Testing of developmental ceramic materials in diesel engine combustion chambers
The development of the ''adiabatic'' (i.e., low-heat-rejection) diesel is unique in that it affords opportunities to improve the fuel efficiency of transportation power plants and to utilize lower-quality fuels as well. Achievement of the adiabatic diesel involves the use of high-temperature-resistant, thermally insulating materials in the construction of the combustion chamber. These materials, in the form of coatings or monolithic components, may have to operate at nominal surface temperatures of 1000/sup 0/C. Promising new materials, several under development at ORNL, have not yet been subjected to dynamic engine conditions to aid in determining their feasibility for combustion chamber applications. A testing project at ORNL is seeking to fill in the information gap between materials development in the laboratory and full-fledged component development. An initial set of simply configured ceramic samples were tested in a single-cylinder 0.825-liter diesel engine. The composite ceramic samples were all made from the same material, composed of an alumina (Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/) matrix with silicon carbide (SiC) whiskers. A sample of partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) was also tested to provide a monolithic material baseline. The samples were mechanically held inside the prechamber of this indirect-injection diesel in a position and configuration resembling the normal glow-plug. They were subjected to individual repetition periods of the same basic hour-long test cycle involving three load changes. Although direct measurement of internal material temperatures was not performed, thermocouple probes indicated peak ceramic bulk temperatures of approx.650/sup 0/C were approached. One of the samples failed catastrophically for uncertain reasons. Microscopic examination of the tested samples generally revealed no significant changes in the composite material's matrix/whisker microstructure.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6184055
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-870210-1; ON: DE87004259
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
330102* -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Diesel
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204 -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
ADIABATIC PROCESSES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CERAMICS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DATA
DIESEL ENGINES
ENGINES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HEAT ENGINES
INFORMATION
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MATERIALS TESTING
MICROSTRUCTURE
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TESTING