Feasibility study on piston development for motorcycle & scooters

possibility to be implemented in the new product

1. Introduction
In an internal combustion engine, pistons convert the thermal into mechanical energy. The
functions of the pistons are

 to transmit the gas forces via the connecting rod to the crank shaft,

 to seal - in conjunction with the piston rings - the combustion chamber against gas leakage to the
crankcase and to prevent the infiltration of oil from the crankcase into the combustion chamber,

 to dissipate the absorbed combustion heat to the cylinder liner and the cooling oil.

Aluminium alloys are the preferred material for pistons both in gasoline and diesel engines due to
their specific characteristics: low density, high thermal conductivity, simple net-shape fabrication
techniques (casting and forging), easy machinability, high reliability and very good recycling
characteristics. Proper control of the chemical composition, the processing conditions and the final
heat treatment results in a microstructure which ensures the required mechanical and thermal
performance, in particular the high thermal fatigue resistance.

The continuing development of modern gasoline and diesel engines leads to specific objectives for
further piston development: reduction of piston weight, increase of mechanical and thermal load
capacity, lower friction and thus improved scuffing resistance, etc. In addition, the basic
requirements for durability, low noise level and minimum oil consumption have to be taken into
account. These goals are achieved by a targeted combination of high performance aluminium piston
materials, novel piston designs and the application of innovative coating technologies.

For future development, new aluminium materials using e.g. powder-metallurgical production
methods or aluminium-based metal matrix composites produced by various methods as well as
other lightweight materials such as magnesium alloys, carbon, etc., are being investigated. However,
the ongoing improvements achieved with cast and forged aluminum alloys reveal that aluminium
piston materials still offer great optimization potential and will continue to play a dominant role as
piston material in the future.

A piston is a component of reciprocating CI-engines. It is the moving component that is

contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its main purpose
is to transfer force from expanding gas in the cylinder to the crankshaft via a piston rod.
Piston endures the cyclic gas pressure and the inside mechanical/thermal forces at work,
and this operating condition may cause the fatigue damage of piston, like piston side wear,
piston head cracks and so on.
In the designing a piston for I.C Engines, through the following points should be taken into
considerations and must have / be able to:
1. Withstand the high gas weights and inactivity strengths.
2. Certain mass to minimize the inertia forces.
3. To form an effective gas and oil sealing of the cylinder.
4. To give adequate bearing zone to avoid undue wear.
5. To scatter the warmth of combustion rapidly to the cylinder walls.
6. To have high speed reciprocation without noise.
7. Sufficient rigid construction to withstand thermal and mechanical distortion.
8. To have adequate backing for the piston pin.

2. Operating condition
Literature:  Röhrle, M. D.: Pistons for Internal Combustion Engines, Verlag Moderne Industrie,
1995  Junker, H.and Ißler, W.J.: Kolben für hochbelastete Dieselmotoren mit Direkteinspritzung,
Technische Information Mahle GmbH Stuttgart

Pistons are subjected to high mechanical and thermal loads. The mechanical loads on the piston
result from

 extreme pressure cycles with peak pressures up to 200 bar in the combustion chamber and

 huge forces of inertia caused the by extremely high acceleration during the reciprocating
motion of pistons.

These mechanical loads are superimposed by thermal stresses which are primarily generated by
the high temperature gradients prevalent on the piston top.
Ever rising demands regarding power density as well as the need for reduced emissions, low
noise and more efficient fuel and oil consumption are the main engineering challenges for
engines. For the pistons, these challenges translate into maximum strength requirements in the
relevant temperature range combined with minimum weight.

In gasoline engines, the thermal loads have risen significantly during the last years as a result of
higher power demands. Also the stresses at average ignition pressure have increased as a
consequence of the introduction of knock control, direct fuel injection and turbocharging.
Moreover, high speed concepts have led to an increase in inertia load. The requirements for
pistons for diesel engines are even more demanding. Modern diesel engines for passenger cars
(equipped either with direct injection or super-charging with charge cooling) operate with
injection pressures up to 2,000 bar, mean effective pressures over 20 bar, peak pressures of 170
to 200 bar, and achieve specific powers of up to 80 kW per litre. But also the demand for ever
lower exhaust gas emissions asks for significantly improved piston material characteristics.

