SBIR Phase I: Designing High-Strength Thermally-Stable Aluminum Casting Alloys for Cylinder Head Applications

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目涉及开发一种用于发动机气缸盖应用的新型热稳定、高强度铝铸造合金系列。全球都在大力推动通过缩小尺寸、涡轮增压或机械增压以及通过使用替代燃料来提高内燃机（IC）效率。所有这些方法都增加了发动机的工作温度，超过了目前发动机铝合金所能承受的温度，导致了可能导致发动机故障的尺寸变化。在这些更高的温度下，将开发的新合金将保持发动机的性能和寿命，同时保持标准铝合金的低重量，可铸造性和成本效益。我们最初的重点是两轮摩托车和其他休闲车，总市值为3500万美元，只是气缸盖。还有许多后续市场，包括柴油发电机，舷外船用发动机，小型飞机甚至汽车，总市场估计为数十亿美元。该项目的智力价值是以具有竞争力的成本用更高性能的材料取代传统的重力铸造和压铸铝合金。这些铝合金将含有耐热纳米沉淀物，这些沉淀物在高操作温度和压力下不会溶解，从而保持部件的强度，韧性和显微硬度。随着每年数百万台内燃机的生产，一种新的高温合金将显著降低能耗。目前的汽车和摩托车铝发动机部件，例如气缸盖、缸体和活塞，被限制在大约220摄氏度的工作温度。C.现代和未来的发动机需要更高的工作温度高达290度。C和高达21 MPa的压力，以满足更高的发动机效率，减少车辆质量和燃油消耗，增加功率质量比，并降低排放的要求。2025年公司平均燃油经济性（CAFE）法规要求到2025年轻型车辆的效率为每加仑54.5英里。迫切需要提高内燃机效率，因此增加了对新型高温铝铸造合金的需求。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project involves development of a new family of thermally-stable, high-strength aluminum casting alloys for engine cylinder head applications. There is a strong push globally to improve internal combustion (IC) engine efficiency, through down-sizing, turbo or supercharged boost, and through the use of alternative fuels. All of these approaches increase the operational temperature of the engine beyond what current aluminum engine alloys can sustain, leading to dimensional changes which can cause engine failure. At these higher temperatures, the new alloys to be developed will retain engine performance and life, while maintaining the low weight, castability, and cost-effectiveness of standard aluminum alloys. Our initial focus is on two-wheeled motorcycles and other recreational vehicles that represent a total market capitalization of $35 million, just for cylinder heads. There are many follow-on markets including diesel generators, and engines for outboard marine, small aircraft and even automobile vehicles, where the total markets are estimated in the billions of dollars. The intellectual merit of this project is the replacement of traditional gravity- and die-cast aluminum alloys with higher performing materials at a competitive cost. These aluminum alloys will contain heat-resistant nano-precipitates, which will not dissolve at high operating temperature and pressure, thus retaining the component strength, toughness and microhardness. With production of millions of IC engines each year, a new high-temperature alloy will lead to significant energy reductions. Current automotive and motorcycle aluminum engine components, such as cylinder heads, blocks and pistons, are limited to an operating temperature of roughly 220 deg. C. Modern and future engines require higher operating temperatures of up to 290 deg. C and pressures up to 21 MPa to meet demands for higher engine efficiency, reduced vehicle mass and fuel consumption, increases in the power-to-mass ratio, and lower emissions. The 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations require an efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon for light duty vehicles by 2025. The need for improved IC engine efficiency is urgent, thus increasing the demand for novel high temperature aluminum casting alloys.