Piston Ring Belt Reinforcement via Additive Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engine pistons with unsupported ring belts experience thermal and mechanical distortion, leading to blow-by and increased engine emissions due to improper compression ring seating and leakage of air-fuel mixtures or combustion gases.
Innovation Solution
A piston design featuring inserts formed by additive machining that extend radially from the ring belt to the undercrown surface or pin bosses to support the ring belt, reducing thermal and mechanical distortion and enhancing ring performance, thereby minimizing blow-by and improving emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the piston is designed with an unsupported ring belt to reduce weight and simplify manufacturing, then weight and manufacturing complexity are reduced, but thermal and mechanical distortion of the ring belt increases leading to blow-by
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is divided into functionally distinct regions: the lightweight single-piece body and the localized ring belt support structures. This segmentation allows the piston to achieve weight reduction while maintaining ring belt stability through strategically placed support elements that do not require a full closed cooling gallery.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing uniform support throughout the piston structure, local quality is applied by placing ring belt supports only where needed - radially from the ring belt to the undercrown surface or pin bosses. This localized support reduces thermal and mechanical distortion at critical areas while maintaining overall piston lightweight design.
2Ease of manufacture
If the ring belt is unsupported to simplify manufacturing process, then manufacturing complexity and cost are reduced, but compression ring seating becomes improper due to distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The ring belt supports are designed and positioned in advance during the piston manufacturing process to preemptively counteract expected thermal and mechanical distortion. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when the piston operates, the ring belt maintains proper geometry for compression ring seating despite the simplified manufacturing approach.
3Weight of moving object
If the piston design eliminates closed cooling gallery to reduce weight, then weight and compression height are reduced, but thermal distortion of the ring belt increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than implementing a full closed cooling gallery system, local quality is applied by providing targeted thermal management through ring belt supports that extend to the undercrown surface. These supports create localized thermal pathways that reduce ring belt distortion without the weight penalty of a complete cooling gallery structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A piston including at least one insert disposed between an inner surface of a ring belt and undercrown surface, and/or between the inner surface of the ring belt and a pin boss, to provide reinforcement to the ring belt is provided. The insert reduces thermal and mechanical distortion of the ring belt, and thus increases the piston ring performance, reduces blow-by, and ultimately improves engine emissions. The insert is formed by an additive machining process, such as direct depositing, laser cladding, laser sintering, arc welding, additive welding, plasma transferred arc spraying, plasma welding, arc welding, selective laser sintering, and high velocity oxygen fuel spraying, plasma spraying. According to one embodiment, an intermediate piece is mechanically attached to the piston, and the insert is applied to the intermediate piece, to provide additional reinforcement.