What a success! Winning the EDF Challenge de l'innovation DPNT for the 4th time! 🤸‍♂️ 🎉

Congratulations to everyone involved, especially to DR Technologie, and a special shout-out to Laurent Chapat and Emilien Jobard, who, together with the support of our partners NUVIA and EDF, achieved this incredible victory. Amazing work!

We are overjoyed to have been a part of this success. Our contribution was the optimization of the design.

⁉ What exactly is this SAS bridge de cuve that was presented for the EDF Award 🏆 for Prevention, Health, and Safety?

▶ This SAS – airlock was installed a few months ago at the bottom of the reactor pool on the reactor pressure vessel and is designed to ensure the safe execution of grinding and cutting operations. Workers equipped with special gear can then proceed, accompanied by customized and qualified equipment, into this ultracontaminated and dosed environment.

Let’s discuss the advantages of this tool:

In addition to its lightweight and portability, this SAS – airlock offers several other benefits:

• Reduces the risk associated with handling operations.
• Simplifies and increases the safety of the work process by eliminating the need to set up a rigid scaffold with a vinyl skin.
• Saves time! Erecting a vinyl scaffold can take hours, while an inflatable SAS can be set up in just a few minutes.
• Reduces the exposure time for personnel. During the installation of a rigid scaffold, workers are exposed to high levels of dosimetry for longer periods.

How does the installation work? Due to the high radiation levels at the bottom of the reactor pool, exposure time must be minimized. Thus, the reactor pressure vessel airlock is designed to be installed in two stages:

• Inflating the structure on the 20-meter elevated platform.
• Then lowering it using a bridge crane, supported by a sling, to the bottom of the reactor pool.

A special construction:

• To comply with regulations, the SAS consists of a double skin, with the pneumatic structure in the middle. The goal is to be able to lift only the scaffold without contaminating the surrounding work environment.

“Let's work together to save time, money, and most importantly, minimize risks.”

Feel free to reach out to us for more information 😊