PROJECT CCMAI 2e

Student: Alexandru Mihaita GIUVLETE

Group : AE-1781 – anul IV
Coordinator: Ș.l.dr.ing. Sebastian RADU

2021-2022
Pistons
Requirements and Functions :
In the cylinder of an engine, the energy bound up in the fuel is converted into heat and pressure during
the expansion stroke. The heat and pressure values increase greatly within a short period of time.

The piston, as the moving part of the combustion chamber, has the task of converting part of this
released energy into mechanical work.

The basic structure of the piston is a hollow cylinder, closed on one side, with the segments piston
crown with ring belt, piston pin boss, and skirt; Figure 1.1.

The piston crown transfers the compression forces resulting from the combustion of the fuel-air mixture
via the piston pin boss, the piston pin, and the connecting rod, to the crankshaft.

As a moving and power-transmitting component, the piston, together with the piston rings, must
reliably seal the combustion chamber against gas passage and the penetration of lubricating oil in all
load cases. A prerequisite is that the materials, geometries, and surfaces are carefully matched.

Long piston service life requires good wear behavior, which in turn requires that the running partners
are sufficiently supplied with lubricating oil. The oil retaining capacity of the components due to their
surface structure, particularly that of the cylinder, plays a decisive role.
This is particularly challenging near the dead center points of the piston, because the hydrodynamic
lubricating film is less significant here and mixed friction predominates. Average sliding speeds are
typically 10 to 12 m/s.

The most important tasks that the piston must fulfill are :

- transmission of power from and to the working gas;

- variable bounding of the working chamber ( cylinder);

- sealing off the working chamber;

- linear guiding of the conrod (trunk piston engines);

- heat dissipation;

- support of gas exchange by air intake and exhaust (four-stroke engines);

- support of mixture formation (by means of suitable shape of the piston surface on the combustion
chamber side);

- controlling gas exchange (in two-stroke engines);

- guiding the sealing elements (piston rings);

- guiding the conrod in longitudinal direction of the crankshaft (for top-guided conrods).

Requirements on the piston

Fulfilling different tasks such as :

- adaptability to operating conditions;

- seizure resistance and simultaneous running smoothness;

- low weight with sufficient shape stability;

- low oil consumption;

- low pollutant emissions values; and

- lowest possible friction losses

Major dimensions for lightweight metal pistons

Gasoline engine – 44kw – Four-cycle

Diameter D(mm)
Overall length GD/L
Compression height KH/D
Wristpin diameter BO/D
Fire land F (mm)
First ring land St/D*
Groove height for first ring (mm)
Skirt length SL/D
Boss clearance AA/D
Head thickness s/D or s/Dmu

Piston Masses

The piston and its accessories (rings, wristpin, circlips) form, together with the reciprocating share of the
conrod, the reciprocating masses. Depending on the engine design, free mass inertias and/or free
moments occur; in some cases these can no longer be compensated for or may be compensated for only
with considerable effort. It is because of this phenomenon that, above all in the case of high-speed
engines, the need to achieve the lowest possible reciprocating masses arises.

The piston and the wristpin account for the largest share of the reciprocating masses. Consequently,
weight optimization has to start here. About 80% of the piston weight is located between the center of
the wristpin and the upper surface of the head. The remaining 20% is located between the center of the
wristpin and the end of the skirt.

Of the major dimensions previously discussed, the determination of the compression height obtains
decisive significance; with the determination of the compression height, about 80% of the piston weight
is predetermined.

Material Operating principle G N / D3 (g/cm3)

Aluminum alloys Four-cycle gasoline engine 0.5
Operating Temperatures

An important factor regarding operational reliability and safety and service life is the component
temperature for both the pistons and the cylinders. The piston head, exposed to the hot combustion
gases, absorbs varying amounts of heat, depending on the operating situation (engine speed, torque).

These volumes of heat, where the pistons are not oil cooled, are given off to the cylinder wall primarily
through the first piston ring and, to a far lesser degree, through the piston skirt. When piston cooling is
affected, by contrast, a major part of the heat volume is transferred to the motor oil.

Because of the material cross sections determined by the engineering, there appear heat flows that
result in characteristic temperature fields. Figures 7-8 and 7-9 show typical temperature distributions at
pistons for gasoline and diesel engines.
Friction power loss and wear

In times of increasing environmental awareness, in connection with climate change and the CO2
emissions legislation put in place to tackle it, the subject of reducing friction power loss in the engine is
increasingly in focus. As a moving element, the piston can make a significant contribution here, as
described below.

Piston profile

For low friction power loss values, the local tapering of the piston profile toward the piston axis (mantle
curve decrease values) and the ovality are designed in such a way that the contact pressures in the
desired support area are uniform. As a rule, this can limit the disturbance of the hydrodynamic
lubrication behavior by the change in the direction of movement of the piston to the points where the
piston reverses direction (top and bottom dead center). This is where mixed friction conditions arise in
the support area. Figure 1.7 shows, as an example, the lubricant gap between the piston and cylinder for
this case.

Surface roughness:

Besides the skirt profile, the surface of the skirt running surface also has a great influence on the sliding
behavior of the piston. Excessive skirt roughness increases friction power losses. In addition to friction
forces on the piston skirt, the lubrication of the skirt also plays a decisive role in the proper functioning
of the piston in the cylinder. Certain minimum surface roughness values of the piston skirt and the
honed cylinder surface
■ enhance running-in characteristics;

■ prevent abrasive wear;

■ contribute to the formation of a hydrodynamic lubricating film between the piston skirt and the
cylinder wall; and

■ prevent the piston from seizing, i.e., local fusing between the piston and the cylinder due to a lack of
clearance or lubricating oil.

If the skirt roughness is too great, friction power losses are increased, while if the skirt roughness is too
low, then the piston may not run in as well. A good compromise between these requirements yields
piston skirt surface roughness levels in the range Ra = 1.5–5 μm.

Protective coatings for the running surface: Protective coatings for the running surface, such as MAHLE
GRAFAL® or EvoGlide, have a positive effect on friction losses in the boundary lubrication conditions,
increase wear resistance, and improve resistance to seizing