Gas-centrifuge unit and centrifugal process for isotope separation
US4167244A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 11, 1976 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 1979 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 11, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S494/90
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
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. …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.