Years and fantastic costs needed to learn how to separate the isotopes of one of the heavy metals

In the recently presented the next quarterly report of the IAEA on Iran’s nuclear issue is reported that fortified underground enrichment plant at Fordow has two new cascade of advanced centrifuges – at 174 each. Total at this facility will mark the 3,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium. In the last IAEA report, published in May, it was reported that the Fordow centrifuges have been installed in 1064, 696 of them at the time of publication of the document were working at full capacity. So pass Russian news agencies.

However, foreign news agencies, including Reuters, referring to the same IAEA report gives a heartbreaking quote: “The number of centrifuges to enrich uranium in the complex Ford, located deep in the mountains, increased from 1064 to 2140 pieces.”

Perhaps IAEA experts themselves entangled in numbers. In any case, they do not interfere with the politicians and the media to scare the population of different numbers, allegedly showing Iran’s attempts to build a nuclear bomb or missile warhead. And it went again counting how many tons of enriched uranium Iran and in how many months out of it let us make bombs. But all are silent, that centrifuge enrichment plants does not receive enriched uranium. At the exit there are uranium hexafluoride gas. And from the gas bomb does not do.

Uraniferous have to carry gas to another company. In Iran, the production lines dekonversii uranium hexafluoride are located on the UCF plant in Isfahan. There have already been successfully carried out dekonversiyu hexafluoride enriched to 5%. But again not afford uranium and uranium dioxide UO2. Bomb out of it, too, can be done. But as time is used to manufacture fuel pellets from which the rods are gaining power reactors. Production of the fuel cell is in the same factory in Isfahan FMP.

To obtain uranium metal in uranium dioxide at a temperature of 430 to 600 degrees affect gaseous hydrogen fluoride. The result is, of course, not uranium tetrafluoride and UF4. And it is of reduced uranium metal with calcium or magnesium. Does Iran owns these technologies is unknown. Probably not.

However, a key technology to obtain nuclear weapons is considered to enrich uranium to 90%. Without this, all other technologies do not matter. But the performance is set to gas centrifuge process losses of raw materials, equipment reliability and a number of factors, which says nothing about Iran, the IAEA is silent, silent exploration of different countries

So it makes sense to analyze in detail the process of uranium enrichment. Look at the history of the issue. Try to understand where there centrifuges in Iran that they are like. And why Iran has managed to build a centrifuge enrichment, and the United States, spending billions of dollars, have not been able to achieve this. In the United States under state contracts enrich uranium for gaseous diffusion plants, which is many times more expensive.

Untwisted production

In natural uranium-238 contained only 0.7% of the radioactive isotope uranium-235, and to build an atomic bomb to uranium-235 content of 90%. That’s why the technology of fissile materials is the main step in the development of nuclear weapons.

How can we distinguish the lighter atoms of uranium-235 from the mass of uranium-238? After all, the difference between them is only three “atomic unity”. There are four main methods of separation (enrichment) magnetic separation, gas diffusion method, centrifuge and laser. The most efficient and cheapest – centrifuge. Per unit of production he needs 50 times less electricity than the gaseous diffusion enrichment process.

Inside the centrifuge rotor spins at an incredible rate – a glass, a piped gas. Centrifugal force presses the walls of the heavier fraction containing uranium-238. The lighter molecules 235 going closer to the axis. In addition, in a special way within the rotor creates a counter. This lighter molecules gather at the bottom and top heavy. In the glass of the rotor at different depths omitted tube. According to a lighter fraction is pumped to the next centrifuge. According to another depleted uranium hexafluoride is pumped into a “tail” or “blade”, i.e. removed from the process, is pumped into special tanks and sent to storage. In essence, this waste radioactivity is lower than that of natural uranium.

One of the technological tricks – temperature conditions. Uranium hexafluoride is a gas at temperatures in excess of 56.5 degrees. For effective separation of isotopes in a centrifuge to maintain a certain temperature. What? Information is classified. As well as information on the gas pressure inside the centrifuge.

