Flow and separation in a long countercurrent gas centrifuge^*

Flow Research Laboratory, Technical Division Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant Union Carbide Nuclear Company Oak Ridge, Tennessee U.S.A., U.S.A..

Abstract

A theory is developed for the separation of isotopes in a long countercurrent gas centrifuge. With the selection of a suitably simplified hydrodynamic model, velocity profiles are obtained which permit the evaluation of the integrals arising in the separation theory. The treatment provides estimates of the axial variation of light component composition in each of the countercurrent streams in the centrifuge.

For a particular set of conditions, the present results are compared with those obtained from the theory previously presented by Cohen. Both theories yield virtually identical results for moderate peripheral velocities and low ratios of product to internal flow. At higher ratios of product to internal flow, the predictions of the present treatment depart from those of Cohen's theory.

Enrichments predicted by the present theory are compared with some of Groth's experimental results. The agreement is satisfactory except at intermediate feed rates where the experimental results are significantly higher than those obtained from the theory.