JP6122685B2 - Dust removing device and dust removing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dust removing apparatus capable of easily and efficiently removing silicon dust generated when raw silicon is evaporated and solidified in a silicon production apparatus such as a silicon casting apparatus and a crystalline silicon pulling apparatus. The present invention relates to a dust removal method.

  As is well known, in silicon manufacturing apparatuses such as silicon casting apparatuses and crystalline silicon pulling apparatuses, molten silicon evaporates and solidifies in the silicon manufacturing process, generating dust, and these dusts are sucked from the silicon manufacturing apparatus. And may be removed by a filter.

  Part of the dust generated in such silicon production equipment may accumulate in the exhaust piping, and in order to remove the silicon dust accumulated in the exhaust piping, it is necessary to disassemble and clean the high-temperature piping. In addition, since the accumulated dust is flammable, it is necessary to spend a lot of time for cleaning and the like, and a technique for efficiently removing the dust generated in the silicon manufacturing apparatus has been demanded.

  In view of this, a technique is disclosed in which, in an exhaust system of a silicon manufacturing apparatus, silicon dust is combusted so that the exhaust system dust can be gently burned and easily handled (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-97797

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to burn silicon dust, and it is necessary to handle with care. Therefore, there is a strong demand for a technology that can easily and efficiently remove dust in the silicon manufacturing apparatus and dust in the exhaust piping of the silicon manufacturing apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and is generated when raw material silicon is evaporated and solidified in the silicon manufacturing apparatus and is deposited in the exhaust system piping of the silicon manufacturing apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a dust removing device and a dust removing method capable of easily and efficiently removing the dust that has been removed.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes the following means.
The invention described in claim 1 is a dust removing device that is connected to a silicon manufacturing device and removes dust generated in the silicon manufacturing device, and includes a filter that adsorbs the dust, a suction device, and the filter. A housing that defines a first region to which the dust is adsorbed and a second region to which a suction device for generating an adsorbing force is connected to the first region; the silicon manufacturing apparatus; and the first region And a second flow path connecting the second region and the suction device so as to be flowable, and the first flow path and the second flow path are respectively A first on-off valve and a second on-off valve are provided to open and close the flow path, and when the silicon manufacturing apparatus is operated, the suction apparatus is operated and the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened. And the operation of the silicon manufacturing apparatus is terminated. After con manufacturing device is exposed to the atmosphere, the second on-off valve open state, the first on-off valve to operate the suction device from the closed to vacuum the housing said second opening and closing valve closed Then, the first on-off valve is opened, and the dust in the first flow path is moved to the first region.

The invention according to claim 4 is a dust removing method that is connected to a silicon manufacturing apparatus and separates dust generated in the silicon manufacturing apparatus, wherein a filter that adsorbs the dust is stored in a housing, and the dust is When the silicon manufacturing apparatus is operated, the first area where the silicon is adsorbed and the second area where the suction device for generating the suction force is connected to the first area are defined. After the two region sides are sucked by the suction device, the gas from the silicon manufacturing device is adsorbed to the first region of the filter, and after the operation of the silicon manufacturing device is completed and the silicon manufacturing device is released to the atmosphere , between the said silicon manufacturing apparatus first region by suction by the suction device the second region side from the closed to the housing in a reduced pressure state, the first region while maintaining a reduced pressure state And wherein the moving the dust that is between said silicon manufacturing device and the first region to allow flow between the silicon manufacturing apparatus in the first region.

  According to the dust removing device and the dust removing method according to the present invention, when the silicon manufacturing apparatus is operated, the second region side of the filter is sucked by the suction device, and the dust from the silicon manufacturing device is put into the first region of the filter. After adsorbing and finishing the operation of the silicon manufacturing apparatus, the first area can be circulated with the silicon manufacturing apparatus in a state where the inside of the housing is maintained in a reduced pressure state after the second area side is sucked by the suction device. By doing so, air can be vigorously circulated from the silicon production apparatus toward the first region, and as a result, dust accumulated between the silicon production apparatus and the housing (pipe, etc.) can be removed vigorously. be able to.