When the temperature drops hexafluoride is liquefied, and then completely “dry up” – goes to the solid state.Therefore, the barrels of the “tails” are stored in the open air. After all, here they never warmed up to 56.5 degrees.And even if you punch a hole in the barrel, the gas does not leak out of it. In the worst case vysypletsya slightly yellow powder, if someone strong enough to overturn the capacity of 2.5 cu. m

Height Russian centrifuge approximately 1 meter. They are collected in stages of 20 pieces. The shop located in three tiers. A total of 700,000 centrifuges shop. The duty engineer travels along the tiers on a bicycle. Uranium hexafluoride is in the process of separation, which politicians and the media called enrichment, runs the entire chain of hundreds of thousands of centrifuges. Centrifuge rotors are rotated at 1500 revolutions per second. Yes, yes, fifteen hundred times a second, not a minute. For comparison, current speed drills – 500 max 600 revolutions per second. Thus on the Russian factories rotors spinning continuously 30 years. Record – over 32 years. Fantastic reliability! Mean time between failures – 0.1%. One failure per 1 thousand centrifuges a year.

Due to the ultra-reliable, we only started in 2012, replacing centrifuges fifth and sixth generations of the ninth-generation devices. Because of the good deed goes unpunished. But they have already fulfilled three decades, it’s time to give way to a more productive. Older subcritical centrifuge spinning at speeds that is lower than the rate at which they can go racing. But the ninth-generation devices operate at speeds supercriticality – are dangerous line to continue working steadily. No new centrifuges not allowed to photograph them, not to decipher the dimensions. One can only assume that they have a traditional meter size and speed of the order of 2000 times per second.

Neither bearing such rate not survive. Therefore, the rotor ends with a needle that is based on corundum pad. A top rotates in a constant magnetic field, generally with nothing touching. And even in the earthquake did not happen with the destruction of the rotor runout. Checked.

To note: the Russian low-enriched uranium for fuel cell reactors is three times cheaper than that produced by foreign gaseous diffusion plants. It’s about value, not about cost.

600 megawatts per kilogram

When, during the Second World War, the U.S. embarked on a program of building an atomic bomb, centrifugal isotope separation method was selected as the most promising way to the success of use of highly enriched uranium.But technological problems could not be overcome. And the Americans irritably declared centrifugation impossible. And the world thought so, until you have known that the Soviet Union centrifuges spinning, and how steep.

In the U.S., when abandoned centrifuges, it was decided to use for uranium-235 method of gas diffusion. It is based on the ability of gas molecules with varying densities in different ways to diffuse (penetrate) through porous membranes (filters). Uranium hexafluoride is run consistently through a long stage of diffusion steps. Smaller molecules of uranium-235 is easier to seep through the filters, their concentration in the total mass of gas gradually increases. It is clear that to obtain a 90% concentration of the number of steps should be in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

For the normal flow of the process gas is required to heat the entire chain, maintaining a certain level of pressure.And at each step of the pump must work. All this requires a huge energy costs. How huge? On the first Soviet production of the separation to produce 1 kg of enriched uranium required concentration required to spend 600,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. I draw your attention – kilowatts.

Even now, in France gaseous diffusion plant is almost completely eaten three production units built near nuclear power plants. The Americans, who supposedly all private industry, had to build a special state power to a special rate to feed gaseous diffusion plant. This power station is still owned by the state and is still using spetstarif.

In the Soviet Union in 1945, it was decided to build a plant for the production of highly enriched uranium. And at the same time expand the development of the gas diffusion method for isotope separation. Parallel to begin designing and manufacturing of industrial plants. Besides all that was necessary to create something no automation, instrumentation of a new type, resistant to aggressive media materials, bearings, lubricants, vacuum systems, and more. All Comrade Stalin two years.

