Apparatus for the continuous purification of uranium hexafluoride

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF GASEOUS SUBLIMABLE MATERIAL, A TURBINE FOR ADIABATIC EXPANSION AND COOLING OF THE GAS WITH THE PRODUCTION OF WORK AND FOR CRYSTALISING THE COMPONENT TO BE SEPARATED, AN EXPANSION CHAMBER CONNECTED TO SAID TURBINE, A CONICAL CYCLONE SEPARATOR CONNECTED TO SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER, A HELIX IN SAID SEPARATOR OF INVERSE DIRECTION TO THE ROTATION WHICH SAID SEPARATOR IMPARTS TO THE GAS PASSING THROUGH IT, LATERAL WALLS FOR SAID SEPARATOR SUPPORTING SAID HELICAL COIL, A TANGENTIAL UPPER INLET IN SAID SEPARATOR FOR THE GAS AND CRYSTALS, A LOWER CENTRAL OUTLET IN SAID SEPARATOR FOR THE GAS, A PERIPHERAL UPPER OUTLET IN SAID SEPARATOR FOR THE SUBLIMATED CRYSTALS, EXTERNAL MEANS FOR HEATING SAID LATERAL WALLS COMPRISING A TRUNCATED COINCIAL ENVELOPE SURROUNDING THE WALLS OF SAID SEPARATOR, INLET AND OUTLET TUBES FOR A HEATING FLUID FOR SAID ENVELOPE, THE CRYSTALS BEING SUBLIMATED ON CONTACT WITH SAID WALLS AND FORMING AN AGGLOMERATED CRYSTAL SHIELD BETWEEN THE GAS AND CRYSTALS IN SAID SEPARATOR FLOWING DOWN TOWARD SAID LOWER OUTLET, THE SUBLIMATED CRYSTALS FLOWING UP TO SAID PERIPHERAL OUTLET, A SUPERHEATER CONNECTED TO SAID PERIPHERAL OUTLET, A COMPRESSOR CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER OUTLET, DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID COMPRESSOR, DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID TURBINE COUPLED TO SAID DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID COMPRESSOR AND A HEAT EXCHANGER CONNECTED TO SAID COMPRESSOR, SAID HEAT EXCHANGER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID TURBINE.