Gaseous diffusion enrichment modular unit

Abstract

A gaseous diffusion enrichment modular unit and gaseous diffusion enrichment plant, comprehending a gaseous diffusion enrichment unit of the enrichment cascade type, being an integrated module containing all the elements of the unit, with several flows of circulation with different enrichment degrees, comprehending an axial compressor in simultaneous work of compression of said flows, a diffuser with membranes. The diffused (enriched) fluid passes through to the compressor in another section to accomplish the following enrichment phase and the non-diffused flow outlet is connected to an injector to even the pressures and to recycle the depleted material. Said modular unit of isotopic enrichment integrates multiple enrichment phases to achieve a high separative efficiency by means of the internal recirculation of a fraction of the diffused fluid in each phase. The multiflow axial compressor is driven by a gas turbine and the outgoing gases of the turbine and the heat generated in the process are injected in a thermal cycle. In the center of the unit is a probe to perform non-destructive analysis. The gaseous diffusion enrichment plant comprehends said enrichment modular units connected in series and the numbers of the phases of one or more said units are different. An application of the present invention is its use for the isotopic separation of uranium hexafluoride in gaseous phase.