THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ULTRACENTRIFUGE AT THE NUCLEAR INSTITUTE OF MANFRED VON ARDENNE IN SINOP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006600620005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: June 10, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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f 1PI0111 CD NO.
CENTRAL
COUNTRY USSR (Abkbazskaya ASSR)
SUBJECT The Development of an Ultracentr:ic
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
at the Nuclear Institute of Manfred
von Ardenne in Sinop
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS IN FORMATI ON AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18. SECTIONS 793
AND 794. OF THE U. 3. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REPEL
ATI,OM OF ITS CONTENTS TO CIE RECEIPT BY AM UNAUTHORIZED PERSOM
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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
USSR
_REPORT
Tho Development of an Ultracentrifuge at the Nuclear Institute
Manfred von Ardenne in Sinop
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAINED
PLACE OBTAINED-,.
DATE PREPARED 14 January '1955
REFERENCES
PAGES 2 ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE),
REMARKS
This is UNEVALUATED
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1. Ultracentrifuges were developed by Dr. Steenbeck at Department 3,
the mechanical department, of the nuclear institute in Sinop. In
addition to his nominal deputy Dr. Trattaner(fnu), Steenbeck had
Dr. Steudel (fnu) as a practical deputy. The latter controlled
the development of the ultracentrifuge which he continued. after
Kaiblinger left in 1947. Prior to 1947, two development stages
were apparent. These were based on mechanical metallurgical
probilms with the rpm figures being the essential development
problem.
2. During Stage A of the development, Kaiblinger was ordered to
construct the rotor unit of several cover layers of metal. foil
strips. On a lathe he wound the foils at a slanting angle to the
axle of ratation around a core which was to be removed afterwards.
During winding process, the layers were also soldered. The
finished winding was 0.2 mm thick. The lids were also produced
as foil packages under pressure and were provided with canulas
soldered into the lid. All rotor units, even if the thickness
of their walls varied, had an external diameter of 50 mm and
a length of 400 mm. The first rotor units constructed were driven
by means of specially constructed gears powered by standard
engines operating at about 5,000 rpm. The maximum speed obtained
was 80,000 rpm which was about the limit the gears could stand.
Since the heat produced by the rpm rating was too high, the
following listed foil materials were tried in succession::
copper, brass, nickel, aluminum, chromium, silver, gold and
others. 100,000 rpm bu4ned out to be the critical speed. The
development, program, therefore, requested 150,000 rpm partly
in order to overcome the critical figure and also to obtain a
figure high enough to effect isotope separation. Since these
figures were not obtained with the foil rotors, an entirely
different system was adopted for the production of rotor units.
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Stage B. Dr. Ziegler (fnu) developed a special aluminum alloy,
the formula of which was unknown. Kaiblinger was given an ingot
of this material from which he turned the nWw rotor, 400mm long,
50 mm external diameter and 47 ima internal diameter and
subsequently 1.5 mm thick. The blank was, then machined in.a
cold process by a specially manufactured tube rolling mill and
finally reinforced. The apertures. were provided with screw lids
into which standard canula needles with a external diameter of
2.5 mm and an enforced upper part were inserted. The internal
walls of the rotor were lined with permanent magnets. In long
lasting processes, Kaiblinger gradually eliminated all unbalances
of the rotor using machinery and instruments of the precision
mechanical workshop of Ingenieur Klein (fnu). The construction was
delayed by the time-consuming priduction of needle bearings,by
Kaiblinger. Sleeve bearings were fitted at three places ofamak
each of the two capillary tubes-type canules. The end of a.canula ??l
was bedded against the front part and the side of the tube and
the stronger end against the front. White metal was used as
bearing material. The entire bearing system was cooled by chambers
of liquid air. The rotor was driven asynchronously by a high
frequency transmitted via a continuous winding wrapped around the
tot-or chamber and no longer by a synchronous motor. Two improved
models were constructed with a primary rpm rating of 115,000
which was increased to 130,000 rpm and finally reached 150,000
rpm without any defects.
original design of the u racen- uge which included-a simple
hollow rotor unit with one upper and one lower capillary tube,
other models were designed with additional lead-ins which were
specially heat insulated under glass.'Thermal control equipment
for the thermodiffusion of the gas stream within the centrifuge
was also installed. The final result however was obtained only by
an improved cooling system involving air and water.
In 1947, the results obtained in the diffusion of UF6were 2
percent. Kaiblinger had frequently discussed this figure with
Dr. Steudel but was not quite,sure whether the latter had given
this figure or not. Steudel also repeatedly mentioned during
these conversations that it could not actually be expected that
the centrifuge system would ever be applied on an industrial level.
Comment. For a table of organization and list of personnel
employed at the nuclear institute of Manfred von Ardenne in Sinop,
status 1946/1947, see Annex.
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In addition to th
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Table of Organization an I4st -chi Personnel of the Nei
Nuclear Institute in Singe
The Sinop institute included three departments. Manfred von Ardenne
was chief of the entire institute and also of Department I.
Department 1 : Department of Eleetro Physics
Manfred von Ardenne
Department 2 Department of Chemistry
Professor Thiessen (fnu)
Department 3 : Mechanical Department
Professor Steenbeck (fnu)
These three departments included the following personnel:
Ernst Richard Apit&sch chief of the electric workshop Department 1
Alexander Bergengruen general administration (Bergengruen was
Ardennes father-in-law)
Erwin Alfred Becker glass blower, Department 3. Beaker also
constructed the glass temperature caps
for the switching unit of the centriguges.
