in the thirteen
most highly contaminated cells
of the facility, the basement (where
the effluent tanks were stored) and
the piping system used to convey
active solutions.
The program uses an array of
instruments including dose rate
measuring probes, a gamma camera,
high-performance cadmiumtellurium sensors, germanium
spectrometers and video equipment
– as well as a whole assortment of
carriers, ranging from “pool” type
AVM - getting to the bottom
of the waste tank problem
CADARACHE
Greenfield status for
the Harmonie reactor
at Cadarache
© P. Dumas-CEA
Although it will be operating at full strength
until 2010, the Marcoule vitrification facility
(AVM) is already seeing its first cleanup and
dismantling activities. These first operations
concern 19 “SPF” tanks used to store fission
products. Although the tanks are all buried and
sealed in concrete, they have their differences.
Some are horizontal (whereas most are in a
vertical position), capacities range from 5 to
90 m3 and they have not all been in contact
with the same products. The objective is to rinse
out as thoroughly as possible any radioactivity
remaining inside the tanks, in preparation for
the dismantling operations scheduled for the
period 2012 to 2025. Reagents will be injected
into the tanks where they will macerate long
enough for deposits to be effectively dissolved.
Hot spots have been pinpointed and targeted
by mapping out the tanks beforehand. Some
of the reagents will only be injected in partial
baths. The radioactive and chemical effluent
generated (about 2,000 m 3) will then be
concentrated and vitrified in 150 containers
and stored in the AVM shafts. Following these
rinsing operations, tank dismantling will mostly
generate category A waste, which will be taken
to the ANDRA Aube waste repository. The
remaining B waste will be stored pending a
deep geological disposal solution.
Rive droite Rive gauche No. 67 - October 2007
> ANDRA:
French national agency for
radioactive waste management.
CEA NEWS 21 March 2008
poles to specially designed heavyduty carriers.
This vast program began with a twoweek training course for the
investigation team. This is important,
because until now no specialist
training has been available in this
field. And yet this is a delicate and
highly specialized activity that involves
characterizing not only a number of
“hot” spots (affecting the dose
exposure of operators) but also the
volume as a whole, which, although
it is less radioactive, will determine
how the program is to be carried out.
The volume of waste to be treated
and stored also has to be estimated.
Begun in January 2003, cleanup
and dismantling of the Harmonie
reactor at Cadarache were
completed on October 5, 2007.
The research activities of
Harmonie, which was built as
part of the fast neutron reactor
R&D program, came to an end
on March 29, 1995 after
30 years' service. The reactor
was used for studying the
properties of various materials
and for calibrating detectors.
Cleanup and dismantling work
was carried out in three phases:
treating conventional waste
areas, cleaning up and cutting
up the reactor block and
dismantling the building and
equipment, and backfilling the
site. With the last activities
wound up, the Harmonie site
has now obtained greenfield
status. The application for the
final decommissioning of the
facility was sent to the French
nuclear safety authority at the
end of 2007.
CLEANUP AND
DISMANTLING
UP1
1
Setting an example
Dismantling work at the old UP1 fuel processing plant
concerns a whole array of equipment and materials.
The work carried out on glove boxes and on filter housings
and ducts provides just two examples.
could be retrieved from reprocessing
waste. This operation had to be carried
out by hand, so double-walled ventilated
air locks had to be installed to protect
the operators from any risk of alpha
contamination. This work is now in
its last phase. The prime contractor,
AREVA NC, must write up its radiological
measurement protocol for the room –
a task it carried out for the contracting
authority, CEA.
3
Waste management
solutions
Dismantling waste ends up at ANDRA's
disposal facilities, in particular the lowlevel waste facility in Soulaines. This
leaves a few drums of waste at UP1
containing large quantities of alpha
emitters (for example, rags used for
wiping glove boxes). As these cannot
be sent to existing disposal facilities,
they will be conditioned at the new
alpha waste conditioning unit currently
being built on the site, then stored at
the CEDRA facility at Cadarache.
4
1. Corridor leading to entrance to dismantling sites
2. Panoramic view of former shielded process lines at the
Stripping laboratory
Photos : © P. Dumas-CEA
Commissioned in 1962 in the “highlevel” part of the plant, the filter room
was designed to treat ventilation gas
from the process line and rooms before
releasing it to the stacks. One of the first
cleanup operations at the UP1 plant
began in 1999. The aim was to work
on the filter room, which had been
contaminated in 1986 following loss of
control during a fuel dissolution
operation. In view of the radioactive
environment in the room, it was decided
to cut up the six-meter-high filter
housings by telerobotics, using standard
tools adapted for nuclear applications
for easier maintenance. The job is not
an easy one. The rooms are cramped
and the initial contamination difficult
to assess. The operation requires a team
of five: a site manager, a preparation
supervisor and three robot operators
(including one on a training course
because it takes four to six months to
train someone to handle the robots).
The other two operators work together,
with one working the controls while
the other keeps his eyes glued to the
control monitor to guide the
operator. The two operators
take turns at the controls. The
operation should be completed
by mid-2009.
