Ring-Shaped Soluble Casting Core for Piston Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing casting cores for forming cooling channels in combustion engine pistons are fragile and inefficient in cooling, making them difficult to handle and resulting in unsatisfactory cooling performance.

Innovation Solution

A soluble, ring-shaped casting core with a closed design and cross-sectional taper between the inflow and outflow to enhance stability and control coolant flow, allowing for 360° cooling and uniform coolant distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional soluble casting core is used to form a cooling channel in a piston, then the cooling channel can be created, but the casting core is fragile and difficult to handle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecasting core stabilityVSAvoidhandling difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The casting core is divided into multiple segmental core pieces that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together to form the complete ring-shaped core. This segmentation allows each piece to be more manageable and less fragile during handling, while the assembled structure provides the required stability for forming the cooling channel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If a simple ring-shaped casting core is used, then handling is improved, but cooling efficiency is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling easeVSAvoidcooling efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The casting core incorporates local structural variations including cross-sectional tapers and choke regions at specific locations. These localized features control the coolant flow distribution and velocity at different points in the cooling channel, enhancing overall cooling efficiency while maintaining the simple ring-shaped external form for easy handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The casting core includes dynamic flow control features such as cross-sectional tapers that gradually change the coolant flow characteristics. The varying cross-section creates controlled acceleration and deceleration zones for the coolant, optimizing heat transfer efficiency without compromising the structural simplicity of the core.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Temperature

If cross-sectional tapers are added to control coolant flow, then cooling efficiency improves, but casting core complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidcasting core design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The complex geometry with cross-sectional tapers is achieved by dividing the casting core into multiple segmental pieces, each with simpler individual geometries. When assembled, these segments form the complete structure with the required flow control features, reducing the manufacturing complexity of individual components while achieving the desired overall complexity for optimized cooling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8733315B2Casting core for forming a cooling channel in a piston

Publication Date: 2014.05.27 MAHLE INT GMBH

AI summary

A soluble and substantially ring-shaped casting core may include a cooling channel in a piston having at least one inflow and at least one outflow. The casting core may form a closed ring and the inflow may be arranged directly adjacent to the outflow. The casting core may have a cross-sectional taper for forming a choke in the circumferential direction between the inflow and the outflow.