Silicon Carbide Flow Reactor Modules With Smooth Tortuous Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of silicon carbide (SiC) fluidic modules with tortuous internal passages faces challenges such as the formation of porous interfaces, mechanical failure due to trapped liquids, and rough internal channel surfaces, which affect cleaning and performance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a positive mold within silicon carbide powder, followed by pressing and sintering, to create a monolithic structure with low porosity and smooth internal surfaces, achieving surface roughness of 0.1 to 80 μm Ra and low open porosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sandwich assembly approach is used to join fired slabs, then internal channels can be formed, but porous interfaces form at the joining layer causing trapped liquids and mechanical failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the intermediate joining layer from the sandwich assembly process, extracting the source of porous interfaces. By directly bonding fired slabs without an intermediate layer, the method eliminates the trapping of liquids in pores and prevents mechanical failure at joining interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the bonding process with the firing process itself, using direct bonding of fired slabs without separate joining layers. This consolidation eliminates the interface between layers and creates a monolithic structure with smooth internal channels.
2Ease of manufacture
If sandwich assembly approach is used to join fired slabs, then internal channels can be formed, but internal channel surfaces have undesirable roughness due to coarse ceramic grains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the intermediate joining layer that causes rough surfaces. By eliminating this layer and using direct bonding of fired slabs, the internal channel surfaces achieve smoothness comparable to the original fired surfaces without the roughness introduced by coarse grains in joining layers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple layers of green-state SiC sheets are used to build up fluidic module, then complex shapes can be formed, but small step-like structures form in curved profiles affecting cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible mold that copies the desired smooth curved profile of the internal channel. The mold transfers its smooth surface geometry to the green body, ensuring that after firing and mold removal, the internal channels have smooth curved profiles without step-like structures, enabling effective cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the SiC material from multiple layered green sheets to a monolithic green body formed by compacting powder in a flexible mold. This parameter change allows the formation of smooth continuous curved surfaces instead of stepped profiles, improving cleaning performance while maintaining complex shape capability.
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 method enables the production of SiC fluidic modules with improved cleanability, reduced pressure drop, and enhanced mixing and heat exchange performance.
Implementation Method 1
pressing the volume of silicon carbide powder with the mold inside to form a pressed body
Implementation Method 2
heating the pressed body to remove the mold
Implementation Method 3
sintering the pressed body to form a monolithic silicon carbide structure or fluidic module
Data Source
AI summary
A module and a process for forming a monolithic substantially closed-porosity silicon carbide fluidic module having a tortuous fluid passage extending through the module, the tortuous fluid passage having an interior surface, the interior surface having a surface roughness in the range of from 0.1 to 10 μm Ra. The process includes positioning a positive fluid passage mold within a volume of silicon carbide powder, the powder coated with a binder; pressing the volume of silicon carbide powder with the mold inside to form a pressed body; heating the pressed body to remove the mold; and sintering the pressed body.