  Invention of Claim 2 is a dust removal apparatus of Claim 1, Comprising: The 3rd flow path which connects the said 2nd area | region to a separation air inflow part is provided, The said 3rd flow path WHEREIN: When a third on-off valve for opening and closing the third flow path is provided and the dust adsorbed by the filter is separated from the filter, the first on-off valve and the third on-off valve are closed, and the second on-off valve Is opened, and the suction device is operated to depressurize the inside of the housing and close the second on-off valve. Then, the third on-off valve is opened to allow separation air to flow in from the separation air inflow portion. It is comprised so that it may make it.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the dust removing method according to claim 4, wherein when the dust adsorbed by the filter is separated from the filter, the second region side is sucked by the suction device. The separation air is caused to flow from the separation air inflow portion and the separation air is allowed to flow from the second region to the first region in a state where the inside of the casing is maintained in a reduced pressure state.

  According to the dust removing device and the dust removing method according to the present invention, when separating the adsorbed dust from the filter, the second region is opened to the atmosphere and the separation air is introduced, and the vacuum is released from the second region. The dust is separated from the filter by creating a vigorous flow of separation air toward the first region maintained at pressure. As a result, silicon dust generated when the raw silicon is evaporated and solidified in the silicon manufacturing apparatus can be easily and efficiently removed.

  Invention of Claim 3 is a dust removal apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2, Comprising: The 4th flow path which connects the said 1st area | region and a dust collector so that distribution | circulation is possible, The said 4th flow The passage is provided with a fourth on-off valve, and after separating dust from the filter, while operating the dust collector, the third on-off valve and the fourth on-off valve are opened, the first on-off valve, The second on-off valve is configured to be in a closed state.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the dust removing method according to the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the dust separated from the filter is collected by a dust collector.

  According to the dust removing apparatus and the dust removing method according to the present invention, the dust separated from the filter is collected by the dust collector, so that the dust generated in the silicon manufacturing apparatus can be efficiently separated and collected.

  According to the dust removing apparatus and the dust removing method according to the present invention, silicon dust generated in the silicon manufacturing apparatus can be easily and efficiently removed.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the dust removal apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the detail of the dust separation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the dust removal apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment, and has shown the state at the time of a silicon | silicone pulling-up apparatus driving | operation. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the dust removal apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment, and has shown the state which removes the dust deposited in the exhaust piping of a silicon pulling-up apparatus. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the dust removal apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment, and has shown the state which isolate | separates the dust adsorb | sucked by the filter. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the dust removal apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment, and has shown the state which collects the dust isolate | separated from the filter.

Hereinafter, a dust removing device and a dust removing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a dust removing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a dust removing apparatus, reference numeral 10 denotes a dust separating apparatus, and reference numeral M denotes a crystalline silicon pulling apparatus (silicon manufacturing apparatus). Device).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dust removing device 1 includes a dust separating device 10 and a dust collector 30, is connected to the crystal silicon pulling device M, and is generated in a chamber M 1 of the crystal silicon pulling device M. Silicon dust to be sucked and removed through the exhaust pipe M2.

  The dust separator 10 includes a dust separator body 11 and a suction pump 15, and the dust separator body 11 includes a filter 12 and a housing 13. In FIG. 2, an arrow (including F1 and F2) indicated by a broken line indicates a gas flow when dust is sucked from the silicon pulling apparatus M, and an arrow (including F3) indicated by a solid line is the adsorption of the filter 12. The flow of the separation air at the time of separating (backwashing) the dust adsorbed on the surface 12A is shown.

  The filter 12 is made of, for example, a material (or a material having a three-dimensional network structure such as a weaving cloth) formed with a large number of small holes capable of separating dust from a gas containing dust, and is bent to The adsorption area is increased by providing irregularities on the surface and the other surface to form a corrugated plate, and the dust contained in the gas is adsorbed to the filter 12 by the gas flowing from one surface to the other surface. Is supposed to be captured.

