Which method requires fewer stages and less power in uranium enrichment?

Gas centrifuges are recognized as the method that requires fewer stages and less power in uranium enrichment compared to the other available techniques. This efficiency is attributed to the way gas centrifuges utilize centrifugal force to separate isotopes of uranium.

In gas centrifuge enrichment, uranium hexafluoride gas is spun at high speeds within a cylindrical rotor. The lighter isotope, uranium-235, tends to concentrate towards the center while the heavier isotope, uranium-238, gets pushed outward. This separation occurs in a continuous process, which allows for a more compact design and reduces the number of necessary stages compared to methods such as diffusion processes or thermal diffusion.

Additionally, gas centrifuges consume significantly less energy because they rely on mechanical energy rather than thermal or chemical processes to achieve separation. This results in lower operational costs and a smaller environmental footprint compared to older methods. As a consequence of these advantages, gas centrifuges have become the preferred technology for uranium enrichment in modern applications, offering both efficiency and scalability.