Jet Membrane Process for Aerodynamic Separation of Mixtures and Isotopes John W. Brook, Vincent S. Calia, E. Phillip Muntz, Bernard B. Hamel, Paul B. Scott and Terry L. Deglow

The Jet Membrane aerodynamic separation concept is based upon preferential penetration of background gases into a free jet with collection of the enriched species by a downstream facing collector probe. Mass spectrometric measurements of light species upflow and separation or enrichment factors obtained using this method are presented for gas mixtures and the isotopes of sulfur (SF6) and uranium (UF6), using gaseous and condensible jet fluids (N2, CO2, and FC-43) in the continuum range of plume Knudsen numbers (A>i<0.05). Comparison with available theoretical models is also shown. In addition, the results of exploratory experiments to investigate certain aspects of transforming the Jet Membrane concept into a viable industrial process are presented. A cost model has been developed that predicts, using the results of the experiments and theory, a cost of enriched uranium for small [300,000 separative work units per year (SWU/yr)] Jet Membrane plants approximately 40% of that using the gas centrifuge process in a similar sized plant. Alternatively, the cost of enriched uranium from the small Jet Membrane plant will be the same as the cost from a 3,000,000 SWU/yr centrifuge plant.