Safe Geometry Vacuum Design

摘要

A vacuum assembled along a centerline axis used to collect fissile material. The vacuum includes a housing having internal chamber, a top end having a top opening, a bottom end having a bottom opening, and a radial intake port opening. The vacuum includes a suction apparatus having an intake disposed at the intake opening and having a hose connection means for mating with a vacuum hose assembly. The suction apparatus also includes a flow-through fan disposed in the top opening. The fan intakes and exhausts the airflow in a direction parallel with the centerline axis. The suction apparatus also includes a container connection means disposed at the bottom opening for connecting an external container to bottom end of the housing. There is also provided a first cylindrical free space having a center point disposed along the centerline axis and a diameter passing through the center point. The diameter of the first cylindrical free space is less than or equal to the safe diameter for the fissile material of interest. The vacuum cleaner apparatus is sized to fit entirely within the diameter of the first free space. Therefore, the vacuum apparatus constitutes a single fissile unit that is safe by passive geometry control to prevent the potential for a nuclear criticality in the vacuum.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a single unit elongate vacuum cleaner assembled along a centerline axis and configured for the separation and recovery of a fissile material entrained in an airflow, the vacuum cleaner having:
a housing having an outer wall having an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface defining an internal housing chamber, the housing also including a top end having a top opening, a bottom end having a bottom opening, and a radial intake port opening disposed in the outer wall proximate the bottom end;a suction apparatus having:
an intake disposed at the intake port opening and having a hose connection means for mating with a vacuum hose assembly;a flow-through fan disposed in the top opening of the housing and having an intake and an exhaust, the flow-through fan configured to intake and exhaust the airflow in a direction parallel with the centerline axis;container connection means disposed at the bottom opening for connecting an external container to bottom end of the housing; and a first cylindrical free space having a center point disposed along the centerline axis and a diameter passing through the center point, wherein the vacuum cleaner apparatus is sized to fit entirely within the diameter of the first free space.