Another operation is almost
over in the intermediate-level
part of the plant. This entails
dismantling 25 glove boxes
used for extracting any small
5
amounts of plutonium that
2
3 to 4. Different operations involved in dismantling a furnace
in a glove box: coating session, working in a confined
atmosphere monitored by an operator outside the space and
in constant radio contact
5. Two robot operators in the control post during dismantling
operation of filter room
6. Handling drums after compacting
6
CEA NEWS 22 March 2008
SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS
OPTICAL RECORDINGS
CDs AND DVDs – A RHAPSODY IN BLUE
The recently marketed Blu-ray format has already
multiplied DVD storage capacity by five, taking
it from 4.7 to 25 gigabytes.
The LETI1 Institute is working to increase this
capacity without changing either the format or
reading mode. Scientists have developed what
is known as the “super-resolution” technique,
which is based on both disc surface treatment
and signal recognition by the laser. Blu-ray storage
capacity could triple or even quadruple as a result.
For both CDs and Blu-ray, the data storage
principle remains the same. A series of indentations
is molded into the disc in a spiral track that
increases in size, as on a vinyl record. The storage
capacity of the various formats already depends
on the size of these indentations – on a nanometric
scale. The smallest indentation measures
160 nanometers (nm) on a Blu-ray disc, compared
with 400 nm on a DVD. A laser then “reads” the
pattern of pits and lands, which are converted
into digital language and its wavelength is adjusted
for the reading “accuracy” required. The laser
is red for CDs and DVDs and blue for Blu-ray.
With the “super-resolution” technique, scientists
at the LETI Institute are no longer held back
by the limitations of the Blu-ray system in terms
of diffraction – its maximum reading accuracy
in other words – which is set to 120 nm to
read indentations reduced to 80 nm. Superresolution also involves using a semi-conductor
material on the surface of the disc.
© P. Stroppa-CEA
These days the data storage capacity of CDs
and DVDs has to meet the requirements
of new multimedia applications such as
high-definition video.
Test bench for mastering in Blu-Ray storage format. The substrate has just been exposed by the writing laser and has a
typical iridescent surface.
This material allows smaller indentations to be
read, “as if through a magnifying glass”, because
it only sees the most intense part of the laser beam
(the central part), thus avoiding the laser “spilling”
over several indentations at the same time.
Scientists have also adapted algorithms that
are already used in micro-electronics, for
use in super-resolution to convert the signals
read by the laser beam into digital language.
These algorithms tell the Blu-ray reader which
is the most likely equivalent for the signals
detected in digital language. The technologies
developed at the LETI Institute should be
available by 2010-2012. They are expected to
respond to the development “full HD”, which
uses ever wider screens. At the moment
approximately 80% of televisions sold are HD
Ready and only 10% are Full HD. At the end
of 2007 there was a sharp increase in the sales
of Full HD, with 400,000 units being sold,
ten times more than in the first six months
of 2007. With Blu-ray, optical discs will be
playing a rhapsody in blue. So it is not
surprising that the research carried out by the
LETI Institute at the CEA is at the heart of talks
with major manufacturers in this sector.
Marc Jary
Mensuel de Grenoble - No. 118 - December 2007
1. Electronics and Information Technology Laboratory.
MOVEA, A STARTUP SPECIALIZED IN MOTION CAPTURE
investment of more than €7 million from European venture-capital
funds. The company has also acquired the assets of Gyration, a
Californian pioneer in motion-sensing technology, in a move to fulfill
its ambitions in the consumer electronics market. Movea is the
100th technology spinoff at the CEA, which set up a dedicated structure
for such initiatives in 1985.
CEA Technologies - No 87 - November 2007
1. Electronics and Information
Technology Laboratory.
2. Grenoble Alpes Incubation.
CEA NEWS 23 March 2008
© C. Morel-CEA
Created in March 2007 after incubation at LETI1 Institute and Grain2,
Movea is a startup positioned primarily in the healthcare market and
on motion interfaces for consumer applications. Specialized in measuring
human movement, Movea designs microsystems capable of capturing
and quantifying motion to provide angular data in three dimensions.
There are multiple uses in healthcare: functional rehabilitation, postoperational follow-up, sleep quality analysis, detecting fragility in older
patients, etc.
Movea also plans to integrate its capture technologies in sports
equipment, smart phones, and videogame peripherals. New step
forward for MOVEA at the end of 2007 as it secures a first-round
SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS
THE MOLECULAR CLIP
NEW BUILDING BLOCKS IN THE NANOWORLD
Developments in nanotechnologies mean that
functional objects (such as components and
sensors) can now be created by assembling
elements on a nanometric scale (atoms, molecules,
nanotubes, biomolecules and so on). To achieve
this, scientists are exploiting the infinite
possibilities matter has to organize itself
spontaneously, depending on the symmetries
of the system. They use a crystalline substrate
(a gold or graphite surface), where the lattice
imposes an order on deposited objects, and then
exploit the interactions between these objects.