Unrealistic deadlines, and, of course, two years later, the result was close to zero. How can you build a factory, if you have no technical documentation? How to develop technical documentation, if it is not clear what kind of equipment will be there? How to design a gaseous diffusion plant is not known if the pressure, temperature, uranium hexafluoride? Yes, and how it will behave aggressively substance in contact with various metals is also not known.

To all these questions the answers were already in operation. In April 1948, in one of the cities in the Urals nuclear earned the first phase of the plant from 256 separating machines. With the increase of the chain of machines increased and problems. In particular, hundreds of wedges bearing grease flowed. And the work of disorganized special department and their volunteers are actively looking for pests.

Aggressive uranium hexafluoride, coming into contact with metal equipment, decomposed, the compounds of uranium deposits on the interior surface of the unit. For this reason, it was not possible to get the necessary 90 percent concentration of uranium-235. Significant losses in the multi-stage separation system is not allowed to have a concentration higher than 40-55%. New devices were designed in 1949 to begin work. However, to reach a level 90% of all power failed, only 75%. The first Soviet nuclear bomb was a plutonium so as the Americans.

Uranium hexafluoride-235 sent to another factory, where he was brought up to the required 90% by magnetic separation. In a magnetic field of lighter and heavier particles are deflected differently. Due to this separation occurs.The process is slow and expensive. Only in 1951 was the first Soviet bomb tested with a composite plutonium-uranium charge.

Meanwhile, a new plant was built with better equipment. Corrosion loss was reduced to such an extent that in November 1953 Mill continuously began to produce 90% of the product. At the same time, the industry has mastered the technology of processing of uranium hexafluoride into uranium mixed oxide. She was then isolated from the uranium metal.

Especially for the power plant was built by the Upper Tagil state district power station with capacity of 600 MW. A total of plant consumed 3% of the total produced in 1958 in the Soviet Union electricity.

In 1966, the Soviet gaseous diffusion plants began to dismantle, and in 1971 finally eliminated. In place of the filters came centrifuge.

On the history issue

In the Soviet Union, centrifuges built back in 1930. But here they are, as in the United States, were declared hopeless. Appropriate studies have closed. But here’s one of the paradoxes of Stalinist Russia. In the fertile Sukhumi hundred captured German engineers worked on a variety of issues, including those dealing with the development of the centrifuge. He headed this direction is one of the company “Siemens” Dr. Max Steenbeck, the group entered the Luftwaffe engineer and a graduate of the University of Vienna Gernot Zippe.

But the work came to a standstill. Found a way out of the impasse Soviet engineer Victor Sergeev – 31-year-old designer of the Kirov factory, engaged in centrifuges. Because a party meeting urged those present that the centrifuge – is promising. And the decision of the party meeting, not CC or Stalin himself had begun to develop the appropriate Bureau of Plant. Sergeyev has collaborated with the Germans captured and shared with them his idea. Steenbeck later wrote: “The idea is worthy to come from us! But to me, it had not occurred. ” A Russian designer to come – relying on the needle and the magnetic field.

In 1958, the first commercial production of centrifuge came for the design capacity. A few months later, it was decided to gradually change to this method of separating uranium. Even the first generation of centrifuges consumed electricity is 17 times smaller than the gaseous diffusion machine.

But it showed a serious flaw – the mobility of the metal at high speeds. Problem was solved Fridlyander Joseph Academy, under whose leadership was a unique alloy V96ts, which is several times stronger than steel weapons. Now the manufacture of centrifuges are used increasingly composites.

Max Steenbeck returned to East Germany and became vice-president of the Academy of Sciences. A Gernot Zippe in 1956, went to the West. There, he was surprised to find that no one is using the centrifugal method. He patented a centrifuge and suggested the Americans. But they have already decided that the idea of ​​utopia. Only 15 years later, when it became known that in the USSR, all uranium enrichment centrifuges manufactured in Europe implemented a patent Zippe.

In 1971 he was created concern URENCO, owned by the three European countries – the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. Shares of concern are divided equally between the two countries.