Dr. Karl Bernhard Chemist, Deartment 2
Dr. Ernst Busse chemist, Department 2
Dr. Delvendahl (fnu) meteorologist and mathematician
August Deutsch mechanical engineer,:Department 3,
constructed a circular spinning frame for
laboratory material at Sinop. He is '
allegedly in Ilinskaya at the present time.
Kurt Fliegner blacksmith, Department 3
Gustav Fliegner, K.Fliegner's electrician, Department 1
Hermann-Fritz Florek laboratory assistant of Dr. Steenbeck,
Department 3
Heinz Ernst Froehlich engineer, Department 1 in "House D"
working in the field of magnets
Dr. Guenter Fuchs physicist, Department 1
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Heinz Gaedicke
(from Duesseldorf)
Hermann Geri
(from Freiburg/Breisgau)
Helmut Hepp
Kurt Heppner
Gerhard Hoenow
Ferdinand Kafka
Siegfried Klein
''Margot Koerber
Kretzig (fnu)
Krueger (fnu)
Gerda Langsdorf
Mauler (fnu)
7ladimir aydel
Fritz Mainhardt
Dr Kurt Meloun
Dr Eberhard Melchior
Dr Gotthard Mueller
chief mechanic, Department 2, constructed
with assistants all chemical testing
equipment for Professor Thiessen
electrician for gpitzsoh, Department 1
laboratory assistant, Department 3,.
working for a Soviet Professor of
Steenbeck's group
graduate engineer, physicist, Department 1
chemist, laboratory assistant, Department 2.
laboratory assistant, Department 2
engineer, Department 1
,precision mechanic working in an independent
department equipped with,a complete workshop
brought from Berlin
assistant, Department 2
designing office, Department 2
chief electro mechanic, Departments 1 and 3.
Among other equipment he constructed electric
measuring instruments for the development
of the centrifuges. Rpms were measured
electrically.
at -''cirst second secretary of Ardenne, later
institute librarian
glass blower, constructed glass caps for
the lead-ins to the centrifuges
Material supply and administration
graduate engineer, physicist, Department 1
mechanic in Sille's group
physicist, Department 1
mathematician, now in Ilinskaya
high frequency physicist, Department 1.
Constructed mains for the mass spectrographs
and was allegedly involved in research
aetitities of his own. Worked previously
at the Lorenz Firm in East-Berlin.
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Neureuther (fnu)
Franz Heinrich Pottmeier
Dr Gerd Praetorius
Dr Herberg Reibedanz
Hans Artur Richter
Dr med Kurt Rintelen
Hans Fritz Schlesing
Hermann Schmahl
Horst Schroeder
Schrottke (sen) (fnu)
Mrs Schrottke (fnu)
Schulze (fnu)
Karl Heinz Sille
Walter Sommerfeldt
Wolfgang Socke
Dr Eberhard Steudel
Liss Striepling
graduate engineer, physicist, Department 1
laboratory assistant,\'Department 2
expert in high voltage,, Department 1
and also expert for electron. photography
physicist, Department 1
precision mechanic of Klein's group
laboratory assistant, Department 2
laboratory assistant, ~Deparrment 3
engineer, Department 1
laboratory assistant, Delpartmint 2
laboratory assistant, Department 1
second secretary of Ardenne
mechanic in Sille's group
engineer, had his own group for the
installation and technical cpntr1 of
all workshops
engineer, Department 1
precision mechanic in Klein's,group-
working under Steenbeck's control as,
manager of all departments of physics,,
among other activities on the construct
of the centrifuges
laboratory assistant, Department 2
first secretary of Ardenne
.on
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engineer, Department 1 in "House D", working
in the field of magnets, was repatriated
to Meddersheim near Sobernheim
Dr Robert Trattner, Austrian formal deputy of Steenbeck, Department 3
Ludwig Wetzlar
mechanic, Department 3
electro mechanic, Department 3, his work
included the winding of the centrifuges
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Victor Winkler, ethnic German
from Yugoslavia
Dr Werner Wittstadt
Elf riede Zabel
Guenter Zawadil
Dr Ziegler
Ludwig Ziehl
Dr Gerhard Zippe
student, Department'2
chemist, DepartmentZ
assistant, Department 1
Dr Steudelf-s assistant, Department 3
metallurgist, Departmei&t`1, worked
on hardening experiment?, was
transferred, his whereaoAs are
unknown
graduate engineer, chemicist,
Department 2
.mechanical physicist, Department 3,
worked on preliminary experiments
for the development of the centrifuge
and other fields
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Annex
Diagramm of the Ultracentrifuge, 9 ale 1 to 2 and 2 to 1
A Cross section, scale 1 to 2
B Longitudinal section, scale 1 to,2
C Lower needle bearing, scale 2 to l
1 Rotor unit, external diameter 50 mm
internal diameter 47m
walls 1.5 mm thick
length 400 mm
For the preliminary experiments the. unit was manufactured of wound metal
foils with walls 0.2 mm thick
2 Screwed in lid
2 Needle canula, external diameter.2.5 mm
f4 Socket for needle bearing
5 Permanent magnets, steel plates
6 Continuous field winding around outer coat
7 Inforced canula over the bedding
8 nearing material
Operational procedure:
The rotor tube functioned as motgr armature. The continuous field
winding around the outer coat vrajited by a high frequency transmitter.
No additional information was obt fined. Lead-in and discharge was
effected through the.canulap. In edition to the product of inertia,
thermal diffusion was to be effee ed.
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