Process and device for separating isotopes from a gas flow

A method for isotopic separation of at least two different isotopes of a gaseous mixture comprising the steps of:

• providing a laminar or slightly turbulent flow of a gaseous mixture travelling at supersonic speed comprising:
• an isotope of interest in a first aggregate of isotopes, and
• one or more different isotopes, wherein each of the one or more different isotopes is comprised in one or more additional aggregates of isotopes;
• contacting the gaseous mixture with a laser beam causing one or more isotopes of the gaseous mixture to be excited;
• inhibiting the nucleation of the isotope of interest using the laser beam to form a first aggregate of isotopes that is smaller than the one or more additional aggregates of isotopes;
• ionizing the isotopes to create ionized isotopes, including the first and additional aggregates of isotopes of the gaseous mixture;
• submitting the ionized isotopes and the first and additional aggregates of isotopes to an electromagnetic field causing the ionized isotopes and the first and additional aggregates of isotopes to migrate towards an outside portion of the flow based on a difference in mass between the respective aggregates of the first and additional aggregates of isotopes;
• and
• retrieving a part of the gas flow with the highest concentration of the isotope of interest,
• wherein the laminar or slightly turbulent flow is provided by a de Laval nozzle having a flat geometry, comprising:
• (a) an upstream external wall shaped as a convergent with an entry corresponding to a flared part of the convergent, wherein the upstream external wall comprises a section in an arc;
• (b) a parallelepiped throat at an exit of the upstream external wall;
• and
• (c) a downstream conduit adjacent to or contiguous with the parallelepiped throat,
• wherein an exit section of the downstream conduit comprises flared out walls, and
• wherein the nozzle is supplied with a gaseous flow from a chamber, the chamber comprising:
• (a) an exit wall corresponding to the upstream external wall of the nozzle;
• and
• (b) an internal convergent deflector that is substantially concentric with the upstream external wall of the nozzle and positioned at a predetermined distance from the upstream external wall.