THERMALLY ENHANCED EXHAUST PORT LINER

Abstract

An exhaust port liner, which may include a superalloy and may be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, includes a monolithic structure including an outlet disposed an angle relative to an inlet, and a sidewall defining a cavity to provide enhanced thermal performance in reciprocating internal combustion engines. A cylinder head of an internal combustion engine may include a cylinder head frame, and the exhaust port liner may be disposed proximate the frame inner mounting surface, with an outer surface of the exhaust port liner conforming to an inner mounting surface of the cylinder head frame.

Claims

1. An exhaust port liner for a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the exhaust port liner comprising: a monolithic structure comprising: an inlet; an outlet disposed at an angle relative to the inlet; and a sidewall comprising a metal disposed between the inlet and the outlet defining an exhaust gas flow passage through the monolithic structure, the sidewall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall defining a cavity therebetween.

2. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the metal comprises a superalloy.

3. (canceled)

4. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the cavity comprises at least one of air, an inert gas, or a partial vacuum.

5. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the cavity is sealed.

6. (canceled)

7. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the metal comprises a laser-sintered material.

8. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the sidewall defines at least one aperture extending therethrough.

9-10. (canceled)

11. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the monolithic structure comprises at least one filled opening forming a boundary of the cavity.

12. (canceled)

13. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, wherein the angle is in a range of 30 to 135.

14. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, further comprising one or more pillars disposed in the cavity and spanning from the inner wall to the outer wall.

15. (canceled)

16. The exhaust port liner of claim 1, further comprising: a second inlet adjacent to the inlet, wherein the inlet and the second inlet are in flow communication with the outlet

17. (canceled)

18. A method for fabricating an exhaust port liner, the method comprising the steps of: receiving by an additive manufacturing system control instructions for fabricating the exhaust port liner comprising: a monolithic structure comprising: an inlet; an outlet disposed at an angle relative to the inlet; and a sidewall comprising a metal disposed between the inlet and the outlet defining an exhaust gas flow passage through the monolithic structure, the sidewall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall defining a cavity therebetween; and executing the control instructions by the additive manufacturing system to fabricate the exhaust port liner.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the additive manufacturing system employs at least in part a process selected from the group consisting of vat polymerization, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, and direct energy deposition.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the metal comprises a superalloy.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the superalloy is selected from the group consisting of nickel-based superalloys and cobalt-based superalloys.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising sealing the cavity.

23-25. (canceled)

26. A cylinder head of an internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder head frame defining an inner mounting surface; and an exhaust port liner disposed proximate the frame inner mounting surface, the exhaust port liner comprising: a monolithic structure comprising: an inlet; an outlet disposed at an angle relative to the inlet; and a sidewall comprising a metal disposed between the inlet and the outlet defining an exhaust gas flow passage through the monolithic structure, the sidewall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall defining a sealed cavity therebetween, wherein an outer surface of the exhaust port liner conforms to the inner mounting surface.

27. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the metal comprises a superalloy.

28. (canceled)

29. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the sealed cavity comprises at least one of air, an inert gas, or a partial vacuum.

30. (canceled)

31. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the metal comprises a laser-sintered material.

32. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the sidewall defines at least one aperture extending therethrough.

33.-35. (canceled)

36. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the monolithic structure comprises at least one filled opening forming a boundary of the cavity.

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. The cylinder head of claim 26, further comprising one or more pillars disposed in the sealed cavity and spanning from the inner wall to the outer wall.

40. (canceled)

41. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the cylinder head frame comprises a second metal.

42. (canceled)

43. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the exhaust port liner is fabricated by additive manufacturing and the cylinder head frame is fabricated by casting a second metal around the exhaust port liner.

44. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the exhaust port liner and the cylinder head frame are each fabricated by additive manufacturing.

45. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the cylinder head frame defines a plurality of inner mounting surfaces.

46-47. (canceled)

48. The cylinder head of claim 26, wherein the cylinder head frame further comprises external cooling fins adapted for air cooling the cylinder head.

