Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute

Hideki Ogino

Tadahiro Washiya

Kazuhiko Fujisaku

A centrifugal extractor of non-contact journaled construction is provided in which, even under the environments of corrosive gase and mist-like liquid such as nitric acid mist generated in the reprocessing of a spent nuclear fuel, no problem in corrosion or deterioration of parts occurs and high reliability is obtained, and operation is enabled for a long period of time free from maintenance. A rotorhoused in a rotor housingis journaled by a main shaftand rotated and driven by a motor. The main shaft is surrounded by a drive-portion housing, and has a thrust magnetic diskon the upper end and radial magnetic disksand a motor-rotor portionin the circumference thereof. Thrust bearing electromagnets, radial bearing electromagnetsand a motor stator portionare incorporated into the drive-portion housing, and covered by non-magnetic anticorrosive protective plates, and a protective pipe, the motor-rotor portion being also covered by a protective can. Slide bearingsfor touch down made of fluorocarbon resin are disposed on the upper end of the main shaft and on the inner wall of the drive-portion housing in the vicinity of the upper end of the rotor.

Centrifugal extractor of non-contact journaled construction

A centrifugal extractor has a rotor supported rotatably in a housing and an aqueous phase liquid and an organic phase liquid are supplied to the outer circumference of the rotor and mixed between the housing and the rotor. A mixed phrase liquid is sucked into the rotor and is separated into two phases in a centrifugal force field generated in the inside of the rotor, and the separated aqueous phase liquid and organic phase liquid are discharged to an aqueous phase collector and an organic phase collector respectively. A cavity portion is provided in the center of the rotor, and a neutron absorption body is disposed in the cavity portion. Preferably, the rotor has a lower rotating and supporting mechanism (such as a sliding bearing ), and a neutron absorption material is sealed into the lower rotating and supporting mechanism. By such a centrifugal extractor, criticality safety and durability can be enhanced, even when the extractor is designed to be larger-size and larger-capacity.

Growing community of inventors

Naka-gun, Japan

Hideki Ogino