The different elements of the piston system are indicated in the following schematic drawing:

The thermal loads on the piston result from the combustion process with peak gas temperatures
in the combustion chamber between 1800 and 2600°C depending on type of engine, fuel, gas
exchange, compression, and fuel/gas ratio. Exhaust gases have temperatures between 500 and
800 °C. Combustion heat is transferred to the chamber walls and piston top primarily by
convection. The heat is then dissipated by the water cooling of the chamber walls and by the oil
cooling of the piston. A large share of the heat absorbed by the piston top is transferred by the
piston ring belt area. The remainder is essentially removed by the oil lubricant impinging on the
underside of the piston.
 The resulting temperature profile within the piston is schematically outlined in the following
figure:

3. Piston material
Literature:  Aluminium Taschenbuch, 15. Auflage, Dezember 1997, Band 3, Aluminium Verlag
Düsseldorf (ISBN 3-87017-243-6)  Röhrle, M. D.: Pistons for Internal Combustion Engines, Verlag
Moderne Industrie, 1995

Pistons are produced from cast or forged, high-temperature resistant aluminum silicon alloys. There
are three basic types of aluminium piston alloys. The standard piston alloy is a eutectic Al-12%Si
alloy containing in addition approx. 1% each of Cu, Ni and Mg. Special eutectic alloys have been
developed for improved strength at high temperatures. Hypereutectic alloys with 18 and 24% Si
provide lower thermal expansion and wear, but have lower strength (see tabled property data on
the following pages). In practice, the supplier of aluminium pistons use a wide range of further
optimized alloy compositions, but generally based on these basic alloy types.

The majority of pistons are produced by gravity die casting. Optimized alloy compositions and a
properly controlled solidification conditions allow the production of pistons with low weight and
high structural strength.

Forged pistons from eutectic and hypereutectic alloys exhibit higher strength and are used in high
performance engines where the pistons are subject to even high stresses. Forged pistons have a
finer microstructure than cast pistons with the same alloy composition. The production process
results in greater strength in the lower temperature range. A further advantage is the possibility to
produce lower wall thicknesses - and hence reducing the piston weight.

Also, aluminium metal matrix composite materials are used in special cases. Pistons with Al2O3 fibre
reinforced bottoms are produced by squeeze casting and used mainly in direct injection diesel
engines. The main advantage, apart from a general improvement of the mechanical properties, is an
improvement of the thermal fatigue behaviour.
 4. Piston design
Literature:  Röhrle, M. D.: Pistons for Internal Combustion Engines, Verlag Moderne Industrie, 1995

In engines for motorcycles, the diameter of the aluminum pistons for gasoline ranges typically
between 50 and 60 mm.
There are two basic types:

 mono-metal aluminium pistons

 aluminium pistons with cast-in elements.

Steel or ceramic cast-in elements are used as local reinforcements to improve the high temperature
mechanical properties and/or to control thermal expansion (i.e. reduce the effects of different
thermal expansion coefficients in contact areas with other materials). Mono-metal pistons can be
used in combination with cast iron engine blocks, but only in low performance engines due to the
larger clearance needed on account of the difference in thermal expansion between cast iron and
aluminium. In engines with an aluminium engine block, this effect causes no problem, but special
care must be taken to properly control friction and wear in the tribological system "cylinder-piston-
piston ring".

Pistons with cast-in control elements: When used in cast iron engine blocks, the thermal expansion
of aluminium pistons is usually controlled by cast-in steel struts in the pin boss area. During engine
operation, undesired thermal expansions are thereby avoided and the advantages of small
clearances can be fully utilized.