49. The cylinder head of claim 26, further comprising an absence of internal water coolant passages.

50. A method for fabricating a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of: fabricating an exhaust port liner by: receiving by an additive manufacturing system control instructions for fabricating the exhaust port liner comprising: a monolithic structure comprising: an inlet; an outlet disposed at an angle relative to the inlet; and a sidewall comprising a metal disposed between the inlet and the outlet defining an exhaust gas flow passage through the monolithic structure, the sidewall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall defining a cavity therebetween; and executing the control instructions by the additive manufacturing system to fabricate the exhaust port liner; and fabricating a cylinder head frame around the exhaust port liner to fabricate the cylinder head.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the additive manufacturing system employs at least in part a process selected from the group consisting of vat polymerization, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, and direct energy deposition.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the metal comprises a superalloy.

53. (canceled)

54. The method of claim 50, wherein fabricating the cylinder head frame comprises casting molten metal.

55. (canceled)

56. The method of claim 50, wherein fabricating the cylinder head frame comprises a second additive manufacturing system receiving and executing control instructions to fabricate the cylinder head frame.

57-58. (canceled)

59. The method of claim 50, further comprising sealing the cavity prior to fabricating the cylinder head frame.

60-62. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0045] The foregoing features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a perspective external side view of an exhaust port liner in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a perspective outlet end view of the exhaust port liner of FIG. 1, illustrating an internal portion of the exhaust port liner;

[0048] FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic views illustrating the inlet and outlet, respectively, of the exhaust port liner of FIG. 1;

[0049] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating an angle between the inlet and outlet of the exhaust port liner of FIG. 1;

[0050] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the exhaust port liner of FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 7 is a schematic view including a partial enlarged view of filled openings formed in the exhaust port liner of FIG. 1;

[0052] FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the exhaust port liner of FIG. 1, illustrating pillars disposed within the sidewall cavity;

[0053] FIGS. 9a-9c are schematic cross-sectional, perspective top, and perspective bottom, respectively, views of an exhaust port liner adapted for use with two exhaust valves, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0054] FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective partial sectional views of exhaust port liners disposed in a cylinder head frame, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0055] FIG. 12 is a photograph of a thermocouple fitted to a high performance, air cooled, gasoline engine, including a cylinder head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0056] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a thermocouple disposed adjacent to an exhaust port liner, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] As used herein, cylinder head frame denotes a cylinder head component conventionally called a cylinder head casting; in this disclosure, this component may be formed by casting or by additive manufacturing.

[0058] An important feature of the described port liner is an integral inner sidewall cavity, which may be sealed and contain either a low-conductivity gas (e.g., air) or be at a partial vacuum. This cavity provides the thermal insulation between the exhaust gases and the parent material of the cylinder head.

[0059] The superalloy liner described herein may be smoother than ceramic liners along exhaust gas flowpath surfaces, providing better exhaust gas flow. The superalloy liners can be manufactured by 3D printing, for example using a selective laser sintering (SLS) process. The liners can be printed with holes at either end, such that excess loose alloy powder can be removed from the sidewall cavity. Once the powder is out of the cavity, the holes can be sealed, for example using an electron beam (EB) welding technique under partial vacuum.

[0060] The fabrication of the cylinder head frame around the superalloy liners by (for example) casting-in-place or additive manufacturing enables the outer surfaces of the superalloy liners to be in direct contact with the cylinder head aluminum. Another advantage of the 3D printed liners over ceramic liners is that structural features of different configurations may be readily incorporated into the external superalloy wall, for example to improve precise location and retention of the liners within the cylinder head during the fabrication of the cylinder head frame.

