CERAMIC HEAD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

摘要

A head assembly (10) for an internal combustion engine. The assembly is comprised of a cast ceramic body (16) with a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 1.0 x 10<-6> in/in/F (lithium aluminum silicate) fitting over the cylinder block (11) of the engine to define a combustion chamber. The ceramic body has passages (18) for hot gases extending between the combustion chamber and a side wall of the body, but the body contains no passages for conventional water cooling. A metallic shell (15) sealingly clamps the ceramic body to the cylinder block of the engine; the shell supportably carries mechanical subassemblies (17) which extend into the the ceramic body for controlling the flow of gases therethrough. The shell carries at least part of the compressive loading imposed by the clamping.