JP2966598B2 - Uranium supply and recovery method for uranium isotope separation equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method for supplying and recovering uranium in a uranium isotope separation apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of a uranium isotope separation apparatus, and FIG. 4 shows a view taken along a line IV-IV in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum vessel,
Is arbitrarily created by a vacuum pump (not shown). A steam enclosing device 2 for enclosing steam is installed in the vacuum vessel 1, and a collecting plate 4 for collecting the steam 3 is arranged in a cascade radially as shown in FIG. Are located. Crucible 5 below steam enclosure 2
Is provided, and a heating device (for example, an electron gun) 6 is provided on a side portion of the crucible 5. A metal 7 is put in the crucible 5, and the metal 7 is irradiated with an electron beam 8 emitted from a heating device 6.
To generate steam 3 by heating and melting. The vapor 3 reaches the collecting plate 4, and the laser beam 10
Is irradiated, and the vapor 3 ionized by the laser light 10 is deposited on the surface of the recovery plate 4. The vapor 3 deposited on the surface of the recovery plate 4 becomes a liquid flow, is guided to the recovery unit 11 via a separate recovery route, and is recovered. The vapor 3 deposited on the peripheral wall of the vapor enclosing device 2 without vapor deposition on the surface of the recovery plate 4 is transmitted through the peripheral wall, returned to the crucible 5 and reused.

A uranium raw material is supplied to the above-mentioned uranium isotope separation device by a raw material supply device shown in FIG. FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the raw material supply device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a uranium material as a uranium raw material, and the uranium material 21 is stacked in a storage chamber 22. At the lower part of the storage room 22, an extruding rod 24 driven by a pinion 23 to the steam enclosing device 2 via a rack 24a is provided, and the uranium material 21 is extruded in the feeder 25 by the extruding rod 24. The leading uranium material 21a extruded to a position above the crucible 5 by the push rod 24 is irradiated with the electron beam 8 by the heating device 6 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and heated and melted.
It falls and is supplied. In the figure, reference numeral 26 denotes a heat insulator provided inside the steam sealing device 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the uranium material 21 supplied by the raw material supply device. The uranium material 21 is a pure uranium rod and has a melting point of 1133 ° C.

[0007]

Conventionally, a pure uranium rod having a relatively higher melting point than other metals is used as the uranium material 21, so that the heating, supply system, reflux, and recovery system must have a melting point higher than the melting point. However, there is a problem that a large amount of heating capacity is required, and a large-scale apparatus structure for heating and keeping heat is required.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for supplying and recovering uranium in a uranium isotope separation apparatus, comprising the steps of: heating and melting a uranium raw material to deposit uranium vapor;
In a uranium isotope separation apparatus to be recovered, an aluminum material is added to a uranium material to produce a uranium raw material, and the uranium raw material to which the aluminum material is added is supplied and heated to recover uranium vapor.

[0009]

Since the uranium raw material is obtained by adding an aluminum material, the melting point of the uranium raw material is significantly reduced.

[0010]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a uranium raw material used in the uranium supply / recovery method of the present invention. The configuration of the uranium isotope separation device and the raw material supply device is shown in FIG.
5 to FIG. 5, detailed description is omitted.

As shown in the figure, a uranium raw material 31 is formed by winding an aluminum material 33 around a pure uranium rod 32 as a uranium material.

It is generally known that the addition of aluminum to uranium lowers the melting point of the mixed metal. FIG. 2 shows the change of the melting point with respect to the mixing ratio of uranium (U) -aluminum (Al). (Source: “Co
nstitution of Binary Alloys, First Supplement ”Rodn
ey P.Elliott, Ph.D, published by McGrow-Hill Book Company)
When the addition ratio of aluminum (Al) to uranium (U) is in the range of about 95% or more in atomic concentration (about 70% or more by weight), the melting point of the mixed metal is significantly lower than the melting point of pure uranium of 1133 ° C. You can see that it is doing. Thus, the uranium raw material 31 is formed by winding an aluminum material 33 having an atomic concentration of about 90% or more (or a weight ratio of about 70% or more) with respect to the pure uranium rod 32.

The uranium raw material 31 is applied to a uranium isotope separation device and its raw material supply device, and the uranium raw material 31 is supplied and heated to recover uranium vapor. As a result, the melting point of the uranium raw material 31 is significantly lower than the melting point of pure uranium, so that the heat capacity required for heating and keeping the temperature in the heating / supply system and the reflux / recovery system of the apparatus is reduced. Therefore, the apparatus configuration for heating and keeping the temperature is simple and small, and the heat consumption is greatly reduced.

In the uranium supply / recovery method described above, as the uranium raw material 31, an aluminum material having a concentration of about 90% or more (or a weight ratio of about 70% or more) of the pure uranium rod 32 around the pure uranium rod 32 is used. Since the uranium raw material 33 is used, the melting point of the uranium raw material 31 is significantly lower than that of pure uranium. Therefore, the heat capacity required for heating and keeping the heat in the heating / supply system and the reflux / recovery system of the uranium isotope separation device and its raw material supply device can be reduced, and the device configuration for heating and keeping the temperature is simple and small. , Heat consumption is also greatly reduced.

[0015]

According to the uranium supply / recovery method of the uranium isotope separation apparatus of the present invention, an aluminum material is added to a uranium material to form a uranium raw material, and the uranium raw material is supplied and heated to recover uranium vapor. Therefore, the melting point of the uranium raw material is significantly lower than that of pure uranium. As a result, the heat capacity required for heating and keeping heat in the heating / supply system and the reflux / recovery system of the uranium isotope separation device can be reduced, the apparatus configuration for heating and keeping heat becomes simple and small, and the heat consumption is also reduced. Dramatically reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a uranium raw material used in the uranium supply / recovery method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing a change in melting point with respect to a mixing ratio of uranium-aluminum.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a uranium isotope separation device.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a raw material supply device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional uranium raw material.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum container 2 Steam filling device 3 Steam 4 Recovery plate 5 Crucible 6 Heating device 31 Uranium raw material 32 Pure uranium rod 33 Aluminum material

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B01D 59/00-59/34

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A uranium isotope separation apparatus for heating and melting a uranium raw material to deposit and recover uranium vapor, wherein an aluminum material is added to the uranium material to obtain a uranium raw material.
A uranium supply / recovery method for a uranium isotope separation apparatus, wherein a uranium raw material to which an aluminum material is added is supplied and heated to recover uranium vapor.