Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Pistons
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas
compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving
component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine,
its purpose is to transfer force from expanding gas in the cylinder to the crankshaft via a
piston rod and/or connecting rod. In a pump, the function is reversed and force is transferred
from the crankshaft to the piston for the purpose of compressing or ejecting the fluid in the
cylinder. In some engines, the piston also acts as a valve by covering and uncovering ports in
the cylinder.

An internal combustion engine is acted upon by the pressure of the expanding

combustion gases in the combustion chamber space at the top of the cylinder. This force then
acts downwards through the connecting rod and onto the crankshaft. The connecting rod is
attached to the piston by a swiveling gudgeon pin (US: wrist pin). This pin is mounted within
the piston: unlike the steam engine, there is no piston rod or crosshead (except big two stroke
engines).

1.2.Type of pistons

The typical piston design is on the picture. This type of piston is widely used in
car diesel engines. According to purpose, supercharging level and working conditions of
engines the shape and proportions can be changed.

Fig.no.1(simple piston structure)

Pistons are cast from aluminum alloys. For better strength and fatigue life,
some racing pistons may be forged instead. Billet pistons are also used in racing engines
because they do not rely on the size and architecture of available forgings, allowing for last-
minute design changes.

1 AEN Micro Project

Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

Although not commonly visible to the naked eye, pistons themselves are designed
with a certain level of opacity and profile taper, meaning they are not perfectly round,
and their diameter is larger near the bottom of the skirt than at the crown.

1.2.1. Trunk pistons

Trunk pistons are long relative to their diameter. They act both as a piston and
cylindrical crosshead. As the connecting rod is angled for much of its rotation, there is also a
side force that reacts along the side of the piston against the cylinder wall. A longer piston
helps to support this.

A characteristic of most trunk pistons, particularly for diesel engines, is that they have
a groove for an oil ring below the gudgeon pin, in addition to the rings between the gudgeon
pin and crown.

Below figure shows the trunk piston

Fig.no.2 (trunk piston)

Trunk pistons have been a common design of piston since the early days of the
reciprocating internal combustion engine. They were used for both petrol and diesel engines,
although high speed engines have now adopted the lighter weight slipper piston. The name
'trunk piston' derives from the 'trunk engine', an early design of marine steam engine.

To make these more compact, they avoided the steam engine's usual piston rod with
separate crosshead and were instead the first engine design to place the gudgeon pin directly
within the piston. Otherwise these trunk engine pistons bore little resemblance to the trunk
piston; they were extremely large diameter and double-acting. Their 'trunk' was a narrow
cylinder mounted in the center of the piston.

2 AEN Micro Project

Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

1.2.2. Crosshead pistons

Large slow-speed Diesel engines may require additional support for the side forces on the
piston. These engines typically use crosshead pistons. The main piston has a large piston rod
extending downwards from the piston to what is effectively a second smaller-diameter piston.

The main piston is responsible for gas sealing and carries the piston rings. The smaller
piston is purely a mechanical guide. It runs within a small cylinder as a trunk guide and also
carries the gudgeon pin.

Below figure shows the crosshead piston

Fig.no.3 (crosshead piston)

Lubrication of the crosshead has advantages over the trunk piston as its lubricating oil
is not subject to the heat of combustion: The oil is not contaminated by combustion soot
particles It does not break down owing to the heat and a thinner less viscous oil may be used.
The friction of both piston and crosshead may be only half of that for a trunk piston. Because
of the additional weight of these pistons, they are not used full

1.2.3. Slipper pistons

A slipper piston is a piston for a petrol engine that has been reduced in size and weight as
much as possible.

In the extreme case, they are reduced to the piston crown, support for the piston rings,
and just enough of the piston skirt remaining to leave two lands so as to stop the piston
rocking in the bore.The sides of the piston skirt around the gudgeon pin are reduced away
from the cylinder wall. The purpose is mostly to reduce the reciprocating mass, thus making
it easier to balance the engine and so permit high speeds.

Bellows figure shows slipper piston

3 AEN Micro Project

Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

Fig.no.4 (slipper piston)

In racing applications,

Slipper piston skirts can be configured to yield extremely light weight while maintaining the
rigidity and strength of a full skirt.

Reduced inertia also improves mechanical efficiency of the engine: the forces
required to accelerate and decelerate the reciprocating parts cause more piston friction with
the cylinder wall than the fluid pressure on the piston head.

A secondary benefit may be some reduction in friction with the cylinder wall, since
the area of the skirt, which slides up and down in the cylinder is reduced by half. However,
most friction is due to the piston rings, which are the parts which actually fit the tightest in
the bore and the bearing surfaces of the wrist pin, and thus the benefit is reduced.