The British government controls a third of its shares by a company Enrichment Holdings Limited. The Dutch government – through a firm Ultra-Centrifuge Nederland Limited. The German share of the shares owned by the company Uranit UK Limited, the shares of which, in turn, split equally between the firms RWE and E.ON. The central office is located in the URENCO UK. Currently concern owns more than 12% of the commercial supply of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants.

However, the identity of the mode of action URENCO centrifuge design are fundamental differences. This is due to the fact that Herr Zippe was familiar only with the prototype made in Sukhumi. If the Soviet centrifuges just a meter in height, the European company started with a two-meter, and machines of the latest generation grew up in a column of 10 meters. But this is not the limit.

The Americans, who have all the greatest in the world, built a machine height of 12 meters and 15 meters. Only their factory closed down, unable to open, in 1991. The reasons are modestly silent, but they are known – accidents and inadequate equipment. However, the U.S. is working centrifuge plant, owned by URENCO. U.S. sells fuel nuclear power plants.

Centrifuges whose better? Long an order of magnitude more productive machines small Russian. Long run on supercriticality speeds. In the 10-meter tower at the bottom are going to molecules containing uranium-235, and above – uranium-238. Hexafluoride is pumped from the bottom of the next centrifuge. Long centrifuges in the process chain requires many times less. But when it comes to the cost of production, maintenance and repair, the numbers are reversed.

Pakistan trail

Russian uranium for fuel cell reactors are cheaper abroad. Because a 40% global market share. Half of U.S. nuclear power plants operating in the Russian uranium. Export orders bring Russia more than $ 3 billion a year.

But back to Iran. Judging by the photos, here’s enrichment centrifuge manufacture the two-meter URENCO first generation. Where did Iran? From Pakistan. And where did Pakistan? From URENKO, vestimo.

The history of the famous. A humble citizen of Pakistan, Abdul Qadeer Khan had learned in Europe on a metallurgical engineer, he defended his doctorate and took quite a high post in the URENCO. In 1974, India tested a nuclear device in 1975, Dr. Khan has returned home with a bag of secrets, and became the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb.

According to some reports, three thousand centrifuges, Pakistan was able to buy the very concern URENCO through front companies. Then he began buying components. A Dutch friend of Khan knew all suppliers and contributed URENCO procurement. Purchased valves, pumps, motors, and other details that were going to the centrifuge.Something slowly began to produce themselves, purchasing the appropriate construction materials.

Since Pakistan is not rich enough to spend tens of billions of dollars on the cycle of nuclear weapons, equipment began to produce and sell. The first buyer was the DPRK. Then began to flow and the petrodollars of Iran. There is reason to believe that there was also implicated in China, supplying Iran with uranium hexafluoride and technology of its production and dekonversii.

In 2004, Dr. Khan after a meeting with President Musharraf went on television and publicly confessed to selling nuclear technology abroad. Thus removed from the Pakistani leadership blame for illegal export to Iran and North Korea. Since then, he is in the comfortable surroundings of house arrest. And Iran and North Korea continue to increase the separation of power.

To which I would like to pay attention to. Reports IAEA constantly refers to the number of working and non-working centrifuges in Iran. From what we can assume that the machines are made in Iran, even with the use of imported components, have a lot of technical problems. Perhaps, most of them never work.

In the first generation of centrifuges URENCO also presented an unpleasant surprise to their creators. Could not manage to obtain the concentration of uranium-235 is higher than 60%. To overcome the problems took several years.What are the challenges faced in Pakistan, Dr. Khan, we do not know. But, having started research and production in 1975, the first uranium bomb Pakistan tested only in 1998. Iran is actually just the beginning of this arduous journey.

Highly enriched uranium is, when the content of isotope 235 exceeds 20%. Iran is being blamed for what he produces is highly 20-percent enriched uranium. But this is not true. Iran receives uranium hexafluoride containing uranium-235 to 19.75%, so that even though the chance of a percent would not cross the forbidden line. Uranium enrichment is the point used for the research reactor, which was built by the Americans even during the Shah’s regime.But for 30 years, they have ceased to supply it with fuel.