Adopting this approach, scientists from the CNRS
and CEA have developed a method to predict
and control the assembly of molecules on a
graphite surface by adjusting the quantity and
position of “molecular clips” made up of
carbon chains and aromatic cycles.
The clip may be attached to other
chemical entities to form the molecule
to be deposited. The molecules
then assemble to form a layer of
molecules that are “clipped” to
one another on the surface. The
Molecules containing one, two or three
clips (represented by two green lines)
form dimers (left) or two-dimensional
networks (centre and right) which
spontaneous assemble on a surface.
molecular arrangement on the surface of each
molecule is determined by the quantity and
position of the clips.
The potential applications for the building blocks
developed using this concept are wide-ranging.
Clips could be attached to entities with an optical,
electronic or even biological activity to obtain
specific nanocomponents for use in applications
in nanophotonics, molecular nanoelectronics
or even nanobiology. In molecular electronics,
carbon nanotubes could be covered with
molecules selected for their properties to give
the nanotubes new functions.
Some of the different assemblies created are
even capable of reacting to their environment
by making use of the dynamic nature of noncovalent bonds. When they come into contact
with certain specific chemical molecules, these
assemblies can capture the molecules by
reorganizing themselves around them.
Delphine Kaczmarek
WORKING TOWARDS BIO-INSPIRED HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
WITH NO NOBLE METALS
All the technology developed for hydrogen production is
currently based on the catalytic properties of NOBLE METALS
such as platinum. Reserves, however, are limited. The metal's
scarcity and cost are obstacles to the long-term economic
development of hydrogen technology, despite efforts to reduce
the quantities used in electrolyzers and fuel cells.
Research to improve hydrogen production is based largely
on chemical reactions observed during photosynthesis in
plants. More specifically, certain micro-organisms produce
hydrogen from water in reaction to light. To reproduce
and adapt these processes, researchers have developed
supermolecular systems capable of both photosensitization,
which captures light energy, and catalysis, which uses the
energy collected to release hydrogen from water. Current
research thus focuses on alternatives to platinum, by developing
catalysts based on metals that are naturally more abundant
and less expensive, such as those used by natural organisms:
iron, nickel, cobalt and manganese.
Researchers at the joint “Laboratoire de chimie et biologie
des métaux” (Laboratory of Metals in Chemistry and Biology,
CEA-CNRS-Université Joseph Fourier) have just developed
a novel system using a cobalt-based catalyst. The electrons
provided by an organic molecule in response to light are
used to release hydrogen from water with far greater efficiency
than comparable systems
> NOBLE METALS: Historically,
based on the use of noble
noble metals were precious
metals (Pd, Rh and Pt).
metals used in making jewelry
Ruthenium is still used as
(gold, silver and platinum).
the photosensitizer but one
The term is now applied to
of the next steps in this work
metals found in small
quantities in the earth's crust,
will be to find an alternative.
which are both rare and costly
The findings of this work were
(palladium, rhodium, iridium,
published on January 4, 2008
osmium and ruthenium).
in the journal “Angewandte
Chemie International Edition”
and represent a significant step towards the photoproduction
of hydrogen.
Stéphane Laveissière
> For further information:
The Wiley InterScience website:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com
(Angewandte Chemie (Int Ed Engl), 2008, 47(3): 564-567)
CEA NEWS 24 March 2008
RISK MANAGEMENT
New materials and developments in building insulation are improving
our daily lives, but they only complicate matters for firefighters,
who must confront toxic gases and hot smoke that could ignite at any
moment. FLASHOVER, BACKDRAFT... these high-temperature
phenomena are characteristic of under-ventilated fires (see box).
The CEA has launched the Promesis1 program to model these fires
and evaluate extinguisher products to improve firefighting procedures.
“The most urgent priority in this type of fire is not to extinguish the
flames, but rather to control the smoke. Smoke is what spreads fires over
large areas and endangers the lives of firefighters,” explains Antoine
Joachim, from the CEA's center of expertise on fires. Conducted with
the manufacturer Gimaex, this research program is unprecedented in
Europe because it brings together several partners2 (police forces,
firefighters, manufacturers, scientists and engineers) around a unique
structure called Séraphin3. This facility, consisting of three marine
containers, recreates the inside of a building. Around 100 fire scenarios
will be staged there, involving voluntary blazes in experimental
compartments to study phenomena such as flashover and backdraft.
Until mid-2008, 10 firefighters, some of them from the CEA's own
forces, will test their skills in the dangerous conditions of underventilated fires. The work will be conducted under the close surveillance
of sophisticated measuring instruments that collect and analyze
thousands of data points in real time: thermal and gas parameters,
smoke pressure, heat flows, and the radiation received by firefighters,
whose gear must also withstand the trying conditions. Because these
fires require a carefully calibrated intervention, Promesis will test a
dozen extinguishing products and procedures. One goal will be to
ensure that the means employed do not themselves cause damage. For
example, too much water can be as destructive as flames in museums,
computer facilities, factories, etc. Tackling this unique
challenge will make it possible to
optimize procedures in very confined
or even inaccessible spaces.
