Hoop Stress Effects on Thick Ceramic Cylinders for Diesel Engines

Components manufactured in ceramic materials do not behave well under shock or vibratory input loads. A design is proposed which substantially isolates the ceramic cylinder and pistons of a Diesel engine from combustion shock inputs on the one hand and from mechanical vibration from the metal engine structure on the other hand.

It is hoped that such a design will permit the use of low cost ceramic components and various bench and engine related tests for their evaluation, are described. The ultimate exploitation of a marketable ceramic based engine must depend on much lower part-costs than those currently passible.