Chemistry: physical processes
Patent
1976-11-11
1979-09-11
Krizmanich, George H.
Chemistry: physical processes
233DIG1, 55 17, B04B 508, B01D 4512
Patent
active
041672445
ABSTRACT:
An invention involving a process and apparatus for isotope-separation applications such as uranium-isotope enrichment is disclosed which employs cascades of gas centrifuges. A preferred apparatus relates to an isotope-enrichment unit which includes a first group of cascades of gas centrifuges and an auxiliary cascade. Each cascade has an input, a light-fraction output, and a heavy-fraction output for separating a gaseous-mixture feed including a compound of a light nuclear isotope and a compound of a heavy nuclear isotope into light and heavy fractions respectively enriched and depleted in the light isotope. The cascades of the first group have at least one enriching stage and at least one stripping stage. An example of such a gaseous mixture is uranium hexafluoride incorporating uranium-235 and uranium-238. The unit further includes means for introducing a gaseous-mixture feedstock into each input of the first group of cascades, means for withdrawing at least a portion of a product fraction from the light-fraction outputs of the first group of cascades, and means for withdrawing at least a portion of a waste fraction from the heavy-fraction outputs of the first group of cascades. The isotope-enrichment unit also includes a means for conveying a gaseous-mixture from a light-fraction output of a first cascade included in the first group to the input of the auxiliary cascade so that at least a portion of a light gaseous-mixture fraction produced by the first group of cascades is further separated into a light and a heavy fraction by the auxiliary cascade. At least a portion of a product fraction is withdrawn from the light fraction output of the auxiliary cascade. If the light-fraction output of the first cascade and the heavy-fraction output of the auxiliary cascade are reciprocal outputs, the concentration of the light isotope in the heavy fraction produced by the auxiliary cascade essentially equals the concentration of the light isotope in the gaseous-mixture feedstock.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2779537 (1957-01-01), Madany
patent: 3251542 (1966-05-01), Newgard et al.
patent: 3281067 (1966-10-01), Beyerle et al.
patent: 3309016 (1967-03-01), O'Brien
patent: 3902658 (1975-09-01), Madsen
Exxon Nuclear Company Inc.
Krizmanich George H.
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