Induced natural convection thermal cycling device
AssigneeWestinghouse Savannah River Company
InventorLeung Kit Heung
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for separating gases, especially isotopes, by thermal cycling of a separation column using a pressure vessel mounted vertically and having baffled sources for cold and heat. Coils at the top are cooled with a fluid such as liquid nitrogen. Coils at the bottom are either electrical resistance coils or a tubular heat exchange. The sources are shrouded with an insulated “top hat” and simultaneously opened and closed at the outlets to cool or heat the separation column. Alternatively, the sources for cold and heat are mounted separately outside the vessel and an external loop is provided for each circuit.
Claims15
An induced natural convection thermal cycling device comprising:
- 1) an upright pressure vessel;
- 2) a cooling means in a top portion of said vessel, said means having an inlet and an outlet;
- 3) an insulation shield around said cooling means, open at the top thereof and having a tubular projection downward from said means;
- 4) a heating means in a bottom portion of said vessel, said means having an inlet and an outlet;
- 5) an insulating shield around said heating means, open at the bottom and having a tubular projection upward from said heating means;
- 6) means for simultaneously opening and closing the tubular projections;
- 7) a separation column having at least one inlet and one outlet wrapped spirally around said tubular projections.
A method for separation of gasses by thermal cycling of a separation column wherein a cold source and a heat source are present outside the top and bottom respectively of a pressure vessel containing a separation column and the cold and heat sources are turned on and off simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.