Silicon Carbide Container Sealing with Localized Brazing Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for closing silicon carbide-based containers require full heating to high temperatures, making them unsuitable for containers with objects that degrade at high temperatures, and are complex to implement.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of a silicon carbide plug with an armor, where the container orifice is sealed by heating the cap and plug to a high temperature, followed by solidification, forming a solid seal without heating the entire container, thus maintaining the temperature of the enclosed object below its degradation point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heating methods are used to join silicon carbide parts, then a robust and leaktight seal is achieved, but the entire container including the enclosed object must be heated to high temperatures causing degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized heating to only the region where the plug meets the container wall, rather than heating the entire container. This creates a temperature gradient where the sealing zone reaches high temperatures for soldering while the enclosed object remains at safe temperatures, thus achieving reliable sealing without thermal degradation of the enclosed object
Solution Approach 2:
The heating process is segmented into two distinct zones: a hot zone at the plug-container interface where soldering occurs, and a cold zone where the enclosed object is maintained at safe temperatures. This spatial segmentation allows differential temperature control to resolve the contradiction between seal integrity and object protection
2Reliability
If full container heating is applied to ensure proper soldering, then a robust seal is formed, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly heating the entire container, the patent applies heat locally only to the plug-container interface region. This localized approach simplifies the heating process by eliminating the need for complex full-container heating systems while still achieving reliable soldering at the critical sealing zone
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heating function from the entire container system and concentrates it only where needed at the plug-container interface. This extraction of the heating function to a specific location reduces overall process complexity while maintaining seal reliability
3Reliability
If high temperature soldering is used to create a leaktight seal, then the seal becomes oxidation-resistant and temperature-resistant, but the enclosed object deteriorates at these temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates different thermal conditions in different spatial zones: the plug-container interface is heated to high temperatures for oxidation-resistant soldering, while the enclosed object zone is maintained at low temperatures to preserve physical integrity. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between seal resistance and object stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a susceptor as an intermediary element that absorbs electromagnetic energy and converts it to localized heat at the plug-container interface. This intermediary enables high-temperature soldering without requiring high temperatures throughout the entire container, thus protecting the enclosed object while achieving reliable sealing
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 process achieves a robust, waterproof, and oxidation-resistant seal that maintains the physical integrity of the enclosed object, with the closure being resistant to temperatures up to 1200°C to 1300°C, and is simpler and quicker to implement than existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
melting the solder by heating to a temperature above the melting temperature of the solder
Implementation Method 2
followed by solidification of the solder so as to form a solid joint between the container and the plug
Implementation Method 3
heating the cap and the solder carried by the cap to a temperature above the melting temperature of the solder
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for closing an opening in a container, the method comprising the following successive steps: a) providing a silicon carbide-based container comprising a cavity open by an opening, a silicon carbide-based stopper and a brazing material carried by the stopper and/or the container, a solid object being housed in the cavity, b) closing the opening by brazing the stopper onto the container, the brazing comprising melting the brazing material by heating to a temperature above the melting temperature of the brazing material, followed by solidification of the brazing material so as to form a solid joint between the container and the stopper, at least a part of the cavity, referred to as the cold part, in which the solid object is housed, being maintained at a temperature below the degradation temperature of the solid object during brazing.