PROCEDURE FOR SEPARING GAS MIXTURES AND APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE PROCEDURE

摘要

1503883 Separating fluid streams ATOMIC ENERGY BOARD 20 April 1976 [17 April 1975] 15973/76 Heading B1L A method of treating a fluid e.g. isotopes of UF 6 which comprises; feeding into a length of passage 18 a stream of fluid of a single phase and having a composition which varies in a known fashion with respect to a specified property thereof over a cross-section of the stream transverse to the direction of movement of the stream; moving the stream along the length of passage by passing it through an impeller or propeller located in the length of passage downsteam of the feeding without destroying the variation in composition of the stream; and before-the variation in composition has disappeared and after the fluid has passed through the impeller or propeller, separating at least some parts of the stream having different compositions from one another while withdrawing them from the passage. In Fig. 1 the passage 18.1 forms part of a circuit having inlets 36 and 40 for U 235 depleted and enriched gas respectively, gas flows helically in laminar streams downwardly in passage 18.1 through a rotary bladed compressor 16.1 through inner housing 12 having optionally a heat exchanger 22, a partition 28, an isotope separator 24, in which U 235 passes preferentially to inner duct 34 and is withdrawn in a separate stream or streams. The apparatus may consist of a plurality of modules 10 with exchange of depleted and enriched gas therebetween. The apparatus may be modified as in Fig. 8 not shown.