US2847575A - Calutrons - Google Patents

Description

E. D. KANE Aug. 12, 1958 CALUTRONS Filed Jan. 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ENEAS 0. m N:

. ATTORNEl CALUTRONS Filed Jan. 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ENEAS D. KANE W ATTORNEY United States Patent Eneas D. Kane,1! erkeley, Califi, assignor to the United States .of-America as representedhy the Atomic Energy Commission 1 A lication-Januar 1946, Serial No. 640,109

-'Claims.' (Cl; 250-413) The present inv'ention relates to calutrons, andmore particularly" to a system of calutrons employing'anovel arrangement of means for maintaining amagnetic field.

For a definition and full description of calutrons, reference ismade to U. SQ Patent No. 2,721,272 issued to- Ernest'O. Lawrence' on- October 18, 1955;inwhichthere is:illust'r ated a series of alternated calutron tanks and magnets disposed in a closed geometric-figure referred to therein as a race-track.

The present invention is animprovement over the race-track shown and described in the patent identified above. In race-tracks heretofore known, the system comprised a series of calutron tanks spaced apart to receive between each adjacent pair of tanks an electromagnet comprising a massive iron core of substantially the same cross section as the tanks and a winding surrounding the core. This arrangement has the disadvantages that a very considerable amount of iron must be employed, and that the cores in aggregate occupy a large proportion of the space required to house the system.

I have discovered that by a particular arrangement of coils, the cores may be entirely omitted, with a resultant economy in material and space requirements.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to effect economies in the original construction of a calutron system, and bring about more efiicient utilization of space by providing a calutron system in which the need for magnet cores is obviated.

More specifically it is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous series of substantially abutting calutron tanks around which separate windings are provided in inclined relation so as to afford access to edge walls of the tanks.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary, schematic, plan view illustrating a portion of a calutron race-track made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, schematic, plan view of a portion of my improved system, showing a straight series of tanks; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, I have illustrated in Fig. l the arrangement of my improved system. Calutron tanks are arranged in abutting relation in series extending in straight lines, and the series are connected by corner yoke sections 11 into a closed geometric pattern, providing a closed path for magnetic flux. Each tank 10 is shown as of rectangular cross section, and as being relatively thin or flat as measured in a direction along the series of tanks. For convenience, the abutting surfaces of the tanks 10 are designated the sides thereof, and the other relatively narrow surfaces are designated the edge walls thereof.

Each tank 10 is provided with a face plate 12 at one edge wall thereof, which will be termed the front edge wall 13 herein, the opposite edge wall 14 being termed 2,847,575 Patented Aug. 12, 1958 "ice the rear edge wall. The tanks 10 are arranged" in the seriesso that front edge walls 13 and face plates 12 of adjacent tanks are oppositely disposed.

Mechanism for setting up a continuous magnetic field which traverses the tanks 10 from side to side comprisesv windings ls which are inclined with respect to-the longitudinal axis defined by a straight series of tanks, asbes't illustrated in Fig. 2,. so that the front'edge wall 13 and" hence the face. plate 12 of'each tank 10' is entirely unobstructed. This permits removal of' the faceplate 12- if desired, orthe removal of smaller panels'which may bemounted on the face plate, as will subsequently, be described.

It will be observed that the illustrated arrangement permits the use of one winding per tank, which may be of a width substantially equal to half thewidth of the:

tank.

18 may be mounted for independent removal on separate: removable panels, if desired. For a complete descrip-- tion of the operation of the ion separating mechanism, reference is made to the patent identified above.

One of the requisites for successful operation of the' calutron unit is that a substantially uniform, or at least. accurately predetermined, magnetic field shall be pro-- vided in the zone traversed by semi-circular beams of ions existing between the source and receiver units- However, ion separation is carried out at extremely low pressures, the tanks normally being evacuated to a pressure on the order of 10 or 10 mm. Hg. Accordingly, the side walls 20 of the tanks must be relatively heavy, and it is found that where these side walls are of iron, they will serve efficiently as magnet pole faces which will smooth out the magnetic flux traversing the tank.

As is apparent from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2,

substantial areas of the top and bottom edges of the tions 11, it will be appreciated that if preferred, the corners of the geometric arrangement could be formed on.

large arcs, with the inter-position of wedge-shaped yoke sections between adjacent tanks which tanks contact ad-- jacent tanks along the vertical inner corners.

While I have illustrated a single preferred embodiment of my improved calutron arrangement, it will be appreciated that this has been done merely to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A calutron system comprising a series of sub-- stantially fluid-tight, relatively fiat tanks arranged side by side in substantially abutting relationship, electro-- magnetic ion separating mechanism in said tanks, and means for setting up a continuous magnetic field travers-- ing said tanks from side to side, said means comprising a plurality of sets of windings surrounding said series:

tially fluid-tight, relatively'fiat tanks arranged side by side in substantially, abutting relationship, 'electromag netic ion separating mechanism in said tanks, 'and means for setting up a continuous magnetic .field traversing said tanks from side to, side, said means comprising a plurality of sets of windings surrounding said series of tanks, said windings being arranged in inclined relation to the axis of said series so as to leave opposite edges of adjacent tanks clear thereof.

3. A calutron system comprising a series of substantially fluid-tight, relatively flattanks arranged side by side in substantially abutting relationship, electromagnetic ion separating mechanism in said tanks, adjacent tanks of said series having oppositely disposed front and rear edge Walls, said front edge walls aifording access into the interior of said tanks, and means for establishing a seriesmagnetic field traversing said tanks from side to side, said means comprising windings surrounding said series of tanks, each of said windings-being inclined to the axis of said series of tanks and disposed 7 so that said winding overlies the rear edge walls of adjacent tanks.

- 4. A calutron system comprising a series of substantially fluid-tight, relatively flat tanks arranged side by side in substantially abutting relationship, electromagnetic ion separating mechanism in said tanks, adjacent tanks of said series having oppositely disposed front and rear edge walls, said front edge walls affording access into the interior of said tanks, and means for establishing a series magnetic field traversing said tanks from side to side, said means comprising windings surrounding said series of tanks and arranged in pairs overlying the rear wall of a single tank, the windings of each pair being inclined to each other and to'the axes of said series of said tanks and each overlying a portion of the rear wall of the next adjacent tank.

5. A calutron system comprising a series of substantially fluid-tight, relatively flat tanks arranged side by side in substantially abutting relationship, electromagnetic ion separating mechanism in said tanks, adjacent tanks of said series having oppositely disposed front and rear edge walls, said front edge walls affording access into the interior of said tanks, and means for establishing a series magnetic field traversing said tanks from side to side, said means comprising windings surrounding said series of tanks and being inclined to the axis ofsaid series of tanks so as to overlie the rear edge walls of adjacent tanks while leaving the front edge walls thereof clear and unobstructed for access thereto.

No references cited.

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