GB1171998A - Gas Centrifuge - Google Patents

Abstract

1,171,998. Gas centrifuges. DORYOKURO KAKUNENRYO KAIHATSU JIGYODAN. 23 March, 1967 [29 March, 1966], No. 13644/67. Heading B2P. In a centrifuge comprising a rotary chamber 20 rotatably mounted within an outer chamber 10, Fig. 1, a mixture of gases of different molecular or atomic weights are separated by feeding the mixture through a port 30 into the chamber 20, removing, from different parts, e.g. the two end portions, of the chamber through holes 25, 26 into different regions A, B between the outer and rotary chambers, parts of the gas mixture rich in components of different molecular or atomic weights, and removing the differently enriched parts of the mixture from the regions A, B through pipes 13, 14 to the outside of the chamber 10, a gas of low molecular or atomic weight relative to the components of the gas mixture being caused to flow through pipes 11 into the region 50 between the chambers 10, 20 so as to sweep into the regions A, B and be evacuated with the differently enriched parts of the mixture. The gas mixture may be uranium hexafluoride which it is desired to separate into uranium 235-rich and uranium 235-poor gases. The gas of low molecular or atomic weight may be helium. The pipes 11, Fig. 3, are provided with nozzles 12 for directing the gas tangentially to, and in the direction of rotation of, the Cylinder 20. Flanges 27, 28 at the ends of the chamber 20 provide clearances 31, 32 for the passage of the gas of low molecular or atomic weight. An infra-red or steam heater 40 fitted with a reflector 42 conducts heat to the end plate 21 of the chamber 20 and a cooling device 41 cools the end plate 22. The pipes 13 14 are connected to a vacuum pump. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the chamber 20 has cylindrical end projections 33, 34 in the peripheral walls of which are provided the holes 25, 26 which communicate with spaces between pairs of annular plates 53a, 53b and 54a, 54b fixed to the chamber 10. These spaces communicate with the pipes 13, 14. The low molecular or atomic weight gas entering through the pipes 11 passes through clearances 31, 32 between the chamber 20 and annular projections 51 formed on the inner wall of chamber 10, and passes into the spaces between the plates 53a, 53b and 54a, 54b partly directly through clearances 57, 58, and partly indirectly through intercommunicating elliptical pipes 55a-d and 56a-d, Fig. 8, and further clearances 57, 58. The gas mixture to be separated is fed in through a pipe 15 and a bore 30 in the lower shaft 24 of the chamber 20.