Binder-Jet Piston Crown Air Gaps for Lower Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing methods for pistons in internal combustion engines, such as DED and SLM, face challenges like high production costs, slow manufacturing time, and residual stresses due to laser use, which hinder large-scale production and efficient heat transfer reduction.
Innovation Solution
The use of binder jet technology to manufacture pistons with isolated crown and skirt sections, forming air gaps through a sintering process that eliminates the need for laser heating and reduces production time, allowing for faster and more efficient heat transfer resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If DED or SLM additive manufacturing methods are used to form air gaps in pistons, then heat transfer resistance is improved, but manufacturing time increases and production rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces laser-based thermal processing (DED/SLM) with binder jetting technology that uses a bonding agent to join metal particles. This substitution eliminates the need for intensive laser heating and melting, dramatically reducing manufacturing time while maintaining the ability to create complex air gap geometries for heat transfer reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental processing parameters from high-energy laser melting to low-energy binder deposition followed by sintering. This parameter change transforms the manufacturing process from a slow, layer-by-layer melting operation to a faster binder application and consolidation process, improving production rate while preserving the air gap structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If DED or SLM methods are used to manufacture pistons with air gaps, then geometric precision is improved, but residual stresses increase due to laser heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes laser-based thermal processing with binder jetting that uses a chemical bonding mechanism instead of thermal melting. This eliminates the intense localized heating that causes thermal gradients and residual stresses, while still achieving precise geometric control through controlled binder deposition and subsequent sintering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy input method from high-energy laser to low-energy binder chemistry. This parameter change fundamentally alters the stress state during manufacturing by avoiding rapid thermal cycles, thereby reducing residual stresses while maintaining dimensional accuracy through the binder's controlled adhesion properties.
3Loss of energy
If laser-based additive manufacturing is used to create air gaps, then heat transfer resistance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive laser equipment and operation with binder jetting technology that uses lower-cost bonding agents and less energy-intensive processing. This substitution maintains the air gap geometry's heat transfer benefits while significantly reducing equipment costs, material costs, and operational expenses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy consumption parameters from high-power laser operation to low-power binder application and sintering. This parameter change reduces both direct energy costs and indirect costs associated with laser equipment maintenance, operation time, and thermal management requirements, making the process more economically viable.
4Manufacturing precision
If SLM is used to manufacture pistons, then air gap geometry is precisely controlled, but support structure removal is required increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces laser-based SLM with binder jetting that does not require support structures during the bonding process. The binder can be selectively applied only where needed to join particles, eliminating the need for extensive support material that would later require removal, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining geometric precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces manufacturing time, minimizes residual stresses, and enhances heat transfer resistance while maintaining the desired metallic properties, thereby improving fuel efficiency by reducing heat transfer losses from the combustion chamber.
Implementation Method 1
the green-state piece is then placed into a sintering oven (batch or continuous) to remove the binder and sinter the metal powder all in one step
Implementation Method 2
Binder jetting deposits droplets of binder within a metal powder bed, rather than selectively laser sintering individual powders together
Implementation Method 3
the piston may include an air gap between the piston crown and piston skirt in order to increase the overall heat transfer resistance between the combustion chamber and the crankcase
Data Source
AI summary
A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a skirt and a crown coupled to the skirt. The crown is produced in isolation from the skirt using an additive manufacturing process. The piston includes a first air gap between the crown and the skirt. According to an example embodiment, the crown includes a plurality of sections produced in isolation from the skirt. The crown may include a second air gap disposed between two of the plurality of sections.