  The housing 13 has a suction surface (second region) 12A on which dust is adsorbed by the filter 12 and a suction surface (second region) to which a suction pump 15 that generates suction force is generated on the suction surface (first region) 12A. In this embodiment, the opposing surfaces of the two filters 12 arranged opposite to each other are used as the suction surface 12B to form a suction space, and the back surface of the suction surface 12B is used as the suction surface 12A. Therefore, the suction surface 12B and the suction surface 12A are hermetically partitioned, and the filter 12 is covered and separated from the atmosphere. The inner bottom portion is a storage portion 13A in which dust separated from the filter 12 is stored. Yes.

  In addition, the casing 13 includes an exhaust connection pipe 21 that forms the first flow path, a suction pipe 22 that forms the second flow path, a separation air pipe 23 that forms the third flow path, and a fourth flow path. A dust collection pipe 24 is formed.

  The exhaust connection pipe 21 connects the silicon pulling device M and the space where the adsorption surface 12A of the filter 12 is located so as to be able to circulate. The exhaust connection pipe 21 is provided with a first on-off valve V1, and opens and closes the first on-off valve V1. By doing so, the flow of the exhaust connection pipe 21 can be controlled.

  The suction pipe 22 connects the space where the suction surface 12B of the filter 12 is located and the suction pump 15 so as to be able to circulate. The suction pipe 22 is provided with a second on-off valve V2, and opens and closes the second on-off valve V2. By doing so, the flow of the suction pipe 22 can be controlled.

  Further, the separation air pipe 23 connects the separation air inflow portion 16 and the space where the suction surface 12B is located, and is provided with a third on-off valve V3, which opens and closes the third on-off valve V3. Thus, the flow of the separation air pipe 23 can be controlled, and the separation air can flow into the suction space from the separation air inflow portion 16.

  The dust collection pipe 24 connects the space in which the suction surface 2A of the filter 12 is located and the dust collector 30 so as to be able to circulate, and is provided with a fourth on-off valve to open and close the fourth on-off valve V4. Thus, the circulation of the dust collection pipe 24 can be controlled.

  The suction pump 15 is constituted by, for example, a vacuum pump, and is connected to a space where the suction surface 12B of the filter 12 in the housing 13 is located so that the inside of the housing 13 can be depressurized to a predetermined pressure. .

  The silicon pulling apparatus M, for example, melts raw silicon and immerses and pulls a seed crystal in a silicon melt to produce crystalline silicon, and forms and holds a negative pressure state when melting crystalline silicon. Chamber M1 and an exhaust pipe M2 for exhausting a gas containing silicon dust generated by evaporation and solidification of silicon during the process of producing crystalline silicon to the dust removing apparatus 1, and the chamber M1 is an exhaust pipe. It is connected to the exhaust connection pipe 21 via M2.

  The dust collector 30 includes a dust collection pump 31 and a dust collector 32. The dust collector 30 is connected to the vicinity of the storage portion 13A of the housing 13 by a dust collection pipe 24, and is stored by sucking the dust collector 32 with the dust collection pump 31. The dust accumulated on the portion 13A is collected in the dust collector 32.

  The dust removing device 1 includes a control unit (not shown), and operates the first suction pump 15, the dust collector 30, the first on-off valve V1, the second on-off valve V2, the third on-off valve V3, and the fourth on-off valve. The opening and closing of V4 can be controlled.

Next, the operation of the dust removing device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
<During silicon pulling device operation>
When operating the silicon pulling apparatus M, the suction pump 15 is operated, the first on-off valve V1 and the second on-off valve V2 are opened, and the third on-off valve V3 and the fourth on-off valve V4 are closed. To do.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the gas containing dust generated in the silicon pulling apparatus M flows in the direction of arrow F <b> 1 through the exhaust pipe M <b> 2 and the exhaust connection pipe 21, passes through the filter 12, and is adsorbed by the filter 12. After dust is adsorbed on the surface 12A, it flows through the suction pipe 22 in the direction of the arrow F2 and is sucked into the suction pump 15.

