Ceramic port liners

Abstract: In a port liner having a depressed portion at an outer peripheral surface, a reinforcement is filled into the depression which meets either one or both of requirements that differences in coefficient of thermal expansion at 800°C and Young's modulus between the reinforcement and the material of the liner body are in a range of ±0.1% and in a range of ±1,000 kgf/mm², respectively. Alternatively, a stress-releasing slit may be formed in a wall of the port liner body.

Description: The present invention relates to ceramic port liners used to line inner surfaces of exhaust ports in gasoline engines, diesel engines or the like. Environmental pollution with exhaust gases from automobiles has become a serious social problem, and poisonous substances contained therein have mainly been removed by catalysts. From the standpoint of resources and costs, use amounts of noble metals such as Pt or Rh used as these catalysts have been demanded to be reduced. In addition, recently increasing 4 valve type engines have a problem in that purifying performance of catalysts is deteriorated due to reduction in temperatures of exhaust gases. As one of techniques for solving these problems, it has conventionally been proposed that temperatures of exhaust gases are raised by thermally insulating action of ceramic port liners which are lined to inner surfaces of engine exhaust ports. In general, in order to fit ceramic port liners to engine exhaust ports, the ceramic port liners are insert-cast with a metal such as aluminum simultaneously when engine cylinder heads are to be produced. However, great compression stress acts due to shrinkage through solidification of the molten metal. Thus, there is a problem in that when stress locally concentrate upon even a high strength ceramic material, the ceramic portion is broken. On the other hand, Japanese patent publication No. 46 26,330 proposes ceramic materials used for hollow tubular members to be insert-cast with a metal. Japanese patent publication No. 46-26,330 relates to an invention in which a ceramic member made of high strength alumina-based or silicon carbide based ceramic material is made porous at its surface portion to withstand shrinkage of a metal during cooling. However, such a composite material is in a yielded state in which fine cracks are latently present. Consequently, if such a composite material is used at a portion undergoing vigorous vibration in such as an engine, it is feared that the cracks proceed to conspicuously deteriorate durability. In addition to the above-mentioned prior art method, many attempts have been made to mitigate compression stress due to a molten metal during shrinkage in solidifying by coating the outer periphery of a ceramic member with a layer of asbesto, ceramic fibers made of alumina or the like to be interposed as a buffer member between the metal and the ceramic member by utilizing an elastic force possessed by the layer (for instance, Japanese patent application Laid-open Nos. 52-121,114 and 59-175,693). However, since the outer periphery of the ceramic member is coated with the ceramic fibers, a final product is more costly due to an increased number of steps. Furthermore, this method has a serious problem in that if elasticity of the ceramic fiber layer is lost due to high temperatures and vibrations during engine operation, the port liner is peeled off from the metal member. Further, Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 60-169,655 proposes hollow tubular ceramic members in which at least one high pressure-proof reinforcement is provided around the outer peripheral surface thereof. Since such ceramic members use tialite (aluminum titanate) and zirconia as ceramic bodies and the reinforcement, respectively, differences in thermal expansion and Young's modulus between them are so great that the ceramic members cannot withstand thermal shock and stress and are broken when being insert-cast with aluminum. Moreover, many attempts have also been proposed to prevent such breakage by making port liners themselves of a high strength material. However, since an extremely great stress is concentrated upon a depressed portion such as a central portion of a two barrel type port liner used in a four valve type engine, in which the outer surface is depressed inside, cracking cannot completely be prevented there. The present invention aims at least partly to solve the above-mentioned problems encountered by the prior art techniques, and to provide ceramic port liners which are free from cracking due to compression stress developed during insert-casting , do not peel off during use, and can easily be insert-cast. Further, the present inventors have found through repeated researches to solve the above-mentioned problems that breakage of the ceramic member due to compression stress during insert-casting is more conspicuous when the port liner is peeled from the insert-casting metal and that the stress concentration is mitigated by preventing the peeling to remarkably reduce occurrence of cracks. The port liner according to the present invention is set out in claim 1. Features, and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated upon reading of the following description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, with the understanding that modifications, variations, and changes of the same may be made by the skilled person in the art to which the invention pertains. For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the attached drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a port liner for use in a four valve type engine; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the port liner insert-cast into an engine head; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a ceramic port liner according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a ceramic port liner according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a ceramic port liner according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 8 is a still further ceramic port liner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the conventional port liner 1 for a four valve type engine comprises two ports 2,2, and a single exhaust opening 3, and a depressed portion 4 is formed at an intermediate portion between the ports 2,2. Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to specific examples as follows: In Fig. 3, a port liner body 1 for a four valve type engine comprises two ports 2, 2 and a single exhaust opening 3. The port liner body 1' in this embodiment is made of a ceramic material which is mainly consisting of aluminum titanate and has low Young's modulus. More specifically, the ceramic material contains not less than 65% of aluminum titanate as a crystalline phase, the average particle diameter of crystals thereof is not less than 10 µm, and Young's modulus, compression strength, and porosity are from 500 to 20000 MPa (50 to 2,000 kgf/mm²), from 50 to 400 MPa (5 to 40 kgf/mm²), and from 5 to 35%, respectively. A depressed portion 4 is formed at the outer peripheral portion of the port liner body 1' between two ports 2, 2. In this embodiment, a stress-releasing slit 7 is formed in a wall of the port liner body 1' facing the depressed portion 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the slit 7 of this embodiment is formed from an upper end face of the exhaust opening 3 to the lower portion of the depressed portion along a gas-flowing direction on a center line of the port liner body 1'. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show other embodiments of the port liners according to the present invention. As shown in the embodiment of Fig. 4, a slit 7 may be formed from a lower end face of an exhaust opening to a upper portion of a depressed portion 4. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5, slits 7 may be formed extending only central portions of upper and lower walls of the port liner body facing a depressed portion 4. Moreover, as shown in the fifth embodiment of Fig. 6, slits 7 may be formed in right and left side walls of a port liner body 1'. The width of the slits may be in a range from about 0.5 to 3 mm. It is preferable that ceramic fibers or the like having low Young's modulus are buried inside the slits 7. The ceramic fibers are buried to prevent a molten metal from entering the port liner. Thus, no limitation is posed upon the material, shape, burying way, etc. of the ceramic fibers. As is the same with conventional port liners of this type, the thus constituted port liners are insert-cast with a metal such as aluminum in the production of cylinder heads, and are used to improve heat insulation of inner faces of exhaust ports in the state. However, since a stress-releasing slit 7 is formed in the outer peripheral surface wall of the ceramic port liner according to the present invention, even when a great compression stress is exerted upon the port liner body 1' due to shrinkage of a molten metal through solidification during insert-casting, the port liner body 1' itself is deflected due to this slit to prevent stress concentration. Thus, the port liner can be prevented from cracking due to stress concentration. In particular, when a material which is mainly composed of aluminum titanate and has low Young's modulus is used as the port liners as in the case of the above embodiments, no cracks were observed even when the port liner was insert-cast with aluminum in a thickness of 5 cm. In addition, different from conventional ceramic port liners around which ceramic fibers are outwardly wound, the ceramic port liners according to the present invention are free from peeling-off during use, and facilitate insert-casting. As is clear from the foregoing explanation, the port liners according to the present invention can of course exhibit inherent heat insulating effect, completely prevent breakage due to compression stress during insert-casting, are free from peeling-off during use, and facilitate insert-casting. Thus, since the present invention provides ceramic port liners which solve the problems possessed by the prior art techniques, the invention has a practically great value.

