Reference:
D.C. Dumitrache,
I. Inoan, and
B. De Schutter,
"An analytic model for a 13C isotope separation process by
cryogenic distillation," Journal of Process Control, vol. 24,
no. 5, pp. 463-474, May 2014.
Abstract:
In this paper we present a structured approach to the modeling of an
isotope separation plant that makes use of distillation principles for
13C isotope separation. In the first part of the paper,
after a brief review of isotope separation processes with an accent on
isotope separation by distillation, we define our
initial-boundary-value problem, which is a partial differential
equation. By applying the Laplace transform to the partial
differential equation that governs the evolution of the desired
isotope with respect to height and time, we obtain a linear
homogeneous ordinary differential equation. After solving the obtained
ordinary differential equation, we use Heaviside's expansion theorem
to find the inverse Laplace transform, and thus, the analytic model of
the isotope separation process follows. Using the analytic model it is
possible to determine the concentration of the desired isotope at any
height, at any moment of time, with respect to plant parameters and
thus, expensive experiments can be avoided. In the second part of the
paper we use the analytic model to simulate the isotope separation
process, followed by the assessment of the results against
experimental data.