Image:Zippe-type gas centrifuge.svg

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Zippe-type_gas_centrifuge.svg (SVG file, nominally 622 × 1066 pixels, file size: 186 KB)

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Diagram illustrating the basic principle behind a Zippe-type gas centrifuge enrichment of uranium. Here the heavy isotope of uranium (U-238) is represented in dark blue, while the lighter isotope of uranium (U-235) is represented in light blue. The input gas (here represented as a fairly even mix of U-235 and U-238, though in reality natural uranium hexafluoride would have less than 1% of U-235 in it) is released into the center of the centrifuge and the centrifugal forces force the heavier gas to concentrate at the edges of the centrifuge and the lighter gas at the center. By heating the bottom of the centrifuge the lighter gas will be moved by convection currents to concentrate at the top while the heavier gas will concentrate at the bottom (scoops, not shown, would then extract the gases).

Here the effect is greatly exaggerated for conceptual simplicity; in reality it would be very subtle and it takes thousands of centrifuges chained together to enrich any substantial amount of uranium to any substantial amount of enrichment.

Created by User:Fastfission in Inkscape.

This vector image was created with Inkscape.

[edit] Licensing

Public domain This image has been released into the public domain by its author, Fastfission. This applies worldwide.

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Fastfission grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.


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If you want to credit someone, credit "Wikimedia Commons." Otherwise don't credit anyone, that's fine by me. --Fastfission 15:17, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

File history

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Date/TimeDimensionsUserComment
current16:28, 8 October 2006622×1,066 (186 KB)Fastfission (somehow lost an arrow)
16:22, 8 October 2006622×1,066 (186 KB)Fastfission (Diagram illustrating the basic principle behind a Zippe-type gas centrifuge enrichment of uranium. Here the heavy isotope of uranium (U-238) is represented in dark blue, while the lighter isotope of uranium (U-235) is represented in light blue. The input )
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