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US 11,400,415 B2Granted
High length isotopes separation column and method for assembly
OwnerCristiano Galbiatiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the field of distillation of isotopes obtained by distillation columns. An object of the present invention is to describe an innovative distillation column which provides significant improvements to the prior art. In particular, the distillation column will be a modular innovatively conceived column having any needed height.
Claims13
A cryogenic distillation column for isotopic separation, comprising:
- at least one reboiler disposed along a bottom,
- a condenser disposed along a top, and
- a central distillation column section, said central distillation column section adapted to be connected to a wall of a supporting structure by means of connecting means between said central distillation column section comprising:
- at least one or more central modular element(s), said at least one or more central modular element(s) comprising:
- at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element, and
- at least one internal modular column element enclosed within said at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element, said at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element conferring thermal insulation to said at least one internal module column element,
- an external sleeve positioned around an external diameter of a bottom external thermal insulation vessel of said at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element, wherein the external sleeve is adapted to be raised in position to be welded to the bottom external thermal insulation vessel and to a next external modular thermal insulation vessel element of the bottom external thermal insulation vessel, to close a cryostat section with weld spots, and
- the at least one internal modular column elements) being insulated, except for a final section thereof dedicated to be coupled to a next internal modular column element of the at least one internal modular column element, wherein the final section is adapted to be covered with the multi-layer insulation in place, after the performing the welding, each of the at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element and the at least one internal modular column element comprises one or more bellows, arranged there along for compensating for thermal expansion along a height of the each of the at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element and the at least one internal modular column element by contraction or expansion of the one or more bellows along a total height of the cryogenic distillation column.
5 more elements
A method for assembly of the cryogenic distillation column comprising:
- providing at least one or more central module element(s) comprising at least one or more external thermal insulation vessel elements (22 . . . 22n) surrounding at least one or more internal column elements (23 . . . 23n) jointly pre-assembled into the central module element(s), said central module element(s) having an individual height ranging from a meter to tens of meters, enabling said central module to be transported from a construction site, the modules then being sequentially assembled in place by being piled and connected in sequence, one onto the other within a mine shaft or a supporting structure, wherein sequentially assembling comprises:
- coupling two adjacent external thermal insulation vessels of the at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel elements, wherein coupling the two adjacent external thermal insulation vessels comprises an external sleeve positioned around an external diameter of a bottom external thermal insulation vessel of said at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element, wherein the external sleeve is adapted to be raised in position to be welded or coupled to the bottom external thermal insulation vessel and to a next external modular thermal insulation vessel element of the bottom external thermal insulation vessel, to close a cryostat section with weld spots;
- coupling two adjacent internal modular column elements of the at least one internal column elements, wherein the coupling comprises the at least one internal modular column element(s) wrapped in a multi-layer insulation, except for a final section thereof dedicated to be coupled to a next internal modular column element of the at least one internal modular column element, wherein the final section is adapted to be covered with the multi-layer insulation in place, after the performing the welding;
- each of the at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element and the at least one internal modular column element comprises one or more bellows, arranged there along for compensating for thermal expansion along a height of the each of the at least one external modular thermal insulation vessel element and the at least one internal modular column element by contraction or expansion of the one or more bellows along a total height of the cryogenic distillation column.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.