Nuclear Power Related Media Thread, page-3905

The major issue with CRISLA is contained in their patent (see here) is in section 28 where they use 5 micron infrared rather than 16 microns.

"The main reason this scheme was not pursued in the past was that the absorption cross-section for 3v3 excitations of UF6 near 5 microns is approximate 5,000 times weaker than for v3 excitations around 16 microns. However, aside from that difficulty, most difficulties encountered with UF6 excitations around 16 microns are absent for excitations around 5 microns. In the advanced CRISLA process, the low absorption cross-section at 5 micron has been overcome by implementing a combination of (1) intra-cavity laser energy extraction, (2) use of ultra-high reflection (near 100%) laser resonator end mirrors, (3) laser beam passage through a hundred or more adjacent mini jets for efficient laser energy usage, and (4) implementation of nearly non-divergent intra-cavity laser beam profiles such as Bessel waves to minimize intra-cavity diffraction losses. The fact that electricity-to-laser energy conversion efficiencies of strong single-line 5-micron CO lasers are much higher (−5%) than for raman-converted single-line 16-micron CO2 lasers (−0.2%), makes the advanced CRISLA system's laser enrichment scheme highly competitive with current centrifuge and 16-micron uranium laser enrichment systems."

This is why in my discussion with rrguy I explored his thoughts and we both concluded that the SLX may have found a much cheaper (and more reliable) way (e.g. quantum cascade lasers? and the BCS) to produce a continuous 16 micron infrared beam. IMO that is the likely development that took place in the 2015 - 2021 period at Lucas Heights which has now resulted in the TRL/6 prototype being assembled in Wilmington. Also during that period GLE secured the DoE tails morphing the project into a low costs source of NUF6 and now with extensions to LEU and HALEU. The development (and investment of about US$600m) from a TRL/1 or TRL/2 "concept" to a TRL/6 commercial prototype has been considerable. IMO the maturity of our development combined with the fundamental edge 16 microns has over other frequencies gives Silex an unassailable lead over CRISLA. I guess with GLE having a test cell now in place at Wilmington, a low cost feedstock source and an investment grade partner (Cameco) gives Silex a further lead.

How CRISLA is going to tackle the security, legal and regulatory obligations required to compete with Silex (who are a "top secret") is also beyond my comprehension. Jozef W. Eerkens is a acknowledge expert in this field but is now aged 92,