[0061] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an exhaust port liner 100 for a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine includes a monolithic structure that may be generally tubular with a cylindrical cross-section. The liner has an inlet 110 and an outlet 120, with the outlet being disposed at an angle relative to the inlet. The angle may be selected according to various requirements of good gas flow and general engine packaging. For example, in some embodiments, the angle may be selected from a range of 30 to 135, e.g., 45 to 90, for example 75. The inlet 110 and outlet 120 are also illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively, and the angle between the inlet and outlet is illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0062] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the monolithic structure also includes a sidewall 130 disposed between the inlet and outlet, defining an exhaust flow passage through the monolithic structure. In some embodiments, the sidewall is formed of or consists essentially of a metal, such as a superalloy. Suitable superalloys include nickel-based superalloys (e.g., Inconel) and cobalt-based superalloys. Superalloys have a number of advantages in comparison to ceramics used for making exhaust port liners. For example, superalloys are tougher, more durable materials than ceramics and hence avoid the brittleness of ceramics that are prone to failure in service. Superalloys have a thermal expansion coefficient better matched to aluminum materials used for the engine main cylinder head frame during casting processes than standard ceramic port liners. Accordingly, there is less thermally induced stress at the aluminum/superalloy interface than there is with an aluminum/ceramic interface. In some embodiments, the density of the superalloy may be 3 g/cm.sup.3 to 13 g/cm.sup.3, e.g., 8.2 g/cm.sup.3. The surface finish may have a roughness average Ra of 1 m to 7 m, e.g., 4 m.

[0063] Moreover, superalloys are not subject to degradation or chemical attack by the exhaust gases. For example, superalloys are used for certain high performance exhaust system components, such as some Formula One (F1) car exhaust manifolds.

[0064] Superalloys have not been previously used for port liners due to the difficulty of manufacturing a suitable part, with inclusion of an internal cavity, in such materials. However, such complex structural features may be fabricated from superalloys using additive manufacturing technology. For example, the metal may be a laser-sintered material.

[0065] Referring also to FIG. 6, the sidewall 130 includes an inner wall 600 and an outer wall 610, with a cavity defined between the inner and outer walls. The cavity may include a low thermal conductivity gas, such as air and/or an inert gas, e.g., argon. In some embodiments, the cavity may be sealed. Additionally, the sealed cavity may form a partial vacuum, i.e., less than 14.7 psi (for example 2-14.6 psi), e.g., 5 psi. This cavity provides thermal insulation between the hot exhaust gases and the parent cylinder head material in which the exhaust port liner is disposed. The formation of such a monolithic structure including a cavity is also facilitated by additive manufacturing processes.

[0066] A thickness two, thio of each of the inner wall 600 and outer wall 610 is selected such that adequate strength is achieved to resist undue deflections in the presence of high exhaust gas pressure loads. Accordingly, for a superalloy material, a preferred thickness of each of the inner and outer walls is selected from a range of 0.5 mm to 4 mm, e.g., 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm. A preferred distance between the inner surfaces of the inner and outer walls, i.e., a cavity 620 height h.sub.620, is, e.g., 1 mm to 10 mm, such as 1 mm to 5 mm. For example, in an embodiment, a cavity height may be 1.5 mm and a thickness of each of the inner and outer walls may be 1 mm. The cavity height is selected such that an acceptable trade-off is achieved between the conflicting requirements of packaging, insulation, and manufacturing.

[0067] The sidewall may include at least one aperture 630 extending therethrough. The aperture may be sized and oriented to receive a valve guide and is aligned with an exhaust valve seat. For example, the aperture may have a diameter D.sub.630 selected from a range of 7 to 15 mm, e.g., 8 mm.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 7, the monolithic structure may also include at least one filled opening 700 that forms a boundary of the cavity 620, e.g., filled with the same metal as used to form the inner and outer walls. This opening may be formed during the additive manufacturing of the monolithic structure and may be used to remove unprocessed building material from the cavity, e.g., unbound powder used during additive manufacturing of the monolithic structure. The opening may be disposed in the inner or outer wall, or an end portion of the monolithic structure, such that the opening is disposed at a boundary of the cavity. The opening may be filled after the unprocessed building material is removed, e.g., filled by electron beam welding in the case of a liner cavity held at a partial vacuum. Multiple openings of various shapes and sizes may be provided and later filled.

