Dimpled Ceramic-Coated Heat Shield for Flex Without Cracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat shields with ceramic coatings are prone to cracking and detachment when bent or flexed due to the brittleness of ceramic materials, compromising their integrity and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A heat shield design featuring a metal sheet with an array of dimples and/or pimples, which distributes tensile and compressive stress, allowing a continuous ceramic layer to withstand significant deformation without damage, and includes a thermal sprayed ceramic material for improved thermal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ceramic coating is applied to a flat sheet of backing material, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but the coating cracks and detaches when the backing material is bent or flexed
Solution Approach 1:
The backing material is segmented into an array of dimples and/or pimples, creating a non-planar surface that allows the ceramic coating to maintain continuity while accommodating bending and flexing without cracking or detachment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a flat two-dimensional backing material to a three-dimensional surface with dimples and/or pimples, adding vertical dimensionality that enables the coating to flex without compromising integrity
2Adaptability or versatility
If the metal sheet is bent or significantly flexed, then adaptability is improved, but the ceramic coating cracks and becomes damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The backing material surface is divided into multiple dimples and/or pimples, allowing deformation to be distributed across many small features rather than concentrating stress in a single bending zone, thereby preventing coating failure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface geometry parameters of the backing material by introducing dimples and/or pimples with specific depth and spacing characteristics, enabling the coating to withstand bending while maintaining durability
3Reliability
If a continuous ceramic layer is applied, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but the coating becomes brittle and prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a three-dimensional surface with dimples and/or pimples, the invention allows the continuous ceramic layer to maintain its insulating properties while the added vertical dimension provides flexibility to accommodate deformation without brittleness-related failure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a flexible and durable heat shield that can be formed and bent without damaging the ceramic layer, maintaining thermal insulation and reducing conductive heat transfer, while allowing for air pockets to enhance thermal performance.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal sprayed layer of ceramic material thereon... maintaining thermal insulation and reducing conductive heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
a thermal sprayed layer of ceramic material thereon
Data Source
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AI summary
A heat shield (10) comprises a metal sheet (12) with a thermal sprayed layer of ceramic material (14) thereon, the sheet (12) defining an array of dimples (16) and/or pimples (18) such that any notional plane intersecting the coated surface of the metal sheet (12) creates a notional line of intersection which intersects at least some dimples (16) and/or pimples (18).