Rotameters and Solar Silicon Wafer production

Introduction

rotameter1

One of the major prohibitive factors for expanding solar power in the market place is the high cost. The primary cost drivers in solar cell marketing are materials and manufacturing processes. Most solar cells in use today use silicon as the semiconductor that enables the photoelectric effect within the solar cell. Silicon is abundant but also expensive and in high demand as the solar and electronics industries compete for global supplies. There is now a cost effective process in use to extract the pure silicon needed for solar cells using less energy and reduced cost. This process is called the Fluidized Bed Reactor.

 

 

 

Application 

rotameter2In the Fluidized Bed Reactor, a raw silicon ore is introduced in a gaseous state. Large amounts of preheated hydrogen or helium are introduced creating a reaction that causes the pure silicon to be released and captured on seed particles that grow to become large super pure silicon spheres. Because of variances of the raw material coming into the

reactor constant human attention is required. Operators need a large easy to read local flow indicator to maintain the correct flow rates needed for the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solution

Because of their 6" large bold display and the optional 4-20 ma transmitter with digital display, Yokogawa's RAMC Rotameter were chosen to be the best fit for the required

operation of the reactor. Operators could easily see the changes in gas flows needed to maintain proper operation. The optional transmitter with the 4-20 ma or pulse output

gives direct feedback to an operator in a control room. Additionally, the RAMC has both FM and ATEX intrinsically safe certifications for use in possible explosive atmospheres.

 

Solar Silicon Facilities

To assist you in locating these silicon wafer opportunities in your area, below is a link that lists all the refinement plants in the United States.

http://www.enfsolar.com/directory/material/polysilicon

Related Products & Solutions

  • RAKD

    The RAKD Rotameter is used for measurement of liquids and gases and is highly accurate, particularly for low flows and high pressure applications.

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  • RAMC

    316L Stainless Steel Construction
    1.6 % accuracy (qG = 50 %)
    4 to 20 mA signal output
    HART protocol available
    Adjustable Limit Switches
    0.95 to 550 GPM
    0.42 to 1050 SCFM

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  • Rotameter - Variable Area Flowmeter

    The Variable Area Flowmeter is one of the oldest and mature principles in flow measurement with its simple design: a float rises inside a conically shaped glass tube as the flow increases and its position on a scale can be read off as the flow rate. Since this measuring method is purely mechanic, it as simple as it is reliable.

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