[0069] In some embodiments, the opening 700 may be left open. During a subsequent casting or additive manufacturing process, the unfilled opening is disposed flush with a mold wall such that the casting or additive manufacturing material does not enter the cavity. This procedure allows the cavity to be open in the final product. Air is a reasonably good insulator, so leaving the cavity open to external air still has insulation benefits, and also is cheaper to make, as one does not need to fill the opening. An opening also helps mitigate any stresses which may occur due to vacuum in the cavity.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 8, one or more pillars 800 or bridging structures may be disposed in the cavity, spanning from the inner wall to the outer wall. The pillars are sized and arranged to stabilize the monolithic structure, i.e., to maintain a uniform distance between the inner and outer walls during engine operation and resultant exhaust gas pressure loading. For example, each of the pillars may have a diameter D.sub.800 selected from a range of 0.5 mm to 4 mm, e.g., 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, and a height h.sub.800 of 1 mm to 5 mm (i.e., the same height as the height h.sub.620 of the cavity 620).

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 9a-9c, in some embodiments, a single exhaust port liner 900 may cover more than one exhaust valve, i.e., a single liner may cover both exhaust valves of a single cylinder. Accordingly, the exhaust port liner may have a first and a second inlet 910, 920, such that the initial flow paths from the inlets are either symmetrically, or asymmetrically, disposed. The sidewall may define a first aperture 930 extending therethrough and aligned with the first exhaust valve seat, the first aperture being sized and oriented to receive a valve guide, and the sidewall may also define a second aperture 940 extending therethrough and aligned with the second exhaust valve seat, the second aperture being sized and oriented to receive a second valve guide.

[0072] Any of the exhaust port liners discussed above may be fabricated by additive manufacturing by a method suitable for fabricating metal articles, e.g., by vat polymerization, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, and/or direct energy deposition. A suitable additive manufacturing system is a selective laser sintering (SLS) system. For manufacturing Inconel exhaust port liners, the additive manufacturing system needs to be capable of fabricating articles from a superalloy, such as a nickel-based superalloy or a cobalt-based superalloy.

[0073] The additive manufacturing system may receive control instructions for fabricating an exhaust port liner in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, i.e., including an article having monolithic structure with an inlet, an outlet disposed at an angle relative to the inlet, and a sidewall including a metal (e.g., a superalloy) disposed between the inlet and the outlet defining an exhaust gas flow passage through the monolithic structure, the sidewall having an inner wall and an outer wall defining a cavity therebetween. The additive manufacturing system may execute the control instructions to fabricate the exhaust port liner.

[0074] The exhaust port liner, as formed by the additive manufacturing process, may initially have an unsealed cavity, i.e., an aperture may be defined in the inner wall, end walls, and/or outer wall to facilitate removal of excess material from the cavity. For example, if the exhaust port liner is fabricated by powder bed fusion, unbound powder may be removed from the cavity through one or more apertures by forcing compressed air through the port liner to blow out the unbound powder, vacuuming out the unbound powder, and/or vibrating or shaking out the unbound powder. Subsequently, the cavity may be filled with air or an inert gas, such as argon to thermally insulate from ambient, during use, exhaust gas traveling through the liner to prevent heat loss from the hot exhaust gas.

[0075] After fabrication of the exhaust port liner, the cavity may be sealed. For example, after excess material is removed from the cavity through one or more apertures and the cavity filled with the desired gas or set at a partial vacuum, the cavity may be sealed by filling the aperture. For example, the aperture may be filled with the same metal as the metal used to form the inner and outer walls by, e.g., electron beam welding. The filled aperture thus forms part of the boundary of the cavity.