120
fire scenarios to study
all firefighting techniques
11
Key figures
GOING AFTER THE GAS LAYER...
commercial
products tested
10
firefighters to lead
the interventions
HOW AN
UNDER-VENTILATED
FIRE OCCURS
© C. Dupont-CEA
Aude Ganier
Les Défis du CEA No. 126 - November 2007
© CEA
1. Research program on optimizing
extinguishing equipment for indoor fires.
2. Partners: CEA, Gimaex, Oseo
Innovation, SDIS 42, SDIS 78, BSPP,
ENSOSP, MSA Gallet, MS Technologies,
Lion Apparel, Tecknisolar & Balsan,
CSTB, Yoclémer, University of Poitiers.
3. Facility for studying and fighting
instrumented fires.
The “fire triangle” brings together three elements:
the activation energy (spark, heat), the fuel, and the
oxidizing agent (oxygen in the air). If there is a lack
of oxidizing agent, the fire is said to be underventilated. But the fire is far from under control. It
continues to smolder and the hot smoke represents
a hidden danger. If there is a lack of oxygen, these
pyrolysis gases (from heat-induced organic
decomposition) slowly invade the space. As the
temperature rises, materials subjected to this
radiated heat decompose and generate new
flammable gases that add to the growing gas layer.
These gases, unable to escape from the confined
area, lead to an increase in pressure.
The situation can quickly degenerate into a
flashover or backdraft with the slightest ventilation.
These are the sorts of phenomena that will be
studied in the Séraphin compartment.
> FLASHOVER: Spontaneous event
involving rapid fire progress in a
semi-open environment. Occurs
under certain conditions of very
high temperature in the presence
of pyrolysis gases.
> BACKDRAFT: Explosive ignition
of smoke that occurs when a
cloud of unburnt gas is expelled
from a fire in a confined
environment, when a door or
window is opened.
CEA NEWS 25 March 2008
SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS
IMAGING THE
HUMAN BRAIN
© CEA
WITH A 7-TESLA MRI
SYSTEM: A FIRST IN FRANCE
NeuroSpin1, the CEA's neuroimaging center,
recently acquired its first images of the human
brain using a 7-tesla2 magnetic resonance
imaging system (7-T MRI). This is the first
French system at this field strength, and the
fourth in Europe. Its enhanced spatial resolution
will allow NeuroSpin teams to better understand
normal brain function as well as brain
pathologies, such as neurodegenerative diseases,
conditions affecting white matter, and certain
psychiatric illnesses.
Increasing the magnetic field to 7-T produces
high-quality images and enables spatial
resolution at 400 microns, versus a full
millimeter in a 3-T field. The end result is a
more detailed view.
NeuroSpin's first 7-T MR images of the human
brain reveal new contrasts invisible at lower
magnetic fields and new structures within the
white matter fibers that make up the “cables”
linking various brain areas. Research will be
conducted in the coming months to understand
this heightened contrast, these new structures,
and the system's potential for studying brain
connectivity and white matter diseases.
With this new MRI system and the novel
research protocols it facilitates, NeuroSpin
teams will have the tools to better grasp human
brain function and pathology.
Delphine Kaczmarek
1. NeuroSpin is one of three platforms for biomedical imaging
research in the Paris area, which together constitute the
CEA's Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM).
2. The tesla is a unit of magnetic field strength. The
Earth's magnetic field in Paris is 5x10-5 T.
SATURN'S SATELLITES
TEACH US MORE ABOUT HOW
PLANETS AND RINGS ARE FORMED
The rings of Saturn are one of the most the large, now fossilized discs.
surprising regions of the Solar System. The models also revealed that bodies about
During the summers of 2006 and 2007, 1 km in diameter were already present
the cameras on board the American probe in the rings when they formed. This
Cassini revealed
reinforces the suspicion that Saturn's rings
that two satellites
result from the fragmentation of a large
of Saturn, Pan
body of which Pan and Atlas could
and Atlas, had
be the two biggest fragments.
significant “ridges”
Comparison of the size of
around their equators,
Pan and Atlas with the
giving these moons a
known sizes of particles in
flying saucer shape. These
Saturn's rings yields a
ridges are several kilometers
curve that is strongly
thick. Considering that the
indicative of a
two moons are only about
fragmentation
© DigitalVision
30 km in diameter, the ridges are truly
process. Although
gigantic. On the Earth's scale, this would
this cannot be
be the same as having a mountain
considered as
1,000 km high around the entire equator. absolute proof, it does support the theory
A team of astrophysicists from the AIM1 that the rings were formed following a
laboratory (CEA, Université Paris Diderot, fragmentation process. Already proposed
CNRS), and from Cornell University in the 1970s, this theory is still considered
and Space Science Institute in the US, one of the most promising, but the origins
successfully modeled the formation of of Saturn's rings remain a mystery.
these ridges using simulations performed Saturn and its rings may thus be a miniature
on CEA supercomputers. These simulations solar system, the evolution of which was
have revealed that in a very short time (a halted by the immense planet's tidal effects.
few years), the ice particles of Saturn's The resulting fossilization may help us
rings pile up at the equator of existing understand the fundamental processes at
satellites and faithfully reproduce the work when our own Solar System formed.
organization of the ridges observed. This
Delphine Kaczmarek
1. Laboratory for the astrophysics
is demonstrated by the equatorial ridge of
of multiscale interactions.
