Experimental study on krypton isotope separation using microchannel cryogenic distillation system

XU Yifan; WANG Shibo; JU Yonglin; WANG Zhou; YIN Liang; TANG Xin

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20251459

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Experimental study on krypton isotope separation using microchannel cryogenic distillation system

更新时间：2026-03-09

- Experimental study on krypton isotope separation using microchannel cryogenic distillation system
- CIESC Journal Pages: 1-9(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.上海交通大学机械与动力工程学院，上海 200240
  2.上海交通大学物理与天文学院，上海 200240
  3.上海交通大学碳中和发展研究院，上海 200030
  4.万气精仪气体设备有限公司，江苏苏州 215500
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.11949/0438-1157.20251459
  CLC： TQ 028.8;TB 657.7
- Received：25 December 2025，
  
  Revised：2026-02-10，
  
  Online First：09 March 2026，
- 稿件说明：
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徐艺凡, 王诗博, 巨永林, 王舟, 殷靓, 唐鑫. 基于微通道低温精馏装置的氪同位素分离实验研究[J]. 化工学报,

XU Yifan, WANG Shibo, JU Yonglin, WANG Zhou, YIN Liang, TANG Xin. Experimental study on krypton isotope separation using microchannel cryogenic distillation system[J]. CIESC Journal,
徐艺凡, 王诗博, 巨永林, 王舟, 殷靓, 唐鑫. 基于微通道低温精馏装置的氪同位素分离实验研究[J]. 化工学报, DOI： 10.11949/0438-1157.20251459

XU Yifan, WANG Shibo, JU Yonglin, WANG Zhou, YIN Liang, TANG Xin. Experimental study on krypton isotope separation using microchannel cryogenic distillation system[J]. CIESC Journal, DOI： 10.11949/0438-1157.20251459

摘要

氪同位素在核物理、材料科学等领域具有重要应用价值，但各稳定同位素之间物理性质相近，使用传统分离方法效率较低。为提升氪同位素分离性能，设计并搭建了一套基于微通道结构的低温精馏实验装置，开展天然氪在全回流工况下的同位素分离实验。实验装置主体为5.5米高的精馏塔，塔内采用微通道结构以强化气液两相传热传质，并在全回流运行工况下通过残余气体分析系统对塔顶和塔底样品进行同位素丰度测量。实验结果显示，低温精馏塔进入全回流工况运行后，塔顶和塔底处同位素丰度具有明显差异，理论塔板高度随运行时间增加不断降低，全回流运行约100小时后降低至2厘米并趋于稳定，验证了微通道低温精馏技术在氪同位素分离中的可行性与高效性。

Abstract

Krypton isotopes have important applications in fields such as nuclear physics and materials science. However

the stable krypton isotopes exhibit extremely similar physical and thermodynamic properties

resulting in nearly identical volatilities. Consequently

conventional distillation methods suffer from limited separation efficiency and large equipment requirements. To improve the separation performance and reduce equipment size

a cryogenic distillation system based on microchannel structures was designed and constructed. Separation experiments were conducted using natural krypton under total reflux conditions in order to investigate the krypton isotopes separation performance. The core of the system is a 5.5-meter-high distillation column

in which microchannel structures were employed to enhance gas–liquid heat and mass transfer. During total reflux operation

isotope abundances at the top and bottom of the column were measured using a residual gas analyzer (RGA) system. Based on the measured isotope abundances

the height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP) was calculated to quantify the separation performance of the microchannel cryogenic distillation column. Experimental results showed a clear difference in isotopic composition between the top and bottom samples once total reflux conditions were reached. More volatile isotopes (⁷⁸Kr

⁸⁰Kr

⁸²Kr

and ⁸³Kr) were preferentially enriched at the top of the column

while the less volatile isotopes ⁸⁴Kr and ⁸⁶Kr were enriched at the bottom. The HETP decreased continuously with operation time and eventually stabilized at approximately 2 cm after 100 hours of operation

indicating an excellent separation performance. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and high efficiency of microchannel cryogenic distillation for krypton isotope separation.

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Keywords

references

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