Isotope separation by selective charge conversion and field deflection
A description is given of a deuterium-tritium separation system wherein a source beam comprised of positively ionized deuterium (D/sup +/) and tritium (T/sup +/) is converted at different charge-exchange cell sections of the system to negatively ionized deuterium (D/sup -/) and tritium (T/sup -/). First, energy is added to the beam to accelerate the D/sup +/ ions to the velocity that is optimum for conversion of the D/sup +/ ions to D/sup -/ ions in a charge-exchange cell. The T/sup +/ ions are accelerated at the same time, but not to the optimum velocity since they are heavier than the D/sup +/ ions. The T/sup +/ ions are, therefore, not converted to T/sup -/ ions when the D/sup +/ ions are converted to D/sup -/ ions. This enables effective separation of the beam by deflection of the isotopes with an electrostatic field, the D- ions being defected in one direction and the T/sup +/ ions being deflected in the opposite direction. Next, more energy is added to the deflected beam of T/sup +/ ions to bring the T/sup +/ ions to the optimum velocity for their conversion to T/sup -/ ions. In a particular use of the invention, the beams of D/sup -/ and T/sup -/ ions are separately further accelerated and then converted to energetic neutral particles for injection as fuel into a thermonuclear reactor. The reactor exhaust of D/sup +/ and T/sup +/ and the D/sup +/ and T/sup +/ that was not converted in the respective sections is combined with the source beam and recycled through the system to increase the efficiency of the system.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4067702
- Application Number:
- TRN: 78-016080
- OSTI ID:
- 6723700
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 22 Jul 1976; Other Information: PAT-APPL-707,797
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Mound Facility activities in chemical and physical research: January-June 1980. [OLECULES; VIRIAL EQUATION; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DEUTERIUM; TRITIUM; CALCIUM NITRATES; HEAVY WATER; THERMAL DIFFUSION; WATER; CROSS SECTIONS; MOLECULAR BEAMS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; CHELATING AGENTS; CHLOROFORM]
Related Subjects
DEUTERIUM
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
TRITIUM
ACCELERATION
CHARGE EXCHANGE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
070100* - Physical Isotope Separation