<After completion of silicon pulling device operation>
Next, when the operation of the silicon pulling apparatus M is completed, the chamber M1 is released to the atmosphere and becomes atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, the suction pump 15 is operated after the second on-off valve V2 is opened and the first on-off valve V1, the third on-off valve V3, and the fourth on-off valve V4 are closed, and the pressure inside the housing 13 is close to a vacuum. The first on-off valve V1 is opened while the second on-off valve V2 is closed and the inside of the housing 13 is maintained at a pressure close to vacuum.
When the first on-off valve V1 is opened, the dust accumulated in the exhaust pipe M2 and the exhaust connection pipe 21 moves vigorously in the direction of the arrow F1A toward the inside of the housing 13 as shown in FIG. This operation may be repeated a plurality of times according to the amount of accumulated dust, and the dust in the exhaust pipe M2 can be sufficiently removed by repeating the operation a plurality of times.

<Dust separation from filter>
Next, when separating the dust adsorbed by the filter 12 from the filter 12, the suction pump 15 is operated with the first on-off valve V1 and the third on-off valve V3 closed and the second on-off valve V2 opened. The inside of the housing 13 is depressurized to a pressure close to a vacuum, and then the second on-off valve V2 is closed, and then the third on-off valve V3 is opened. Separation air (atmosphere) flows in the direction of arrow F3 from the portion 16 toward the suction surface 12B side of the filter 12.
As a result, the dust adsorbed on the adsorption surface 12A of the filter 12 is separated from the filter 12, falls, and accumulates in the storage portion 13A. At this time, if the suction surface 12 </ b> A side of the filter 12 is depressurized, it is preferable in that dust is efficiently separated from the filter 12.

<Dust collection of dust separated from the filter>
Next, after the dust is separated from the filter 12 and dropped into the storage portion 13A, the third on-off valve V3 and the fourth on-off valve V4 are opened, and the first on-off valve V1 and the second on-off valve V2 are closed. Then, the dust collector 30 is operated.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the dust accumulated in the storage unit 13 </ b> A is sucked in the direction of arrow F <b> 4 by the dust collector 30 and collected in the dust collector 32.

As described above, according to the dust removing device 1 and the dust removing method, the dust generated in the silicon pulling device M and deposited on the exhaust pipe M2 and the like can be efficiently removed.
Moreover, the dust adsorbed on the filter 12 can be efficiently separated from the filter 12 by back-washing the dust adsorbed on the filter 12 with separation air.
Further, by collecting the dust accumulated in the storage portion 13A of the housing 13 with the dust collector 30, the silicon dust can be efficiently and safely removed.

In addition, about the technical matter described in said embodiment, it is possible to add a various change in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the silicon manufacturing apparatus is connected to the crystalline silicon pulling apparatus M has been described. However, instead of the crystalline silicon pulling apparatus M, for example, a silicon casting apparatus or the like is used to manufacture crystalline silicon. The present invention may be applied to a silicon manufacturing apparatus in which silicon dust is generated in the process.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, after the operation | movement of the silicon | silicone pulling-up apparatus M is complete | finished, after the dust removal apparatus 1 depressurizes the inside of the housing | casing 13 to the pressure close | similar to a vacuum, it makes the 2nd on-off valve V2 into a closed state. The case where the dust inside the suction surface 12A of the filter 12 is removed from the suction surface 12A by evacuating the housing 13 and then opening the third on-off valve V3 has been described. It is good also as a setting which is not equipped with the structure which carries out the backwash removal of the dust adhering to 12 A of adsorption surfaces.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the dust removal apparatus 1 was equipped with the dust collector 30, and demonstrated the case where the dust accumulated in the storage part 13A was collected with the dust collector 30, it is good also as a structure which does not have the dust collector 30. .
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the case where the dust collector 30 was the structure provided with the dust collection pump 31 was demonstrated, it cannot be overemphasized that dust collectors, such as a cyclone type, may be used.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the two corrugated plate-like filters 12 were opposingly arranged and the space where a suction surface is located between the two filters 12 was demonstrated, one sheet or Three or more filters may be used, and the suction surface and the suction surface may be defined on the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical filter.
Moreover, it can replace with a plate-shaped filter and can also use the filter in which the cylindrical filter and the wavy uneven surface were formed.

