Energy Savings in a Silicon Furnace Through Improved Reductant Technology : Final Report for Evaluation of Charcoal and Coalchar.

Technical Report · Tue Dec 22 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5223485

Dow Corning Corporation.

A two-week smelting test using coalchar was performed from February 20th to March 7th, 1987 in Dow Corning's 25,000 kva submerged arc silicon furnace. A specific energy consumption of 5.68 kwh/lb was obtained over the test period compared favorably to a historic specific energy consumption of 6.4 kwh/lb. Test results indicate a 4.7% cost savings vs. 1987 standard cost could be achieved assuming demonstrated coal char performance can be maintained on an annual basis. A smelting test using charcoal was conducted from September 1 through September 14, 1987 in Dow Corning's 25,000 kva submerged arc silicon furnace. A specific energy consumption of 5.60 kwh Si was obtained during the test also compared favorably to a historic specific energy consumption of 6.4 kwh/lb Si. The observed energy consumption was slightly lower than the 5.68 kwh/lb Si specific energy consumption observed during the coalchar test earlier in 1987. These test results indicate a 5.73% cost savings vs 1987 standard budget cost could be achieved assuming demonstrated performance can be maintained on an annual basis. This savings is better than the 4.73% projected for coalchar. This study recommends commercialization of charcoal technology at the Springfield site. This recommendation of charcoal technology at the smelting process, lower projected manuafacturing cost for Si and the availability of the reductant. 6 refs., 4 figs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Dow Corning Corp., Springfield, OR (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
• DOE Contract Number: AC79-86BP31023
• OSTI ID: 5223485
• Report Number(s): DOE/BP-31023-1; ON: DE88007406
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHARCOAL
USES
CHARS
REDUCING AGENTS
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
SILICON
MANUFACTURING
SMELTING
SMELTERS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FURNACES
ADSORBENTS
ELEMENTS
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
SEMIMETALS
Silicon industry - Power supply
Furnaces - Efficiency
320303* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Equipment & Processes
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture