Maximum separative power centrifuge

Typical parameters of the thermally driven gas centrifuge of Fig. 2a utilizing uranium hexafloride as a process gas are shown in Table I. The Zippe machine shown in Fig. 2b is somewhat smaller than the Groth model described in Table I. The rotor is 30 cm in length and 3.7 cm in radius. It operates at 350m/sec(15)witha theoretical maximum separation power of 1.5kg/yr. 

The performance of an internally driven countercurrent centrifuge which has been optimized for maximum separative power is governed by Eqs. (92), (94), and (95). All parameters in these equations are known except those which depend upon the axial velocity profile. 

APPENDIX. HYDRODYNAMIC DERIVATION OF THE MAXIMUM SEPARATIVE POWER OF A CENTRIFUGE... 

The quantity in the curly brackets of Eq. (92) is shown in the Appendix to be the maximum possible separative power of any type of centrifuge,. It is thus a standard against which the performance of the internally driven countercurrent varieties can be compared. The overall efficiency is defined by... 

The maximum possible separative power of any centrifuge has been presented by Cohen (18, pp. 20-21, 109-110). Here we derive the same quantity by a somewhat different method, but one which is more in keeping with the hydrodynamic spirit in which the other processes occurring in the centrifuge are treated. 

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