Diesel engines with pre-chamber, swirl chamber or direct injection operate under higher gas
pressures and temperatures compared to gasoline engines. This increases the loads on the first ring
groove, which is consequently strengthened by a cast-in stainless steel ring carrier in standard piston
designs. The even higher thermal loads in supercharged diesel engines are reduced by efficient
cooling through a cooling gallery, a hollow annular cooling channel filled with oil through a nozzle
installed in the crankcase. The cooling channel is usually produced using a salt core technology, but
other methods are also possible, in particular for squeeze cast pistons where the cooling gallery is
used in combination with ceramic fibre reinforcements.
For improved running properties, the piston skirt is generally protected by a wear resistant coating
to reduce friction and hence to increase the scuffing resistance. Different coating methods are used
(chromium plating, chemical nickel deposition, etc.). During the last two decades, different measures
allowed a reduction of the oscillating masses by 20 - 25 % in the system piston – connecting rod. The
suitable choice of piston material proved to be just as crucial as an optimum production process and
an appropriate design to achieve the ideal combination of low weight and high stability/reliability. A
critical factor is also the application of the proper piston rings. Piston rings are produced from cast
iron and steel and optimized in their performance with electroplated, thermal-sprayed or vapour-
deposited coatings whether for reducing the flank wear, longer service intervals, better conformity
to the cylinder, reducing oil consumption, or reducing friction.

5. Current piston design

Modern cast aluminium pistons for gasoline engines such as the ECOFORM® piston concept
developed by MAHLE are designed for minimum weight while increasing the load-bearing capacity.
The inclination of the box walls enables relatively large skirt widths in the lower region and improves
the stress distribution in the support area. For the next generation of lightweight pistons - the
EVOTEC® piston - additional changes relating to the skirt connection, enlarged recesses behind the
ring belt on the pin axis, an asymmetrical skirt width as well as supporting ribs on the pin axis result
in further weight reductions of up to 10%

The piston skirt for gasoline engines with cast iron or steel cylinder surfaces is usually coated with
GRAFAL® . GRAFAL® helps to reduce friction and hence increases the scuffing resistance. For the
application in aluminum cylinder surfaces, MAHLE uses the iron particle reinforced synthetic resin
coating FERROPRINT® . MAHLE's new FerroTec® galvanic iron layer is another ongoing development
available on the market. These coatings are necessary to enable the combination of aluminum
pistons with pure aluminum engine blocks and hence represent an essential contribution to an
overall reduction in engine weight. Another piston system optimized for fuel economy and CO2
emissions is offered by KS Kolbenschmidt:

The totally harmonized piston-cylinder system consists of the LITEKS® 2 “advanced” piston
generation, the NANOFRIKS® coating, the high duty alloy KS 309TM, a low friction ring pack, a
lightweight bushless sinter-forged conrod, and a DLC-coated piston pin. As a result, the system
friction could be reduced by 32% and the system weight by 10%. At the same time, the fatigue
strength was improved and an excellent balance between noise excitation and scuff resistance was
achieved.

Forged pistons are common in motor racing, but they are increasingly used also in series produced
engines subject to high stresses. Forged pistons have a finer microstructure than cast pistons with
the same alloys. The production process results in greater strength in the lower temperature range.
A further advantage is the opportunity for producing lower wall thicknesses-and hence reducing the
weight.
 Aluminium pistons for diesel engines require improved material properties with respect to the high
temperature loads, especially a greater fatigue resistance over a wide temperature range. Standard
features include ring carriers made from high-strength, austenitic cast iron (Niresist) for increasing
the wear resistance of the first ring groove, salt core cooling channels or cooled ring carriers. For
engines with especially high loads, bushings are used in the piston pin bores.