Atlas. The material there is very smooth,
meaning that it is young, in contrast to the
poles, which are rough, cratered and thus
> Sites to visit:
Astrophysics Department of CEAmuch older.
Dapnia: http://www-dapnia.cea.fr
In view of this, Pan and Atlas probably
French National Institute of Sciences of
formed in two phases. Originally, they were
the Universe (INSU), CNRS:
just simple satellites, more or less spherical
http://www.insu.cnrs.fr
in shape, orbiting within the primitive rings
Website of the Cassini imaging team:
of Saturn. Their gravity then attracted
www.ciclops.org
surrounding matter, which rained down
> Findings published in the journal
Science on December 7, 2007
on the equatorial zones, eventually forming
CEA NEWS 26 March 2008
How can a physical defect be accurately
located in a strand of automobile wiring
that is several meters long? Today's
mechanics spend much of their time
diagnosing wiring faults. In the future they
will be able to pinpoint the position of the
defect to within 10 centimeters in just a
few seconds using the diagnosis tool
developed by the CEA's LIST1 Institute as
part of the Smart Electronics Embedded
Diagnosis Systems project (the SEEDS
project comes from the Paris Region
System@TIC/Num@tec2 competitiveness
cluster, which is funded by PREDIT/ANR).
© Photodisc
PINPOINTING DEFECTS IN AUTOMOBILE
CABLE HARNESSES TO WITHIN 10 CM
Watch out for wiring failures! When a mechanic
is faced with this type of problem at the moment,
he can use diagnosis tools to help him locate
the faulty strand in a network that can be up
to several kilometers long. But if the strand in
question is 10 meters long and winds its way
all around the vehicle, he will not know where
he needs to make the repair. He could be
searching for days!
Initial studies carried out by the CEA's LIST
Institute in this field focused on nuclear
applications and in recent years they have been
expanded to include transport: upstream research
on detection methods, signal frequency
reduction, prototyping and validation tests
on sections of cable harness and so on.
The main advantage of this technology is that
it is accurate to within some 10 cm at the
moment (in the laboratory) and will probably
be accurate to within 3 or 4 cm in the future.
It is based on reflectometry, a technique that
involves sending a high frequency probe signal
(100 MHz) into the strand and measuring how
the return signal changes. This is the “signature”
for the type of fault (short circuit, broken wire,
defective connector) and its location. “The
aim eventually will be to fit each vehicle with an
embedded diagnosis chip,” explains Fabrice
Auzanneau, from the LIST Institute. “But prices
will need to fall to levels that are compatible with
the automotive industry for this to be the case, which
means that there is still a lot of work to be done.”
The diagnosis tool for mechanics therefore
represents not only an intermediate stage, but
also a market in its own right. Delphi, which
is one of the partners in the SEEDS project, has
a CEA-designed preprototype. The technology
is also tested by Renault Trucks within the
project framework. This will undergo testing
and will be used in a market research study. If
it proves satisfactory, it could then be
manufactured on an industrial scale.
These systems have other potential applications.
The technology involved could be used, for
example, for fault location in cable harnesses on
commercial or fighter aircraft (some of which
have a total of 400 km of cables!), cruise ships
(the Queen Mary II has 2,500 km of wires and
cables) or even on the hundreds of thousands
of kilometers of underground cables used for
electricity distribution. Although fault location
accuracy would suffer as a result (location would
only be accurate to within 10 m for electric cables),
it would still be a major step forward given the
tedious searches required at the moment.
CEA Technologies No. 87 - November 2007
1. Laboratory for Integration of Systems and Technologies.
2. System@tic/Num@tec: www.numatec-automotive.com.
BIOTECHNOLOGIES I Hope for “children of the moon”
Working with the Gustave-Roussy Institute, the INAC1 Institute has demonstrated how useful microsystems can be to identify the
cells of patients known as “children of the moon”, who suffer from xeroderma pigmentosum or XP.
This genetic disease is caused by deficiencies in a specific DNA repair process. It is associated with a very high incidence of
skin cancer and premature death. The test is ten times quicker than the one used at present and should eventually lead to more
rapid diagnosis.
1. Institute of Nanoscience and Cryogenics at the CEA.
NUCLEAR PHYSICS I 7,000 nuclei online
The structures of the 7,000 nuclei that potentially exist between carbon and darmstadtium are now available online. These
theoretical calculations, which were performed using the supercomputers at the CEA's CCRT1, are vital for interpreting nuclear
physics experiments, especially those involving exotic nuclei.
