SF6 aerodynamic isotopic separation experiments on a curved nozzle.

P. MACEIRA; N. PACHAO; P. SCHÖNHALS; E. CORTIZO; S. ENCINA; P. FAINSTEIN; J. FIOL; D. FREGENAL; L. FRIGERIO; J. GONZÁLEZ; P. KNOBLAUCH; A. LAMAGNA; L. PERLO; M. ZARCO; E. KAUL

Virtual

Workshop; 16th Workshop on Separation Phenomena in Liquids and Gases (SPLG); 2021

A millimeter-size curved nozzle with about 4 mm2 throat area was built, resembling those extensively investigated by Becker et al.[1],[2] This nozzle was installed on a recirculating gas system, in which we could control the intake pressure and the gas composition. The aerodynamic isotopic separation generated on a He-SF6 mixture was explored and analyzed. The Sulfur isotopic composition (32S vs 34S) on the mixture was measured before and after flowing through the curved nozzle using a Quadrupole Mass Spectroscope (QMS) on gaseous samples. The experimental results show clear and systematic trends on the isotopic separation generated as a function of the intake pressure and gas composition. The effects of mixture concentration on the fluidodynamic parameters of the process are also presented. We observed that sulfur isotopic separation is enhanced by low intake pressures and low SF6 molar percentages.[1] W. Ehrfeld, “Elements of Flow and Diffussion Processes in Separation Nozzles”, Springer Tracts in Modern Physics, Springer-Verlag, Vol. 97, 1983. (DOI 10.1007/BFb0044740).[2] E. W. Becker, “Separation nozzle”. In: Villani S. (eds) Uranium Enrichment. Topics in Applied Physics, Vol. 35, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. (DOI 10.1007/3-540-09385-0_19).