Claims: A ceramic port liner (1) having a port liner body (1') made of a ceramic material for insert casting and having an exhaust passage (3) defined by an upper wall, a lower wall, and first and second side walls and at least two ports (2) spaced apart from each other and defining between them a depressed portion (4), characterised by a slit (7) for accommodating stress applied to said port liner body during insert casting, said slit extending completely through and along at least part of at least one of said upper wall, said lower wall and said first and second side walls of said port liner body. A ceramic port liner according to claim 1, further comprising ceramic fibres disposed within said slit or slits (7). A ceramic port liner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said slit (7) extends into said depressed portion (4). A ceramic port liner according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said ceramic material is an aluminum titanate-based ceramic material. A ceramic port liner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said ceramic material has a Young's modulus in the range of 500 to 2000 MPa (50 to 2000 kgf/mm²). A ceramic port liner (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said slit (7) extends from an end face of the exhaust passage (3) of the port liner body (1') along a direction in which a gas flows through the exhaust passage (3).

Inventors: HAMANAKA TOSHIYUKI, HARADA TAKASHI, HATTORI FUMIO, HAMANAKA, TOSHIYUKI, HARADA, TAKASHI, HATTORI, FUMIO
Applicants: NGK INSULATORS LTD, NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F02F1
IPC codes: F02F7, F01N7, F02F1, F02B1, F02B3, C04B35, F02B77