FTG R&D Efforts Enhanced by Patent Process

At Framatome Technologies patents are part of the strategic plan to meet customers’ needs and objectives. Although patent protection does create a 20-year monopoly for inventors, it also provides a framework for companies like FTI to work with customers to develop specific technology-driven solutions for problems and challenges.

Framatome Technologies is constantly advancing its use and application of technology and devotes nearly five percent of its annual revenue to R&D.

“The patents we receive are a result of FTI’s commitment to technology, and a commitment to develop innovative and first-of-a-kind solutions to customer and industry needs,” said David Tate, FTI Manager, Strategic Marketing.

FTI’s Jet Pump Diffuser Inspection Tool (Patent Pending) is one recent example of a unique automated inspection technology developed to meet the needs of FTI customers. The tool was designed to help minimize the impact of implementing the new BWR Vessel and Internals Project recommendations.

FTI met with the industry group that developed the BWRVIP recommendations to find out how the new standards would effect operators of BWR plants. As a result, FTI developed a method and tooling to perform ultrasonic examinations of the jet pump diffuser assembly circumferential welds, utilizing remotely operated equipment from the inner diameter (ID) of the diffuser assembly. To develop the tooling, FTI focused on its customer and their need to manage the outage critical path.

“As a service company in the nuclear industry, FTI focuses on developing and improving reliability, safety and performance at plants,” Tate said. “This often means investing money in R&D, and the patents help FTI protect that investment.”

On average, FTI files ten patent applications a year. In 1999, FTI received six patent issues.

Framatome Technologies currently holds 173 issued patents in the U.S. and Canada, with 11 patents currently pending (awaiting approval to issue), including one for the Jet Pump Diffuser Tool.

The patent process rewards companies that have the goal of improving technology in the industry in which they operate. Without patent protection, companies could lose the incentive to develop new tools and methods due to the cost of research and development.

Bill Glass, FTI’s Manager of Robotics and Remote Tooling who has worked with patents since 1985, said, “How much is an idea worth? It’s hard to say because there is not a lot of money associated with an idea, but ideas are the main principle behind the patent system. With patents, a company can protect itself while offering customers innovative thought.”