Rotary Engine Housing Assembly With Wear-Resistant Layer Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotary engine housings, particularly those of Wankel engines, face challenges due to high pressure and thermal loads, requiring improved wear-resistance and sealing surfaces that are not adequately addressed by existing materials like aluminum.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a multi-layered construction using a base material (e.g., aluminum) with a bonding layer and an external wear-resistant material (e.g., steel, silicon carbide) applied via additive manufacturing, along with a hard coating to enhance wear-resistance and thermal stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If aluminum or aluminum alloys are used for housing bodies, then weight is reduced and thermal conductivity is improved, but wear-resistance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining aluminum or aluminum alloy base materials with wear-resistant coatings or surface treatments. The housing body maintains aluminum's lightweight and thermally conductive properties while the applied coatings (such as ceramic coatings, thermal spray coatings, or surface-hardened layers) provide the necessary wear-resistance for combustion chamber faces and running surfaces.
2Reliability
If harder materials are used to improve wear-resistance, then durability is improved, but thermal conductivity and weight advantages are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing wear-resistant treatments or coatings only at specific locations where wear occurs, such as combustion chamber faces and running surfaces for side seals. The bulk of the housing remains made of lightweight aluminum alloy, maintaining overall weight advantages while providing localized durability enhancement where needed.
3Reliability
If multi-layered construction with bonding layers is used, then wear-resistance and thermal stability are enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses bonding layers as intermediary elements between the aluminum base material and wear-resistant coatings. These bonding layers facilitate the attachment of dissimilar materials with different thermal and mechanical properties, enabling the multi-layered construction to achieve thermal stability and wear-resistance while managing the manufacturing complexity through specialized joining techniques.
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 multi-layered construction provides enhanced wear-resistance and thermal stability, improving the durability and sealing performance of rotary engine housings under high-pressure and thermal conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the depositing of the bonding layer includes depositing the bonding layer with ultrasonic additive manufacturing
Implementation Method 2
the performing of the treatment includes one or more of: performing a heat treatment to the body
Implementation Method 3
the performing of the surface treatment includes performing one or more of laser hardening, shot peening, and thermal spraying
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a component of a housing defining a rotor cavity, the method includes: obtaining a body of the component of the housing, the body having a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, the second face facing away from the rotor cavity, the body made of a first material; performing a treatment to the body to increase a wear-resistance of the first material; depositing a bonding layer on the second face of the body, the bonding layer including a second material being dissimilar from the first material, the first material being more wear-resistant than the second material, the second material defining an exposed face of the bonding layer facing away from the body; and completing a shape of the body by bonding a quantity of a third material to the exposed face of the bonding layer.