> http://www-phynu.cea.fr
1. Research and Technology Computing Center with a capacity of 50 teraflops (50,000 billion operations per second), on a par with the Tera 10 supercomputer.
CEA NEWS 27 March 2008
© CEA
SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS
LASER ENVIRONMENTS:
VIRTUAL VISION GUARANTEES 100% SAFETY
Imagine laser safety goggles that can filter all
wavelengths, at all power levels, while
continuing to transmit visible light... The
Military Applications Division at the CEA has
accomplished as much with a virtual vision
device equipped with two miniature cameras.
CEA researcher Jean-François Demonchy used
novel technologies for his invention, combining
virtual vision goggles, miniature CCD cameras,
a headband, and audio and video connectors.
The result is a 100% safe solution for people
working in a laser environment. The goggles
can also be used around other dangerous light
sources, such as electric arcs used in welding.
“There is no conventional laser eyewear that
covers all wavelengths and all power levels,” notes
J.-F. Demonchy. “Labs with several lasers have
to juggle between two or even three different pairs.”
The eyewear also has to be tested on a regular
basis to ensure optimum performance. These
drawbacks disappear with virtual vision.
Workers no longer directly see their environment
with their eyes; instead their surroundings are
transmitted by two CCD cameras in the upper
part of the device, then projected on an
integrated screen. “We've selected materials that
provide a large, high-resolution image, equivalent
to a 40-inch screen viewed at a distance of 2 meters,”
adds J.-F. Demonchy.
Another advantage of virtual vision is that
the laser beam remains visible, whereas by
definition, filtering goggles cause it to
“disappear”, along with much of the visible
spectrum. This leads some workers to remove
their protective eyewear - e.g. during laser chain
adjustments requiring precise beam alignmenta reflex that every safety manager tries to
discourage! With these new goggles, such
dangerous habits are no longer an issue.
Cameras can be selected that allow viewing
wavelengths normally invisible to the human
eye, for instance in the near infrared. This
extends the scope of application to other
work environments also potentially harmful
for the eyes.
The CEA team developing the device is currently
completing a second prototype. Weighing only
200 grams and powered by a 5-hour lithiumion battery, it will be routinely used in the
Megajoule Laser facilities, near Bordeaux: “After
optimization, our costs should match or beat those
of conventional filtering goggles,” J.-F. Demonchy
says. “But our device will replace several goggles
and won't require any upkeep, whereas tests for
filtration quality are very expensive.”
A patent is in the works and the CEA is currently
looking for a partner to manufacture and market
the device.
Moreover, the invention can serve as a foundation
for more advanced applications, e.g. transferring
images to a remote control centre to monitor
delicate operations, superposing a procedure or
a virtual environment on the screen (augmented
reality) to help operators do their work, etc.
CEA Technologies No 87 - November 2007
levels remain very high at night. These experiments were conducted
through a partnership with ADEME (French Environment and
Energy Management Agency), the Ile-de-France region, the Beijing
Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center (BMEMC), and the
Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP/CAS). They are part of a
strong push to bring conditions up to Western standards. During
the Olympic Games, the entire region will have to scale back
its activities. Only essential industries such as electricity production
will be allowed to continue normal operations.
© H.Cachier
Stade Olympique
In August 2007, a team from the Laboratory of Climate and
Environment Sciences (CEA/CNRS/University Versailles-SaintQuentin) conducted several experiments to understand the
emission and transformation of particles in the complex
atmosphere around a megapolis like Beijing, where pollutant
concentrations are 5 to 10 times higher than in Paris. Carbon
monoxide (CO) is emitted by combustion, so the consistent
variations in aerosol and CO concentrations indicate that
the particles are mainly from human activities. In the summer,
prevailing winds
from the south carry
numerous pollutants
from the industrial
basin of Hebei.
Episodes of acute
pollution occur in a
10-day cycle and can
last several days. A
diurnal progression
is clearly visible, and
in Beijing, pollution
© H.Cachier
POLLUTION AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN BEIJING
CEA NEWS 28 March 2008
François Legrand
THE GLASS OF EMBIEZ TELLS ITS TALE...
AND RESEARCHERS ARE LISTENING
© E. DeLavergne-CEA
Researchers at the CEA laboratory on the
long-term behavior of conditioning
materials are studying archeological glass
that is morphologically similar to nuclear
glass. Moreover, the conditions of its
alteration after 1,800 years at the bottom
of the Mediterranean are well known.
These characteristics are invaluable for
answering the following general question:
If the model for the disposal behavior
of R7T7 glass (from the La Hague plant)
is “transposed” to the Roman glass and
its specific properties, will it account
for the alteration currently observed in
the archeological finds?
The first step toward answering this
question was to examine the degree of
fracturing in the archeological blocks,
then to evaluate the impact on overall
alteration. Researchers adopted an
approach that combined techniques such
as microtomography, scanning electron
microscopy, and microbeam analysis.