[0076] In some embodiments, an at least partial vacuum may be formed in the cavity before it is sealed, e.g., during electron beam welding. Referring to FIGS. 10-11, in an embodiment of the invention, a cylinder head 1000 of an internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head frame 1010 that defines an inner mounting surface 1020. An exhaust port liner 100, as described above, is disposed proximate the inner mounting surface of the frame, with an outer surface of the exhaust port liner conforming to the inner mounting surface.

[0077] The cylinder head frame may define a plurality of exhaust ports, each with a single exhaust port liner disposed therein, with the sidewall defining apertures sized and oriented to receive a valve guide. Each aperture may be aligned with an exhaust valve seat 1030 of the cylinder head.

[0078] The cylinder head frame may be made from a second metal, such as an aluminum alloy. The exhaust port liners may be formed by additive manufacturing and the cylinder head frame may be formed by casting a second metal around the exhaust port liners. Alternatively, the cylinder head frame may be fabricated by a second additive manufacturing system that receives and executes control instructions to fabricate the cylinder head frame. The second additive manufacturing system may employ at least in part vat polymerization, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, and/or direct energy deposition. In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system used to form the exhaust port liners and the second additive manufacturing system used to form the cylinder head frame may be a single additive manufacturing system.

[0079] In some embodiments (not shown), the cylinder head frame may define a plurality of inner mounting surfaces and a separate exhaust port liner may be disposed proximate the inner mounting surface for each exhaust port outlet. For example, the cylinder head frame may define eight inner mounting surfaces and the cylinder head may include eight exhaust port liners.

[0080] The cylinder head frame may include external cooling fins 1040 adapted for air cooling the cylinder head. The cylinder head may lack internal water coolant passages.

[0081] A cylinder head of an internal combustion engine may be fabricated as follows. A plurality of exhaust port liners may be fabricated from a metal such as a superalloy by use of an additive manufacturing system, as discussed above. Then, a cylinder head frame may be fabricated around the exhaust port liners to fabricate the cylinder head. The cylinder head frame may be cast by casting molten metal around the exhaust port liners. The molten metal may be, e.g., aluminum alloy. Alternatively, the cylinder head frame may be formed by a second additive manufacturing system, as discussed above.

[0082] The parameter chart below provides exemplary parameter values relevant to embodiments of the invention, with the low parameters indicating possible values that are lower than typical and the high parameters indicating possible values that are higher than typical. These are not to be construed as minimum or maximum values; values that are lower than the low values and higher than the high values fall within the scope of the invention.

Parameter ChartExhaust Port Liner

[0083]

TABLE-US-00001 Parameter low typical high Inner liner wall thickness 0.5 mm 1 mm 4 mm Outer liner wall thickness 0.5 mm 1 mm 4 mm Distance between inner 1 mm 1.5 mm 10 mm surfaces of inner and outer walls Partial vacuum in sealed 2 psi 5 psi 14.7 psi cavity Aperture diameter in 5 mm 8 mm 15 mm sidewall for receiving a valve Diameter of pillar 0.5 mm 1.5 mm 4 mm Height of pillar 1 mm 1.5 mm 10 mm Angle of outlet relative 30 80 135 to inlet Density 3 g/cm.sup.3 8.2 g/cm.sup.3 13 g/cm.sup.3 Surface finish Ra 1 m Ra 4 m Ra 7 m

EXAMPLE

[0084] Referring to FIG. 12, a cylinder head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is pictured, incorporated in a high performance, air cooled gasoline engine. The liner was made by additive manufacturing, and the cylinder head frame was cast. The parameters of the liner are in accordance with the typical values indicated above. As also illustrated in FIG. 13, a measurement thermocouple is disposed adjacent to the exhaust port liner, which is made of Inconel. In a test run, the exhaust gas temperature at rated conditions was approximately 850 C. The exhaust port liner provided insulation such that the peak measured temperature, with multiple ports as in FIG. 13, was only 184 C. This result demonstrates the efficacy of the port liner in providing thermal insulation. Moreover, no problems were encountered with the manufacture or durability of the exhaust port liner, or of its inclusion into the main cylinder head casting.

[0085] While the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements; the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.