Here, too, is a problem. In Isfahan, built on the production line dekonversii hexafluoride of uranium enriched to 19.75% in uranium oxide. But while it is tested only for a fraction of 5%. Although installed back in 2011. One can only imagine what the challenges would be to wait for Iranian engineers when it comes to a 90-percent grade uranium.

In May 2012, an anonymous employee of the IAEA shared with reporters information that concentrating production in Iran, IAEA inspectors found traces of uranium enriched to 27%. However, in the quarterly report of this international organization is not a word on the subject. Nor is it known what was meant by the word “traces”. It is possible that it was just stuffing the negative information in the information war. Perhaps should – this scraped particles of uranium, which when in contact with the metal of uranium hexafluoride into a tetrafluoride and the donkey as a green powder.And turned into a loss of production.

Even in the best production URENCO losses can reach 10% of the total. In this light 235 enters into the corrosion reaction is much more likely than their fellow-rolling 238. How much uranium hexafluoride is lost during enrichment on Iranian centrifuges, we can only guess. But you can bet that there is a considerable loss.

Results and Prospects

Industrial division (enrichment) of uranium produced in a dozen countries. The reason is the same as declared by Iran: independence on imported fuel for nuclear reactors. The issue of strategic importance, we are talking about energy security. With the cost in such an area is not considered.

Most of these companies are owned by URENCO, or buy from the group centrifuge. Russian Machines fifth and sixth generation equipped enterprises built in the 1990s in China. Naturally inquisitive Chinese dismantled the samples on the cog and did exactly the same. However, there is in these centrifuges a Russian secret that is not something that is played back, even to understand what it is, no one can. Do not operate the absolute copy, however hard you try.

All those tons of enriched uranium to Iran, which frightened philistine foreign, and domestic media are actually tons of uranium hexafluoride. Based on available data, Iran has not even come close to the production of uranium metal.And, it seems, is not going to deal with this issue in the near future. Therefore, all the calculations of how many bombs can make Tehran from the existing uranium meaningless. You can not make a nuclear explosive device from the hexafluoride, even if it will be able to bring up to 90% uranium-235.

A few years ago, two Russian physicist inspected Iran’s nuclear facilities. Secret mission at the request of the Russian side. But, judging by the fact that the management and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation is not affiliated with accusations against Iran, the danger of nuclear weapons Tehran was not found.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel are constantly threatened by bombing Iran, a country with economic sanctions hassle, trying in this way to delay its development. The opposite result. For 30 years, the Islamic Republic of sanctions into an industrial raw material. Here are making their fighter jets, submarines and a host of other modern weapons.And well aware that only holds back the potential of armed aggressor.

When North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosion, the tone of the negotiations it has changed dramatically. It is not known what device detonated. And if it was a real nuclear explosion or charge “burnt out” as a chain reaction would take milliseconds, and it is suspected that she had lingering. That is, there was a release of radioactive products, and the explosion itself was not.

Same story with the North Korean intercontinental missiles. Twice they ran, and both times it was over the accident. Obviously, they are not able to fly, and hardly ever be able to. Not a poor DPRK related technologies, production, personnel, scientific laboratories. But most of the war and the bombing of Pyongyang will not get any. And it sees the world. And make reasonable conclusions.

Brazil announced plans to build a nuclear submarine. Just like that, just in case. If tomorrow someone will not like the Brazilian director and he wants to replace it?

Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi intends to return to the question of the development of Egypt’s own program for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Mursi made the announcement in Beijing, speaking to leaders living in China Egyptian community. In this case, the Egyptian president called nuclear energy “clean energy.” West to this effect has remained silent.

Russia has a chance to create a joint venture with Egypt to enrich uranium. Then dramatically increases the chances that nuclear power plants are to be built to Russian designs. A discussion of possible nuclear bombs allegedly leave the conscience of mercenaries information warfare.

Viktor Myasnikov

NG