The assessment of thousands of cracks
has yielded a number of insights. First of
all, the Roman blocks have been altered
by 15-20%. This result is essentially due
to the behavior of large fractures. Situated
at the outer edges of the blocks, they
represent 55% of the alteration. Very small
cracks, which are far more numerous,
only have a minor impact of 5%. Although
predominant inside the blocks, these small
cracks are in contact with a solution
having very little renewal that saturates
rapidly. The slow transport of aqueous
species within the cracks and their
clogging by argillaceous mineral phases
greatly reduce the rate at which the
glass dissolves.
Now that this first objective has been met,
the second step is to model the behavior
of the archeological glass. To this end, an
in-depth study was launched to identify
the reaction mechanisms and measure
the alteration kinetics as a function of
time and environment conditions. The
methodology adopted closely follows that
developed for nuclear glass: conducting
leaching tests, monitoring morphological,
chemical, and structural changes at the
glass/solution interface, etc.
An initial model will simulate the
alteration of the cracked blocks. Hytec,
a simulation code, has already been
selected for the task. Developed by the
engineering school Ecole des Mines de
Paris and already in use at the laboratory,
it couples chemical phenomena and
transport in a porous medium.
The final step will be transposing these
data to nuclear glass, to confirm results
from the models describing its long-term
behavior in geological repositories.
Interest in the glass of Embiez has already
extended beyond France. The teams at
Marcoule presented their work at a seminar
organized in Hyderabad, India, as part of
the CEA's collaboration with the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Stéphane Gin
Rive droite Rive gauche No 67 - October 2007
CEA NEWS 29 March 2008
A NEW
PROGRAM
ON FRACTURING
As part of an agreement signed by the
CEA, AREVA NC, and ANDRA, the Waste
Treatment and Conditioning Department
at Marcoule is coordinating a program on
fracturing launched in September 2007
and set to last 3.5 years.
Also involved are the Strasbourg Institute
of Solid and Fluid Mechanics (IMFS), the
Laboratory of Geology at Ecole Nationale
Supérieure, and the Laboratory of Solid
Mechanics at Ecole Polytechnique. The
objective of this R&D program is to
quantify fracturing in vitrified waste
packages, according to the thermal
history of the glass, and to evaluate
fracture changes over time in
geological repositories.
After being poured, industrial nuclear
glass has a heat gradient between its hot
interior and its cold exterior. This causes a
field of mechanical stress to develop and
a network of cracks to form.
The impact of this initial network on a
package's chemical durability has been
evaluated using leaching tests on
inactive, full-size objects. But further
changes are possible under lithostatic
pressure (weight of overlying material),
or due to corrosion products from the
metal containers.
As a result, this new collaborative effort is
focused on building a phenomenological
model capable of simulating how
mechanical changes in geological
disposal conditions affect the behavior of
vitrified waste packages.
© E. DeLavergne-CEA
Discovered off the Mediterranean island of Embiez, Roman glass from the
2nd century A.D. is currently under study at Marcoule. The material is beginning
to reveal its secrets, and the new experimental data are proving very useful for
studying the long-term behavior of vitrified nuclear waste.
© CEA
EXHIBITIONS
ANNUAL PROCORAD CONGRESS
PROCORAD is a French association set up in 1994 on the initiative of CEA,
AREVA NC and the French Association of Nuclear Biologists. Its initial aim
was to establish a more official status for internal quality control, developed
in the area of Radiotoxicology by the biologists themselves, in a similar
fashion to that implemented in clinical bioassay laboratories.
However, the association also has other goals in sight, including
promoting scientific and technical exchanges in the field and
developing members' expertise through international
networking, with the organization of intercomparison programs.
PROCORAD now organizes seven annual programs for some
70 laboratories located all over the world. The annual
congress provides an opportunity to report on
the results of the intercomparison
programs, to hear cutting-edge
presentations and take note
of people's comments and
expectations. It also
includes workshops
on current issues
and subjects being
investigated.
SUPERCOMPUTING 07
On november 10-16, 2007, the CEA attended Supercomputing 07 at
Reno-Sparks. SC07 is the premier international conference on high
performance computing, networking, storage, and analysis.
SC07 hosted an exceptional technical program, tutorials, workshops, an
expanded exhibits area, an exciting education program and many other
activities. The SC conference series has grown to include scientists,
researchers, software developers, network engineers, policy makers,
corporate managers, CIOs and IT administrators from universities, industry
and government from all over the world.
Attendees were immersed in the latest state-of-the-field developments in
technology, applications, vendor products, research results, national policy
and national/ international initiatives. SC07 is the one place attendees can
see tomorrow's technology being used to solve world-class challenge
problems today.
OBSERVATORY FOR MICRO
AND NANO TECHNOLOGIES
World Energy Congress - Rome 2007
© L. Godart-CEA
Since 1924, The World Energy Congress
has been widely recognised as the premier
global all energy event on the calendar.
The 20th Congress was held in
November 2007 in Rome.
