Ceramic Honeycomb Structure With Reinforced Outer Cell Intersections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ceramic honeycomb structures for large diesel engines and special vehicles with thin walls (0.15 mm or less and 190 mm or more in diameter and length) lack sufficient mechanical strength, particularly in the outer peripheral portions, leading to potential cracking and insufficient resistance to mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic honeycomb structure design with fan-shaped bulges at cell wall intersections and a specific distribution of circumscribed circles, along with a corresponding honeycomb-molding die, ensures consistent material distribution and enhanced mechanical strength by reinforcing the outer peripheral portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thin walls (0.15 mm or less) are used in large ceramic honeycomb structures (190 mm or more in diameter and length), then pressure loss is reduced and flow paths are optimized, but mechanical strength is insufficient particularly in outer peripheral portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating fan-shaped bulges at cell wall intersections in the outer peripheral portion only, while maintaining uniform cell wall thickness elsewhere. This localized thickening provides enhanced mechanical strength precisely where it is needed (outer periphery) without increasing overall wall thickness that would raise pressure loss. The bulges are positioned at intersections to leverage geometric reinforcement while keeping the rest of the thin-walled structure intact for optimal flow characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimensional feature (fan-shaped bulges extending radially inward from the outer periphery) to address the strength deficiency. Instead of uniformly thickening walls in the radial direction, the invention adds protruding structures at intersections that extend into the flow path dimension, creating a three-dimensional reinforcement pattern that strengthens the outer periphery without blocking flow paths.
2Strength
If cell wall intersections are reinforced to prevent cracking, then mechanical strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating the fan-shaped bulges into the moldable ceramic material during the extrusion molding process itself, rather than adding reinforcement later. The molding die is designed with specific geometric features that automatically form the bulges at cell wall intersections as the material is extruded, so the reinforcement structure is created in advance during manufacturing rather than requiring post-processing or complex assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by controlling the extrusion rate and material flow characteristics during the molding process to achieve the desired fan-shaped bulge geometry. By adjusting extrusion parameters and die design, the material naturally forms the reinforced intersection structures with precise geometry, transforming a complex shaping problem into a controllable parameter optimization problem during extrusion.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceramic honeycomb structure comprising large numbers of flow paths longitudinally formed by cell walls arranged in a lattice pattern in cross section, and an outer peripheral wall formed around the flow paths; in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, fan-shaped bulges projecting in a fan shape toward the flow paths from cell wall intersections at which the cell walls are crossing; the circumscribed circles of circular portions of the fan-shaped bulges at all cell wall intersections having a constant radius; and when the distance between the center point of the circumscribed circle and the center point of the cell wall intersection is defined as a center point distance S, a center point distance So in the outer peripheral portion of the ceramic honeycomb structure and a center point distance Sc in the center portion meeting Sc<So.