Steel Piston Aperture Layout for Weight and Strength Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Steel pistons for internal combustion engines are heavy, which increases fuel consumption due to the weight of the steel material, and they have design limitations that affect performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The steel piston design incorporates openings and recesses around the bolt bore, inclined cylinder walls, and material-displacing processes like forging to reduce weight without compromising strength, along with features like removal grooves and inclined box walls to enhance structural optimization and reduce friction and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel material is used for the piston to withstand high combustion temperature and pressure, then strength and durability are improved, but weight increases leading to higher fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by introducing through-holes and recesses into the piston structure, creating a porous configuration that reduces weight while maintaining structural integrity. The porous design allows strategic material removal from non-critical areas such as the piston crown and skirt, achieving weight reduction without compromising the piston's ability to withstand combustion pressures and temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the piston into distinct functional zones with different material densities. Through-holes and recesses segment the solid piston structure into lighter sections, creating a heterogeneous mass distribution that optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio. The segmented design maintains structural continuity in critical load-bearing areas while removing material from less critical regions.
2Weight of moving object
If openings and recesses are introduced to reduce weight, then fuel consumption is reduced, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the material distribution and structural density at different locations of the piston. Through-holes and recesses are strategically positioned in areas where material removal has minimal impact on overall strength, such as the piston crown and skirt regions. Critical load-bearing areas maintain solid construction, creating local quality differences that optimize both weight and strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-planning the location and configuration of through-holes and recesses during the design phase, before manufacturing. The structural optimization is built into the piston architecture from the beginning, with through-holes and recesses positioned to maintain structural integrity while achieving weight reduction goals.
3Ease of operation
If inclined cylinder walls are used to reduce friction and improve performance, then operational efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality (curvature) by implementing inclined cylinder walls with specific angular orientations rather than straight vertical walls. The curved or angled surfaces reduce friction between the piston and cylinder wall during operation by optimizing the contact geometry. This curvature is integrated into the piston blank design, allowing it to be formed during the forging process rather than requiring complex post-manufacturing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the geometric parameters of the piston, specifically the inclination angle of the cylinder walls. By changing the wall angle from vertical to inclined, the friction characteristics are improved. The inclination angle is optimized to balance friction reduction benefits with manufacturing feasibility, ensuring the modified geometry can be achieved through standard forging and machining processes.
4Weight of moving object
If material-displacing processes like forging are used to create openings, then weight reduction is achieved, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating the formation of through-holes and recesses into the forging process itself, rather than adding them as separate post-processing steps. The forging die design includes features that displace material to create the desired openings and cavities during the forming operation. This preliminary integration of weight reduction features into the base manufacturing process minimizes additional manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies merging (combining) by combining multiple functions into the forging process: material displacement, shape formation, and cavity creation are all achieved in a single or integrated sequence of forging operations. The forging process simultaneously creates the piston's outer shape and the internal through-holes and recesses, merging what could be separate manufacturing steps into one unified process.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
Steel piston (1) for an internal combustion engine, having an upper part, in which a ring section (7) with at least one ring groove (8) is arranged, wherein the upper part is adjoined by a lower part which has two opposite skirt wall portions (2), wherein the two skirt wall portions (2) are connected by means of two oppositely arranged case walls (3), wherein, in each case wall (3), there is provided a pin bore (4) surrounded by a piston boss (6), characterized in that, in the region between the piston boss (6) and the skirt wall portion (2), at least one aperture (14) or at least one depression is provided in the case wall (3).