The World Energy Council is the most
representative body of the energy industry
with members in 96 countries. Its mission
is to promote the sustainable supply and
use of energy for the greatest benefit of all.
The London-based organization has
official consultative status with the
United Nations.
An unprecedented level of global
cooperation between industry and
government, and deeper integration of
regional and international energy markets
will be required to achieve a sustainable
energy future. This collaboration will
determine the next 30 years of our
energy system.
© P. Gentile-CEA
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE KEY
TO A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE
© P. Stroppa-CEA
© F. Vigouroux-CEA
Last June, many international Radiotoxicologists met in Villeneuve-lesAvignon (France) for the Annual PROCORAD Congress.
The annual OMNT seminar has, over the years, established
its position as one of the major annual events for the microand nano-technologies sector. At the one-day seminar,
experts from the Observatory report on their work and present
their vision of scientific and technical developments in the
field. They also analyze the economic context underlying
these developments (players, startups, new products and
market forecasts).
This year, at the seminar held on February 7, 2008 at the
Maison de la Chimie, in Paris, the focus was on a newly
emerging subject of "Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials:
Effects on Health and the Environment", and included
3 presentations.
The seminars, which are open to the public, are attended
by over 300 people every year, most of whom are researchers,
industrial developers, venture capitalists and representatives
of the public authorities also attend.
> http://www.omnt.fr/index.php
CEA NEWS 30 March 2008
EXHIBITIONS
May 19-23, 2008 - Montpellier, France
International
Conference ATALANTE
October 12, 2007 to August 24, 2008
(final part of “Living with Risk”: May 18, 2008)
Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis:
LIVING WITH RISK
© L. Godart-CEA
© P. Stroppa-CEA
The ATALANTE conferences provide an
international forum for presentation and
discussion of current research on the nuclear
fuel cycle, waste management and future nuclear
fuel cycles. Under the patronage of the High
commissioner of the French atomic energy, the
2008 session will cover fundamental and applied
scientific topics regarding nuclear fuel cycle
for the future. Expected conferences subtopics
include:
• issues, national policies and international initiatives ;
• progress and innovation in separation technology ;
• advanced fuels ;
• basic science in actinides chemistry and fuel under irradiation ;
• high-level waste conditioning and long-term behaviour ;
• nuclear facilities for fuel cycle research.
> http://www-atalante2008.cea.fr
Two exhibitions presented in 3 languages: English,
French and Italian, in one place:
• the first part explores movements below the surface
of the Earth and the most spectacular manifestations,
• the second part, devoted to the concept of risk
and prevention, focuses on human life, hears from
people who have lived through such phenomena,
organizing emergency services or helping to prepare
local populations to deal with them, etc.
© F. Rhodes-CEA
© P. Stroppa-CEA
26-30 May 2008 in Marseille
WIN Global Annual Meeting 2008
The next Women in Nuclear Global
Annual Meeting will be hosted by WINFrance. It will take place from 2630 May 2008 in Marseille, France. The
main theme will be: “Nuclear Revival:
Maintaining Key Competencies”.
Nuclear revival poses a crucial
challenge for keys competencies
replacement:
• Extension of work age for senior
skilled workforce and transfer of
knowledge.
• Training for young professionals.
• Role of women in competencies
replacement.
• Preparation of the know-how
transfer.
The meeting will include a conference,
Q&A sessions and round table
discussions.
There will be also visits to nuclear
installations (Cadarache and
Marcoule CEA' centers) and other
sites (optional).
© L. Godart-CEA
> http://www.win-global.org/win-2008.htm
Clefs CEA
Clefs CEA No 55, Summer 2007
Nuclear systems of the future Generation IV
A scientific and technical review,
Clefs CEA reports on important
subjects in research and
development studied by CEA. The
articles, written in part by scientists,
address the public with a general
scientific culture.
Researchers are beginning to lay the groundwork for the future of reactors.
Clefs CEA provides an overview of future generations and what the industry
will be like by mid-century.
> An english version is available
on line and on CD-Rom.
www.cea.fr
CEA NEWS 31 March 2008
CEA EMBASSY
COUNSELOR NETWORK
BERLIN
Jean-Marc CAPDEVILA
[email protected]
HELSINKI
Claude SAINTE-CATHERINE
[email protected]
BUDAPEST
Gérard COGNET
[email protected]
MOSCOU
Denis FLORY
[email protected]
LONDRES
Alain REGENT
[email protected]
NEW-DELHI
Hugues de LONGEVIALLE
[email protected]
WASHINGTON
Jacques FIGUET
[email protected]
SEOUL
Jean-Yves DOYEN
[email protected]
BRUSSELS - EU
Guillaume GILLET
[email protected]
TOKYO
Pierre-Yves CORDIER
[email protected]
PARIS
CEA Headquarters
[email protected]
VIENNA - AIEA
Marc-Gérard ALBERT
[email protected]
BEIJING
Alain TOURNYOL du CLOS
[email protected]
w w w. c e a . f r
More information: [email protected]