Elastic-plastic Thermal Stress Analysis of Metal Substrates for Catalytic Converters

In order to quantitatively evaluate mechanical durability of metal substrates for catalytic converters under heat cycles, thermal stresses and strains were simulated by FEM elastic-plastic analysis. Flat and corrugated sheets constituting honey- comb structures were directly modeled by thick-shell elements. It was reported that the asymmetric joint structure with the "Strengthened Outer Layer" could provide metal substrates with high mechanical durability. From the results of analysis in this study, it was shown that metal substrates with the above-mentioned joint struc- ture had high durability because the location of cracks generated in the sheets and direction of their propagation were controlled.