THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF MULTISTAGE MECHANICAL SEPARATION PROCESSES

From the viewpoint of thermodynamics at a fi nite time, the limiting possibilities of mechanical separation systems
are considered. Lower limits of energy expenditure are obtained for separation systems with a given performance.
It is shown that these expenditures do not tend to zero, when one of the components of the mixture being separated
tends to a unit concentration. The estimates obtained are used to analyze multistage separation systems with recycles
and, in particular, isotope separation systems. For each systems, relationships between the fl ows, contact surfaces,
and the stage number are found, which follow from the conditions of minimum dissipation under the assumption of
the constancy of the enrichment factor. A condition of the optimality of the order of separation of multicomponent
mixtures in mechanical systems has been obtained.
   
Author:  A. M. Tsirlin ,  A. I. Sukin ,  B. Andresen
Keywords:  multicomponent mixtures, multistage mechanical separation systems, realizability region, contact surface, entropy production, isotope separation
Page:  557