Recovery of deuterium from the separation of water isotope mixture by thermal diffusion in the Frazier scheme with optimal number of column

The effect of column number N on the recovery of deuterium from the separation of water isotope mixture by thermal diffusion in the Frazier scheme with same column height h and with the total column height L (=Nh) fixed, has been investigated. The equations for predicting the optimum column number N*, as well as the corresponding column height h* and the corresponding maximum recovery of deuterium Delta(D.max), have been derived. Considerable recovery is obtainable if the column number, as well as the column height, in a Frazier scheme with total column height fixed, is properly assigned for the operation of the certain flow-rate sigma and total column height. (C) 2009 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.