Forged Piston Cooling Channel for Stable Coolant Level
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pistons with cooling channels for internal combustion engines face challenges in maintaining a consistent coolant level and optimizing cooling efficiency, often requiring additional parts and assembly steps or hindering oil flow.
Innovation Solution
The piston design incorporates a dam-shaped elevation and funnel-shaped inlet opening formed during the forging process, ensuring a predeterminable coolant level and efficient oil flow without additional elements, with a V-shaped element in the upper part to deflect oil jets and recesses to prevent backflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional parts (annular bead or tube) are added to maintain coolant level, then coolant level stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dam-shaped elevation is integrated directly into the piston body structure, merging the coolant level maintenance function with the piston itself. This eliminates the need for separate annular beads or tubes, reducing device complexity while maintaining coolant level stability through the dam structure formed as part of the piston lower part
Solution Approach 2:
The piston structure itself provides the coolant level maintenance function through the dam-shaped elevation formed during forging. The piston serves its primary function while simultaneously maintaining coolant level, eliminating the need for additional dedicated components
2Reliability
If additional parts (annular bead or tube) are added to maintain coolant level, then coolant level stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dam-shaped elevation is formed as an integral part of the piston lower part during the forging process. This combines the piston manufacturing and dam creation into a single operation, eliminating separate assembly steps for installing annular beads or tubes while ensuring coolant level stability
3Productivity
If the outlet opening is positioned at the lowest point of the cooling channel, then coolant discharge is improved, but coolant level maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dam-shaped elevation is positioned locally at the outlet opening area, creating a specific structural feature that maintains coolant level right at the discharge point. This localized structure ensures that coolant is discharged efficiently from the lowest point while the dam prevents the overall coolant level from dropping below the outlet opening
4Strength
If the piston is manufactured by forging with integrated contours, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The forging process parameters are optimized to create the dam-shaped elevation and inlet contour with sufficient precision for functional performance. By adjusting forging parameters such as temperature, pressure, and tooling design, the required contour accuracy is achieved while maintaining the high structural strength benefits of forged construction
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 design enhances cooling efficiency, reduces production complexity, and allows for higher thermal loads with lower cooling oil requirements, while maintaining uniform wall thickness and eliminating the need for separate catching elements.
Implementation Method 1
the opening is located at the lowest point of the cooling channel, so that cooling oil always flows out of the cooling channel, at least when the piston is stationary, and cannot be stored there
Implementation Method 2
the inlet contour of the inlet and/or outlet opening on the inside of the piston is formed by pre-forging. This allows contours that enable a minimum level to be maintained in the cooling channel
Implementation Method 3
a piston, consisting of an upper part and a lower part, which are joined together, with a cooling channel, preferably an annular cooling channel, wherein at least one inlet opening is provided for the supply of cooling oil
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a piston (1) for an internal combustion engine, said piston consisting of an upper portion (2) and a lower portion (3) which are joined together, wherein a cooling channel (8) is provided which has at least one inlet opening (9) and/or at least one outlet opening (13) for a coolant. The piston is characterised in that both a dam-type elevation (10) is formed in the region of the inlet opening (9) and/or the outlet opening (13) by a fully-forged contour of the lower cooling channel region, and the inlet contour (12) of the inlet opening (9) and/or of the outlet opening (13) is formed on the interior (11) of the piston (1) by means of a pre-forging process.