GB879118A - Method of centrifuge operation - Google Patents

Abstract

879,118. Centrifugal separators. COHEN, K. P. Feb. 15, 1946 [Jan. 31, 1945], No. 4901/46. Class 23 A fluid mixture is separated into heavy and light components by continuously passing a first stream of the fluid in an axial direction through the central portion of a separator rotor, continuously passing a second stream of the fluid through the peripheral portion of the rotor in counter-current to the first stream, and rotating the rotor to concentrate the light component in the first stream and the heavy component in the second stream. The centrifugal separator shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is suitable for separating gaseous isotopes, and comprises an evacuated housing 178 containing a rotor 10 driven by a motor 22. The first stream is supplied to the bottom of the rotor by a pipe 40, a bore 18 in the rotor shaft, and ducts 42 whilst the second stream is supplied to the top of the rotor by a pipe 36, an annular passage surrounding a bore 14 in the rotor shaft, and ducts 38. The first stream leaves the top of the rotor through ducts 44 to the bore 14 from whence it is pumped by a centrifugal pump to the outlet 46, whilst the second stream leaves the bottom of the rotor through duct 38 to an annulus surrounding the bore 18 to be pumped by a centrifugal pump (not shown) to the outlet 38. The rotor shaft has damping means 26, 30, and is supported by a thrust bearing 34. The damping means 30 is similar to the means 26 which comprises a non-rotary sleeve 154 supported vertically by springs 172, spaced from the rotor shaft by a bearing 156, and carrying cylindrical vanes 160, 168 which respectively intermesh with stationary vanes 162, 170 immersed in oil. The position of the first stream may vary between 40%- 60% of the radius of the rotor. Where the first stream comprises a central cylindrical core it may have a radius of 75% of the rotor radius. About 4,000 of the separators may be arranged to separate isotopes from uranium hexafluoride and Fig. 8 shows a small section of the arrangement. Separators 184a .... 184d are connected to haeders 180, 200, 190, 194, and separators 206a, 206b are connected to the headers 190, 194 and to headers 210, 214 so that the gas in the header 210 contains a higher concentration of the light component than the gas in the header 190, and the gas in the header 200 is more nearly depleted of lighter component than the gas in the header 214.