Multi-material integrated knit thermal protection for industrial applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic fibers are prone to breakage during knitting due to their brittle nature, leading to labor-intensive hand sewing techniques and limitations in forming complex geometries, resulting in products with poor performance and high maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A multi-component stranded yarn is developed, comprising a continuous ceramic strand wrapped around a load-relieving process aid strand, which is concurrently knit with a metal alloy wire, allowing for the creation of lightweight, high-temperature capable components with improved mechanical and thermal properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ceramic fiber sewing thread is twisted in the conventional manner, then the fabric has high tensile strength and high modulus of elasticity, but the ceramic fiber thread is prone to breakage under small radius stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ceramic fibers with a flexible carrier material to form a composite yarn structure. The ceramic fibers provide high tensile strength and heat resistance, while the flexible carrier material prevents breakage during knitting by accommodating small radius stresses. This composite approach allows the fabric to maintain high strength properties while eliminating the brittleness problem of pure ceramic fiber threads.
2Ease of manufacture
If hand sewing techniques are employed to fabricate articles from ceramic fiber fabrics, then the fabric can be assembled, but the process is tedious and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flexible carrier material from the final product structure, using it only as a temporary aid during the knitting process. The carrier material enables machine knitting to proceed without ceramic fiber breakage, but is subsequently removed to leave the desired ceramic fiber fabric. This extraction approach allows automated manufacturing while maintaining the integrity of the brittle ceramic fibers throughout the process.
3Productivity
If conventional knitting techniques are used with ceramic fibers, then production can proceed, but complex geometries cannot be formed due to fiber breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible carrier material acts as an intermediary that protects the ceramic fibers during the knitting process. It allows the knitting machine needles to manipulate the yarn through small radius bends and complex geometries without causing ceramic fiber breakage. The carrier material absorbs the mechanical stress, enabling the formation of complex three-dimensional shapes that would be impossible with conventional ceramic fiber handling.
4Ease of manufacture
If ceramic fiber fabrics are produced using current techniques, then the fabric can be manufactured, but the products suffer from part-to-part variance and qualification test failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary protection to the ceramic fibers by embedding them in a flexible carrier material before the knitting process begins. This preliminary action prevents fiber breakage during handling and knitting, ensuring that the same number and arrangement of ceramic fibers are incorporated into each fabric piece. This consistency eliminates part-to-part variance and reduces qualification test failures by ensuring uniform product quality across all manufactured items.
Data Source
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AI summary
Knit fabrics (500) having ceramic strands (110), thermal protective members formed therefrom and to their methods of construction are disclosed. Methods for fabricating fabrics for thermal protection using multiple materials which may be concurrently knit are also disclosed. This unique capability to knit high temperature ceramic fibers (110) concurrently with a load-relieving process aid strand (120), such as an inorganic or organic material (e.g. metal alloy or polymer), both small diameter wires within the knit as well as large diameter wires which provide structural support and allow for the creation of near net-shape performs at production level speed. Additionally, ceramic insulation can also be integrated concurrently to provide increased thermal protection.