1.2.4. Deflector pistons

Deflector pistons are used in two-stroke engines with crankcase compression, where the
gas flow within the cylinder must be carefully directed in order to provide efficient
scavenging. With cross scavenging, the transfer (inlet to the cylinder) and exhaust ports are
on directly facing sides of the cylinder wall.

To prevent the incoming mixture passing straight across from one port to the other, the
piston has a raised rib on its crown. This is intended to deflect the incoming mixture upwards,
around the combustion chamber.

Below figure shows deflection piston

4 AEN Micro Project

Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

Fig.no.5 (deflection piston)

Much effort, and many different designs of piston crown, went into developing improved
scavenging.

The crowns developed from a simple rib to a large asymmetric bulge, usually with a
steep face on the inlet side and a gentle curve on the exhaust. Despite this, cross scavenging
was never as effective as hoped. Most engines today use Schnuerle porting instead.

This places a pair of transfer ports in the sides of the cylinder and encourages gas flow to
rotate around a v vertical axis, rather than a horizontal axis.

1.3 Pistons features

 Piston head,
 Piston pin bore,
 Piston pin,
 Skirt,
 Ring grooves,
 Ring lands, and
 Piston rings

5 AEN Micro Project

Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

Fig.no.6 (piston structure with naming)

The piston head is the top surface (closest to the cylinder head) of the piston which is
subjected to tremendous forces and heat during normal engine operation.

A piston pin bore is a through hole in the side of the piston perpendicular to piston travel
that receives the piston pin.

A piston pin is a hollow shaft that connects the small end of the connecting rod to the piston.

The skirt of a piston is the portion of the piston closest to the crankshaft that helps align the
piston as it moves in the cylinder bore.

A ring groove is a recessed area located around the perimeter of the piston that is used to
retain a piston ring.

Ring lands are the two parallel surfaces of the ring groove which function as the sealing
surface for the piston ring.

A piston ring is an expandable split ring used to provide a seal between the piston an the
cylinder wall.

1.4. Pistons design considerations

1.4.1. Pistons must:

Contain cylinder pressure

Transmit the pressure created by combustion to force on the connecting rod Provide a
place for oil control and compression rings to be located Aluminium expands when heated,
and Proper clearance must be provided to maintain free piston movement in the cylinder
bore.

Insufficient clearance can cause the piston to seize in the cylinder. Excessive
clearance can cause a loss of compression and an increase in piston noise Be rigid enough to
not deform under the tremendous pressures and forces encountered Be ductile enough to
absorb pressure peaks and not shatter Retain the proper shape under the extreme
temperatures encountered.

6 AEN Micro Project

Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

Fig.no.7 (simple piston with naming)

1.4.2. Pistons construction

 Piston head=
 Round
 Approx. . . .040 underside
 Ring grooves
 Ring lands
 Drain holes and sol
 Wrist pin boss
 Reinforcing struts – cast pistons contain steel struts to control expansion and aid in wrist
pin support
 Lock ring grooves – for full-floating piston pins
 Piston skirt
 Full skirt
 Partial skirt
1.5. FUNCTION OF PISTON
 A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas
compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms.
 It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by
piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from expanding gas in the
cylinder to the crankshaft via a piston rod and/or connecting rod. In a pump, the
function is reversed and force is transferred from the crankshaft to the piston for the
purpose of compressing or ejecting the fluid in the cylinder.

7 AEN Micro Project

 Marathwada Mitra Mandala’s Polytechnic MAKE THE MODEL OF PISTON VI HELP OF WOOD

 In some engines, the piston also acts as a valve by covering and uncovering ports in
the cylinder
1.6. APPLICTION OF PISTON
 Reduced inertia also improves the mechanical efficiency of the engine.
 It compresses the fluid inside the cylinder hence increases the pressure and
temperature of the fluid inside the cylinder.
 It also provides the direction.

1.7. ADVANTAGES OF PISTON

 mechanical simplicity
 flexibility and reliability
 power to weight ratio
 multi-fuel capability
 low turbine operating temperature
 less vibration and noise
 less maintenance
 easy to start piston
 highly suitable for waste heat recovery
 give a high degree of manoeuvrability
 less manufacturing cost
 low Knox emissions
 it offers hcci combustion process
 internally balanced
 modularity

1.8. DISADVANTAGES OF PISTON

 Taper Pistons
 Cam ground Pistons
 Special alloys pistons
 Wire wound pistons
 Auto thermic pistons
 Bimetal pistons
 Cast steel piston
 Tinned pistons
 Oil cooled pistons
 Two-piece pistons

1.9. CONCLUSION

We studied the piston and its or

8 AEN Micro Project