I.V. Tronin

On a Formula to Evaluate the Separative Power of Long Gas Centrifuges

We discuss the possibility of applying the semi-empirical formula derived for evaluating the separative power of the Russian-type optimized gas centrifuge, with a rotor length about 1 m, to centrifugal machines of arbitrary length. It is demonstrated that the formula can adequately describe the dependence of a single gas centrifuges performance on rotor peripheral rotation, length, and diameter for machines with lengths of up to 5 m. The comparison of the calculated values for separative power, obtained by numerical simulations of flow and diffusion in gas centrifuges with that of the URENCO machines, demonstrates satisfactory agreement.

Verification of software codes for simulation of unsteady flows in a gas centrifuge

A simple semi-analytical solution is proposed for the problem of an unsteady gas flow in a gas centrifuge. The circulation in the centrifuge is driven by a source/sink of energy and by an external force (deceleration/acceleration of the gas rotation) acting on the gas at a given frequency. In the semi-analytical solution, the rotor is infinite, while the given forces vary harmonically with a given wave-length along the axial coordinate. As a result, the unsteady flow problem is reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations, which can be quickly solved to any prescribed accuracy. This problem is proposed for verifying numerical codes designed for the simulation of unsteady processes in gas centrifuges. A similar unsteady problem is solved numerically, in which case the cylinder is finite with the rotor length equal to the wavelength of the external force along the axis of rotation. The periodicity of the solution is set at end faces of the cylinder. As an example, the semi-analytical solution is compared with the numerical one obtained with these boundary conditions. The comparison confirms that the problem formulations are equivalent in both cases.

Waves in strong centrifugal fields: dissipationless gas

Linear waves are investigated in a rotating gas under the condition of strong centrifugal acceleration of the order 106g realized in gas centrifuges for separation of uranium isotopes. Sound waves split into three families of the waves under these conditions. Dispersion equations are obtained. The characteristics of the waves strongly differ from the conventional sound waves on polarization, velocity of propagation and distribution of energy of the waves in space for two families having frequencies above and below the frequency of the conventional sound waves. The energy of these waves is localized in rarefied region of the gas. The waves of the third family were not specified before. They propagate exactly along the rotational axis with the conventional sound velocity. These waves are polarized only along the rotational axis. Radial and azimuthal motions are not excited. Energy of the waves is concentrated near the wall of the rotor where the density of the gas is largest.

Dependence of the separative power of an optimised Iguassu gas centrifuge on the velocity of rotor

Purpose - The purpose of this work is to determine dependence of the separative power of the Iguassu gas centrifuge (GC) on the velocity of the rotor. Design/methodology/approach - The dependence is determined by means of computer simulation of the gas flow in the GC and numerical solution of the diffusion equation for the light component of the binary mixture of uranium isotopes. 2D axisymmetric model with the sources/sinks of the mass, angular momentum and energy reproducing the scoops was explored for the computer simulation. Parameters of the model correspond to the parameters of the so-called Iguassu centrifuge. The separative power has been optimised in relation to the pressure of the gas, temperature of the gas, the temperature drop along the rotor, power of the source of angularmomentum and energy, feed flow and geometry of the lower baffle. Findings - In the result, the optimised separative power depends only on the velocity, length and diameter of the rotor. The dependence on the velocity is described by the power law function with the power law index 2.6 which demonstrate stronger dependence on the velocity than it follows from experimental data. However, the separative power obtained with limitation on the pressure growth with the velocity depends on the velocity on the power similar to 2 which well agree with the experiments. Originality/value - For the first time, the optimised separative power of the GCs have been calculated via numerical simulation of the gas flow and diffusion of the binary mixture of isotope.

Numerical modelling of the flow and isotope separation in centrifuge Iguasu for different lengths of the rotor

Numerical modelling and optimization of the gas flow and isotope separation in the Iguasu gas centrifuge (GC) for uranium enrichment have been performed for different lengths of the rotor. The calculations show that the specific separative power of the GC reduces with the length of the rotor. We show that the reduction of the specific separative power is connected with the growth of the pressure in the optimal regime and corresponding growth of temperature to prevent the working gas sublimation. The specific separative power remains constant with the growth of the rotor length provided that the temperature of the gas is taken to be constant.

Rhie–Chow interpolation in strong centrifugal fields

Rhie–Chow interpolation formulas are derived from the Navier–Stokes and continuity equations. These formulas are generalized to gas dynamics in strong centrifugal fields (as high as 106 g) occurring in gas centrifuges.

Correlation effects in kinetics of one-dimensional atomic systems

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the correlation effects and manifestations of general properties of 1D systems (such as spatial heterogeneity that is associated with strong density fluctuations, the lack of phase transitions, the presence of frozen disorder, confinement, and blocked movement of nuclear particle by its neighbours) in nonequilibrium phenomena by considering the four examples. The anomalous transport in zeolite channels is considered. The mechanism of the transport may appear in carbon nanotubes and MOF structures, relaxation, mechanical properties, and stability of nonequilibrium states of free chains of metal atoms, non-Einstein atomic mobility in 1D atomic systems. Also we discuss atomic transport and separation of two-component mixture of atoms in a 1D system--a zeolitemembrane with subnanometer channels.We discuss the atomic transport and separation of two-component mixture of atoms in a 1D system--zeolite membrane with subnanometer channels. These phenomena are described by the response function method for nonequilibrium systems of arbitrary density that allows us to calculate the dynamic response function and the spectrum of relaxation of density fluctuations 1D atomic system.

The computer simulation of 3d gas dynamics in a gas centrifuge

We argue on the basis of the results of 2D analysis of the gas flow in gas centrifuges that a reliable calculation of the circulation of the gas and gas content in the gas centrifuge is possible only in frameworks of 3D numerical simulation of gas dynamics in the gas centrifuge (hereafter GC). The group from National research nuclear university, MEPhI, has created a computer code for 3D simulation of the gas flow in GC. The results of the computer simulations of the gas flows in GC are presented. A model Iguassu centrifuge is explored for the simulations. A nonaxisymmetric gas flow is produced due to interaction of the hypersonic rotating flow with the scoops for extraction of the product and waste flows from the GC. The scoops produce shock waves penetrating into a working camera of the GC and form spiral waves there.

Verification of the numerical codes for modelling of gas dynamics in strong centrifugal field

A simple semi-analytical solution is proposed for the verification of numerical codes for modelling of unsteady gas flows in strong centrifugal fields. The gas flow is driven by a source/sink of energy and by an external force (deceleration/acceleration of the gas rotation) acting on the gas at a given frequency. In the semi-analytical solution, the rotor is infinite, while the given forces vary harmonically with a given wave-length along the axial coordinate. As a result, the unsteady flow problem is reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations, which can be quickly solved to any prescribed accuracy. A similar unsteady problem is solved numerically with the rotor length equal to the wavelength of the external force along the axis of rotation. The periodicity of the solution is prescribed at the end faces of the rotor. As an example, the semi-analytical solution is compared with the numerical ones obtained with different boundary conditions and mesh resolution in radial direction. The comparison...