Scientific Achievements
As an engineering company, Cegelec has contributed to the global community in the fields of nuclear engineering, electrification logistics, robotics, infrastructure, information systems and safety systems. Developments in which they have participated include a programmable safety protection system (SPS – AC 132–16), which was one of the centrepieces of nuclear reactor safety protocols and controllers in 1999.[9] The code base and core components of this system have been integrated into modern nuclear plants, which Cegelec has been contracted to develop, maintain and innovate for clients. They own various patents on energy technology (primarily transistor and energy-loss prevention techniques) that have since been incorporated into current energy sources. Two such patents that pertain to renewable energy include design components for a wave energy converter[28] and a variable speed converter for wind turbines,[29] put forth at the 1997 IEE Colloquium, and implemented in later projects. Cegelec designed and implemented a common DC bus fed inverter for the wave energy power generator known as the OSPREY (Ocean Swell Powered Renewable EnergY) project, a new generation of international, modular wave energy generators; Cegelec's role in this project was regulating the electrical output of each generator and maximizing conversion efficiency.[28][30] For wind turbines, Cegelec developed a product called Alspa GD4000, a "bi-directional 45 kW power electronic variable speed driver and controller," used for integrating generators and flywheel systems within wind turbines.[29] Both patents and consequent projects center around electrical energy conversion and provided a foundation for future advances in both wave and wind energy technology, fields which are generally not as profitable for Cegelec as nuclear, coal, and electrical infrastructure work.[21] International, large-scale scientific projects that Cegelec has been invited to work in include the two below:
The first is their participation in the ITER fusion program starting in 2016, known as Fusion for Energy (F4E), in which they have been employed to design, produce, operate and maintain remote handling equipment to function within the fusion reactor.[10] According to World Nuclear News, Fusion for Energy is the "world's largest experimental nuclear fusion facility," and is at the forefront of the scientific community in the field of fusion energy; Cegelec's involvement in the first Cask and Plus Remote Handling System (CPRHS) of this size is one of Cegelec's most globally renowned nuclear projects.[10]
In 2017, they were contracted to by the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) to remodel and create cryogenic interfaces operating between Ariane 6 rocket launch systems and the ground systems in French Guiana.[12] The CNES aimed to horizontally integrate the entire launcher system for the first time in the Ariane space programs history, tasking Latecoere Services (the lead contractor), Air Liquide and Cegelec to allow fuelling arms to operate efficiently within this system.[12]