Mechanical Integrity of Ceramic Monolithic Converters

The converter assembly consists of a ceramic monolith with racetrack cross-section, a suitable “springy” mat wrapped around it and a clam-shell steel can to contain and guard these components against road hazards. The process to effect this assembly is rather dynamic and introduces directional loads onto the monolith in view of the anisotropic stiffness of the can. If these loads exceed certain values, they may cause failure of the monolith either by crushing it or by shearing it. In this paper we analyze the stiffness of various components of converter assembly, determine the load distribution around the monolith, and modify the design of can and monolith to make the load distribution more favorable. It is concluded that the converter assembly can be optimized and the failure of monoliths, if any, eliminated during closure. The present monoliths do not suffer from such failure.