Freezer-sublimer for gaseous diffusion plant. [Enrichment of UF/sub 6/]
A method and apparatus is disclosed for freezing and subliming uranium hexafluoride (UF/sub 6/) as part of a gaseous diffusion plant from which a quantity of the UF/sub 6/ inventory is intermittently withdrawn and frozen to solidify it. A plurality of upright heat pipes holds a coolant and is arranged in a two compartment vessel, the lower compartment is exposed to UF/sub 6/, the higher one serves for condensing the evaporated coolant by means of cooling water. In one embodiment, each pipe has a quantity of coolant such as freon, hermetically sealded therein. In the other embodiment, each pipe is sealed only at the lower end while the upper end communicates with a common vapor or cooling chamber which contains a water cooled condenser. The cooling water has a sufficiently low temperature to condense the evaporated coolant. The liquid coolant flows gravitationally downward to the lower end portion of the pipe. UF/sub 6/ gas is flowed into the tank where it contacts the finned outside surface of the heat pipes. Heat from the gas evaporates the coolant and the gas in turn is solidified on the exterior of the heat pipe sections in the tank. To recover UF/sub 6/ gas from the tank, the solidified UF/sub 6/ is sublimed by passing compressed UF/sub 6/ gas over the frozen UF/sub 6/ gas on the pipes or by externally heating the lower ends of the pipes sufficiently to evaporate the coolant therein above the subliming temperature of the UF/sub 6/. The subliming UF/sub 6/ gas then condenses the coolant in the vertical heat pipes, so that it can gravitationally flow back to the lower end portions.
- Assignee:
- Bechtel International Corp.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4127163
- Application Number:
- TRN: 79-006570
- OSTI ID:
- 6228289
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 18 Aug 1976
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Recommendations for a Kalman filter to estimate and control freeze and sublime rates of gaseous diffusion plant freezer/sublimer systems
Recommendations for a Kalman filter to estimate and control freeze and sublime rates of gaseous diffusion plant freezer/sublimer systems
Related Subjects
GASEOUS DIFFUSION PROCESS
EQUIPMENT
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
FREEZING
SUBLIMATION
URANIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
EVAPORATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
050501* - Nuclear Fuels- Uranium Enrichment- Gaseous Diffusion- (-1989)