International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
441

Thermal Analysis on New Piston Rings Face Profile
V. S. N. CH.Dattu
1
, D. SanthaRao
2
, A. Ramakrishna
3

1
Student of M.Tech (Thermal engineering) in Dept. of ME, B.V.C.Engineering College Odalarevu, A.P.
2
Associate Professor,
3
Professor and HOD, Dept. of ME B.V.C.Engineering College Odalarevu, A.P.


Abstract-- Thermal analysis on new piston ring face
profiles presents behavior of a commercial single cylinder
vertically mounted water cooled diesel fueled with diesel
engine using newly introduced piston rings with completely
new material. Temperature distribution is mainly focused in
this study by using ANSYS software, and the software results
were compared with analytical calculations. The purpose of
the thermal analysis is to provide an insight into surface
temperature and surface characteristics of piston rings. Since
it was a symmetrical geometry, only a of the geometry was
modeled to reduce memory requirements and solution time,
and symmetry boundary conditions were applied to represent
the remaining geometry. The solid model in which each
element is hexagonal with 8 nodes was then meshed. The
entire model has 35784 elements and 42809 nodes.
Keywords Analysis, Body, Flux, Engine, Nodes.
I. INTRODUCTION
In spite of apparently simple construction piston
compression rings perform a good number of tasks during
engine operation among which tightness of combustion
chamber seems to be the most important one. In correctly
designed piston-cylinder assembly the ring should adjoin
cylinder liner with its entire circumference. However, due
to the presence of a number of unfavorable phenomena like
liner fitting deformations, cylinder wear etc. the
circumferential contact of ring and liner deteriorates, which
to limited extension is compensated by ring elasticity and
pressure caused by gas forces. Due to the lack of contact,
so called light tightness worsens which eventually leads to
the increased blow-by resulting in fall of engine power and
intensive wear of liner surface. Another damaging result of
this phenomenon is increased oil consumption caused by
oil scraping towards combustion chamber (an increase in
exhaust toxic compounds is a secondary effect of this
phenomenon). Lack of proper contact between ring and
liner causes worsening of another vital task of ring, i.e. heat
transfer from piston crown to cylinder liner. Because of
presented reasons requirements concerning quality of ring
to liner contact are very rigorous.



II. PISTON RINGS
Piston rings are commonly made from cast iron. Cast
iron retains the integrity of its original shape under heat,
load, and other dynamic forces. Piston rings seal the
combustion chamber, conduct heat from the piston to the
cylinder wall, and return oil to the crankcase. Piston ring
size and configuration vary depending on engine design
and cylinder material. Some piston rings have a chamfered
edge opposite the running surface. This chamfered edge
causes the piston ring to twist when not affected by
combustion gas pressures. The piston rings acts as the
movable end of the combustion chamber and must
withstand thermal stress, and mechanical load. Piston ring
materials and design contribute to the overall durability and
performance of an engine. Most pistons are made from die-
or gravity-cast aluminum alloy. Cast aluminum alloy is
lightweight and has good structural integrity and low
manufacturing costs. The light weight of aluminum reduces
the overall mass and force necessary to initiate and
maintain acceleration of the piston. This allows the piston
to utilize more of the force produced by combustion to
power the application.
III. ANALYZING THERMAL PHENOMENA
Thermal analysis calculates the temperature distribution
and related thermal quantities in a system or component or
element. Most of the thermal related quantities include The
Temperature Distribution, the Amount of heat gain, the
amount of heat lost, the thermal gradients, the thermal
fluxes. During a typical engine operation, it is well-known
that heat is transferred from hot combustion gases to engine
coolant through cylinder liner and engine block. The heat
transferred from the hot combustion gases to the inner
surface of the piston rings was considered to be as heat flux
to the surface, and the remaining other surface which is the
outer surface of the piston rings was assumed to be as in
the real situation. That is, the other surface experiences the
convection. In fact there is an engine piston surrounding
the outer surface of the ring, but the effect of the piston to
the heat conduction was neglected.


International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
442

The heat transfer is assumed to be steady state, the
governing heat conduction equation can be written in the
Cartesian coordinates as

2 2 2
2 2 2
0
T T T
x y z




Where T is the temperature, and x, y, and z are the space
variables. To solve Equation, certain boundary conditions
must be described at the surface of the numerical model of
the cylinder liner. As mentioned in the beginning of this
analysis, the heat flux rate at the inner surface of the liner
can be expressed as
0
T T T
q k k k
x y z



. where
0
q
is the heat flux rate at the inner surface, and k is
the thermal conductivity of the liner material. For the
other surface, a convection boundary is defined
as
( )
s
T T T
k k k h T T
x y z




. where h is the
convection heat transfer coefficient,
s
T
is the surface
temperature which is the variable depending mostly on the
heat flux rate, and
T

is the average engine coolant

temperature.
IV. RELEVANT INPUT PARAMETERS FOR THERMAL
ANALYSIS
TABLE: 1
THERMAL PROPERTIES

Detail Data:
Cylinder bore = 104 mm; Stroke = 116 mm; Maximum
gas pressure = 5 N/mm2; Indicated mean effective pressure
= 0.75 N/mm2; Mechanical efficiency = 80%; Fuel
consumption = 0.15 kg per brake power per hour; Higher
calorific value of fuel = 42 103 kJ/kg; Speed = 2000
R.P.M.
V. ANALYTICAL ANALYSIS

VI. RESULTS
Table: 2
Summaries Of Analytical Calculations
Temperature Aluminum Ductile
Iron
Silicon
Nitride
T1 300.00 300.00 300.00
T2 299.99 299.99 299.97
T3 299.99 299.98 299.98

Table: 3
Summaries Of Software Calculations
Temperature Aluminum Ductile
Iron
Silicon
Nitride
T1 300.00 300.00 300.00
T2 299.99 299.96 299.98
T3 299.99 299.99 299.99






International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
443


Graph 1 Temperature Plot

Graph -2 Thermal Flux in x direction




Graph 3 Thermal Flux in Y direction

Graph 4 Thermal Flux Vector sum









International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
444


Graph -5 Thermal Gradient SMX in X direction

Graph -6 Thermal Gradient SMX in X direction






Graph -7 Thermal Gradient Vector sum SMN

Graph -8 Thermal Gradient Vector sum SMAX









International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
445


Graph -9 Thermal Gradient SMN in Y direction

Graph -10 Thermal Gradient SMX in Y direction
VII. CONCLUSION
By considering all the above Thermal properties Ductile
Iron has shown optimum results. Where Aluminum has
highest performance and silicon nitride has least
performance.


Hence for best performance material is recommended is
Ductile Iron for Piston ring material. Silicon Nitrides
thermal performance leads to increase the viscosity of
lubrication and hence more piston friction is encountered,
thus decreasing the mechanical efficiency. Whereas
Aluminums performance decreases values have leads to
pre ignition of the charge, lubricant would also burn away,
seizing of the piston occurs, damage to the piston structure,
excess heating will also damage the cylinder material.
Ductile Iron provides maintain the temperature below
limits.
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