Adverse working conditions make the requirements of the materials used in the piston very
wide and diverse. Materials used in the piston manufacturing can be divided in the following
groups:
- Cast iron (non-alloy and alloy steels)
- Aluminium alloys
- Special steel
Cast iron used in piston is usually perlite structure with separate laminas. When alloyed,
more fine-grained structure is obtained and will improve the mechanical properties of the
material. The advantages of cast iron are: good sliding properties, high abrasion resistance,
small decrease in strength and hardness in high temperatures, small coefficient of thermal
expansion.
Disadvantages are: high density and small coefficient of heat conduction. Hardness in cast
iron should be in the range 180 – 240 HB and also, should be adapted to the hardness of
the rings and cylinder walls.
Besides, for uniform pistons with larger speeds light alloys of aluminium are used.
Advantages in aluminium alloys: low density (approximately three times less than cast iron),
good thermal conductivity, ease in casting and good machinability.
Disadvantages are: mean coefficient of linear expansion (2.5 times greater than cast iron),
lower hardness, decrease in strength in high temperatures and finally slightly higher price.
Small density of aluminium allows the construction of lightweight pistons, which influences
positively in fuel consumption and also reducing the stress and pressure from inertia forces.
Concerning the relatively large coefficient of heat conduction attached to aluminium alloys
results in lowering the temperature of the piston crown. It is very important especially in
spark-ignition engines. Next figure is a comparison between both engines spark-ignition and
diesel engines. Fig. 2.4. Types of temperature on pistons SI and CI To reduce a major
drawback in the alloy is preferable to choose the lowest rate of coefficient of expansion, by
the addition of Si (up to 20%) this effect is considerably lowered, so consequently, improved.
In order to increase resistance to abrasion, piston alloy is heat treated and artificially aged,
so that hardness of 120 - 140 HB can be achieved.
Aluminium alloys can be divided into the following main groups:
- Copper aluminium alloys Al-Cu
- Eutectic aluminium alloys Al-Si
- Hypereutectic aluminium alloys Al-Si 12

Al-Cu alloys are characterized by high thermal conductivity, which is the basic advantage;
further advantage is slightly higher strength at high temperatures. One disadvantage is a
significant linear coefficient of thermal expansion. Eutectic alloys Al-Si have a lower
coefficient of linear expansion and thermal conductivity at the same time. Hypereutectic
aluminium alloys Al-Si have the lowest coefficient of linear expansion and the major
resistance to abrasion of all aluminium alloys. Al-Si alloys are now widely used. Particularly
they are suitable for air-cooled engines, supercharged engines and two-stroke engines.
Another benefit of Al-Si alloys is the ease of casting. Cast steel has a greater strength
compared to aluminium alloys which allows performing relatively thin bottoms, which not only
allows maintaining a moderate weight piston, but if cooled the bottom reduces the chances
of appearing thermal stresses by reducing the temperature gradient. Good resistance to
abrasion and small linear coefficient of thermal expansion are also important advantages to
cast steel. The unfavourable point to cast steel is the conductivity of the material which is
five times less than light alloys. The primary method of producing pistons is casting. Casting
in moulds (shells), used in lightweight alloys, result in a more fine-grained structure of the
material and better mechanical properties. In some types of engines forging is used. It
evokes positive changes in the structure of the material but requires proper interior shape of
the piston. In order to improve the strength properties and hardness of the alloy pistons are
applied appropriated machining heat. It has the objective of removing stress after casting of
forging and ensuring the stabilization of dimensions.
Aluminum silicon alloys (predominantly cutectic) are widely employed to produce pistons due
to their low density, high thermal conductivity, good cast ability and workability, good
machinability and sound high temperature strength In this study the piston material is
AlSi12CuMgNi cast alloy with eutectic microstructure. As all the engine components around
the combustion chamber experience significantly high temperatures and temperature
gradients, temperature dependent material properties have to be used. Some temperature
dependent properties of piston material are shown in Table 1.
According to thermal analysis results maximum piston temperature reaches 374 °C,
therefore cyclic behavior of material is considered at 20, 150, 250 and 350 °C
 6. Piston design

It is used extensively for making pistons and other different components. The chemical
composition of this material is given in the table 1. Mechanical properties are: Thermal
conductivity = 100 W/mk. Coefficient of thermal expansion at 3000C = 22.0 x 10-6 Kelvin,
Hardness = 60~70 HRB.
Prepared by: Nir Azhar Abdul Aziz