  In the above embodiment, the control unit controls the operation of the first suction pump 15 and the dust collector 30, and the opening and closing of the first on-off valve V1, the second on-off valve V2, the third on-off valve V3, and the fourth on-off valve V4. Although the case where it is controlled has been described, it may be configured to be operated or opened / closed manually.

  According to the dust removing apparatus of the present invention, dust generated in the silicon manufacturing apparatus and deposited on the exhaust pipe or the like can be efficiently removed, so that it can be used industrially.

M Silicon pulling device (silicon manufacturing device)
V1 1st on-off valve V2 2nd on-off valve V3 3rd on-off valve V4 4th on-off valve 1 Dust removal apparatus 10 Dust separation apparatus 11 Dust separation apparatus main body 12 Filter 12A Adsorption surface (1st area | region)
12B Suction surface (second area)
13 Housing 15 Suction pump (suction device)
16 Separation air inlet 21 Exhaust connection piping (first flow path)
22 Suction piping (second flow path)
23 Separation air piping (third flow path)
24 Dust collection piping (4th flow path)
30 Dust collector

Claims (6)

A dust removing device that is connected to a silicon manufacturing device and removes dust generated in the silicon manufacturing device,
A filter that adsorbs the dust;
A suction device;
A housing that defines a first region where the dust is adsorbed to the filter and a second region to which a suction device for generating an adsorption force is connected to the first region;
A first flow path connecting the silicon manufacturing apparatus and the first region so as to be able to flow;
A second flow path connecting the second region and the suction device so as to be able to flow,
The first flow path and the second flow path are provided with a first on-off valve and a second on-off valve for opening and closing each flow path,
When operating the silicon manufacturing apparatus, while operating the suction device, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened,
After the operation of the silicon manufacturing apparatus is terminated and the silicon manufacturing apparatus is released to the atmosphere, the suction device is operated after the second on-off valve is opened and the first on-off valve is closed. After the pressure is reduced and the second on-off valve is closed, the first on-off valve is opened to move the dust in the first flow path to the first region. Dust removal device. The dust removing device according to claim 1,
A third flow path connecting the second region to the separation air inflow portion;
The third flow path is provided with a third on-off valve for opening and closing the third flow path,
When separating the dust adsorbed by the filter from the filter, the first on-off valve and the third on-off valve are closed, the second on-off valve is opened, the suction device is operated, and the inside of the housing is opened. The dust removing device, wherein after the pressure is reduced and the second on-off valve is closed, the third on-off valve is opened to allow separation air to flow in from the separation air inflow portion. The dust removing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
A fourth flow path connecting the first region and the dust collector so as to be able to circulate;
The fourth flow path is provided with a fourth on-off valve,
After separating the dust from the filter, the third on-off valve and the fourth on-off valve are opened and the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are closed while operating the dust collector. A dust removing device characterized by comprising: A dust removing method that is connected to a silicon manufacturing apparatus and separates dust generated in the silicon manufacturing apparatus,
A filter that adsorbs the dust is stored in a housing, and a first area where the dust is adsorbed and a second area where a suction device for generating an adsorbing force is connected to the first area are defined. Have been
When operating the silicon manufacturing apparatus, the second region side is sucked by the suction device, the gas from the silicon manufacturing apparatus is adsorbed to the first region of the filter,
After the operation of the silicon manufacturing apparatus is completed and the silicon manufacturing apparatus is released to the atmosphere, the silicon manufacturing apparatus and the first region are closed, and then the second region side is sucked by the suction device. The inside of the housing is in a reduced pressure state, and in a state where the reduced pressure state is maintained, the first region can be circulated between the first region and the silicon manufacturing device, so that dust existing between the silicon manufacturing device and the first region can be removed from the first region. A method for removing dust, characterized in that it is moved to. The dust removal method according to claim 4,
When separating the dust adsorbed by the filter from the filter, the separation air is caused to flow from the separation air inflow portion while the second region side is sucked by the suction device and the inside of the housing is maintained in a reduced pressure state. Then, the separation air is allowed to flow from the second region to the first region. The dust removal method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
A dust removing method, wherein dust separated from the filter is collected by a dust collector.

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