[en] The principle of uranium gaseous diffusion enrichment is briefly recalled. The present status of gaseous diffusion plants is outlined, and future trends of the market and technology are envisaged

[en] The explanations accompanying a series of slides to represent pictorially gaseous diffusion plant operation are presented. The slides were selected to describe sequentially the normal series of steps that occur when feed is shipped to a diffusion plant and moves through the various auxiliary steps prior to entering the separation cascade. They also include the activities normally associated with product withdrawal and customer shipment

[en] A considerable amount of experience has been amassed during the seven years of operation of the Tricastin enrichment plant. This experience has been used to provide rapid and effective solutions to problems met during startup, to make improvements, and to acquire in-depth knowledge of the plant's performance under a broad range of operating conditions. (author)

[en] The description is given of a bearing piece for a gaseous diffusion isotopic enrichment unit to receive a power-compressor for compressing a low pressure flow from a diffusion chamber and a medium recycling flow. It comprises an external cylindrical side wall of the same diameter as the chamber and, on the chamber side, a funnel shaped membrane. The separation of the medium and high pressure flows is carried out by a truncated skirt the large base of which is inclined in relation to the centre of the bearing piece and is welded inside the cylindrical side wall by a weld bead passing (a) between the side medium pressure inlet port and the bottom of the bearing piece and (b) between the side high pressure exhaust part and the upper edge of the bearing piece

[en] During the seventies the nuclear power programme had an extremely rapid growth rate which entailed to increase the world uranium enrichment capacity. EURODIF is the largest undertaking in this field. This multinational joint venture built and now operates and enrichment plant using the gaseous diffusion process at Tricastin (France). This plant is delivering low enriched uranium since two years and has contracted about 110 million SWU's till 1990. Description, current activity and prospects are given in the paper. (Author)

[en] The uranium enrichment plant in the Tricastin area, built and operated by Eurodif, represents a fundamental stage in the cycle of nuclear fuel for light water reactors. After a review of the various processes, the gas diffusion process is described and the Tricastin plant presented whose complete capacity has been reached in 1982

[en] This paper reviews two ERDA programs for expanding the enriching capacity that are going forward through ERDA's Oak Ridge Operations office: the Cascade Improvement and Uprating program, and the Add-on Project to the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The Add-on Plant will not meet the total needs for enrichment; U.S. will, in the near future, need to construct another sizable increment of enriching capacity. 17 figs

[en] The Eurodif uranium enrichment plant in France is described briefly. It was by a group of French, Belgian, Spanish, Iranian and Italian firms and organizations. The consortium is now the world's leading enriched uranium supplier. There are two photographs of the Euridif plant. (UK)

[en] The Georges Besse plant performs the enrichment of uranium for the equivalent of one hundred 900 MWe nuclear reactors. This plant was being built from 1974 to 1982. At the origin the operating time was planned to be 20 years but 10 years more seem possible with renovation works at reasonable costs. The gaseous diffusion cascade is made up of 1400 enrichment modules that require several auxiliary installations such as: i) the U annexe that performs the extraction of enriched uranium and of depleted uranium, ii) the electric power substation, iii) the equipment dedicated to the production of overheated and cooled water, and iv) the centralized control system that allows a remote driving of the different units of the plant. A renovation program has been launched and the equipment has been classified into 3 categories: i) equipment able to cope with 10 years more of operating life, ii) equipment certain to fail within 10 years, and iii) equipment with a probability to fail. An action plan has been set up for the equipment of the second category while the third category equipment is concerned by a surveillance plan. (A.C.)

No abstract available