Development of a Process for High Capacity Arc Heater Production of Silicon for Solar Arrays. Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project, Silicon Materials Task. Quarterly Technical Report, October--December 1977

摘要

A program has been established at Westinghouse to develop a high temperature silicon production process using existing electric arc heater technology. Silicon tetrachloride and a reductant will be injected into an arc heated mixture of hydrogen and argon. Under these high temperature conditions, a very rapid reaction is expected to occur and proceed essentially to completion, yielding silicon and gaseous sodium chloride. Techniques for high temperature separation and collection of the molten silicon will be developed using standard engineering approaches, and the salt vapor will later be electrolytically separated into its elemental constituents for recycle. While the overall program objective is to produce 1000 metric tons of high quality silicon per year on a continuous basis, Phase I was defined as a comprehensive feasibility and engineering review of the reaction process, and a formulation of the design for a test system to experimentally verify the high temperature reaction. Phase II, currently underway, involves a multi-task approach including (1) a detailed engineering analysis of the entire process; (2) design, fabrication, and assembly of the experimental system; (3) experimental testing of the reduction reaction to produce silicon; and (4) complementary research programs to augment the experimental system design. Progress in each of these areas is detailed. (ERA citation 03:047050)