KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CONCEPT NOTES ON

DESIGN, STATIC AND THERMAL ANALYSIS OF A PISTON USING

ANSYS

SUBMITTED BY SUBMITTED TO
Sahil Acharya Ranjit Shrestha, PhD
Roll number: 31 DOME
ME II (Hydropower) Kathmandu University

MAY 2O2
 INTRODUCTION

Background

Engine pistons are one in all the foremost difficult components among all automotive and
completely different trade field components. We knew an engine was known as the heart of a
motor vehicle as like the piston may be viewed as the most vital part of an engine. There are
several explorations works suggesting, for engine pistons, new geometries, materials and
producing ways, and this development has veteran with a non-stop amendment within the course
of the foremost recent decades and needed complete examination of the tiniest delicate
components. Despite all of those studies, there are an infinite of broken pistons. Damage parts
have distinctive beginning points and are largely sporting, temperature, and weakness connected.
The exhaustion connected piston damages assume overriding preponderating half for the
foremost half in lightweight of thermal and mechanical fatigue, either at area or at hot
temperature.

Fig 1: Component of piston head

The design of the piston is carried out using SOLIDWORKS software, thermal and stress
analysis is performed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The Grey Cast Iron material is
selected based on thermal and stress analysis results. The analysis results are used to optimize the
piston geometry of cast iron. In this project the piston plays a major role in the performance of
the engine performance, materials of the piston are made up of impacts the strength of the piston.
In this project the piston become optimized after the reducing the material of the piston, the mass
and volume of the piston become reduced. The deformation also increased after the optimization
which is responsible for the stress distribution on the piston head or piston crown. This project
describes the stress distribution and thermal stresses of Grey Cast iron piston by using finite
element method (FEM). The results predict the maximum stress and critical region on grey cast
iron pistons using FEA. Static and thermal stress analysis are performed by using ANSYS 2022.

Objective

The main objective of this project is to find out and suggest optimum material for piston. The
project includes the following steps:

1. A piston head is designed using the ANSYS Workbench.

2. To find out and suggest optimum material for piston based on quality and economy
considering material weight and dimensional issues at the same time
3. FE analysis of the geometry for various loading and boundary condition is done as
I. Gas pressure at top of Piston = 5MPa
II. Temperature at the top of the piston = 500°C
III. Heat transfer Co-efficient = 950 W/m2 °C
IV. Frictionless support
V. Material properties is described by Grey cast iron

Component of Piston

The main components of the piston as shown in fig [1] are as follows:

• Piston Crown- which carries gas pressure

• Skirt-which acts as a bearing against the side thrust of Connecting rod
• Piston Pin- Piston pins are used to connect the piston to the connecting rod. These
pins are made from hardened steel alloy and have a finely polished surface. Most
piston pins are hollow, to reduce weight
• Piston Rings- which seal the annular space between the cylinder wall and piston
and scrap off the surplus oil on the cylinder.
 Methodology and Timelines

Fig 2: work flow chart

The above shown steps are followed for completion of the project. Beginning from a brief
literature review, then moving on to design of the connecting rod on SOLIDWORKS.
Available specifications will be used to design the model. ANSYS will be used to analyse the
Piston head deformation under pressure and thermal analysis.

Table 1: Gantt chart

 DESIGN
The piston head is designed using SOLIDWORKS 2022 on the basis of following
specification:

Fig 2: Specification

Fig 3: Model of piston head

Fig 4: model of piston

 ANALYSIS

Finite Element Method (FEM)

Finite Element Method (FEM) is a computer-based numerical technique for calculating the Strength and
behaviour of engineering structures. It can be used to calculate deflection, stress, vibration, Buckling
behaviours and many other phenomena. In the finite element method, a structure is broken down into many
small simple blocks or elements. The behaviour of an individual element can be described with a relatively
simple set of equations. Just as the set of elements would be joined together to build the whole structure,
the equation describing the behaviours of the individual elements are joined into an extremely large set
of equations that describe the behaviour of the whole structure.

Definition of Material

Fig 5: Material defined for Grey Cast Iron

Meshing

In order to analyse the model by FEM meshing of the model must be done. The mesh is then generated
using the software.

Fig 6: Meshing the Model

Boundary Conditions

Frictionless Support at Piston Pin Location

Piston is connected to the connecting rod with the help of piston pin in such a way that it allows
linear sliding of piston inside the cylinder and also allows to freely rotate. This boundary
condition is achieved by using Frictionless support at the location of the piston pin and outer
surface of piston ring.

Fig 7: Frictionless Support

Pressure

Combustion of gases in the combustion chamber exerts pressure on the head of the piston during
power stroke. The pressure force will be taken as boundary condition in structural analysis.

Pressure acting on the piston = 5 Mpa

Fig 8: Pressure on Piston

Temperature

Along the axis of the piston, the temperature distribution is symmetrical. The temperature of the
piston top surface is relatively high, especially at the centre and the edge of the combustion
chamber, meanwhile the temperature of piston skirt is relatively low. The maximum surface
temperature of the piston is assumed as 500°C.

Fig 9: Temperature Distribution

REASULT

The model is solved after applying the pressure and results are obtained for Von-Mises stress and
structural deformation which are shown below. Here in the figure below we can see that the total
deformation was found to be 0.0018522 mm and the maximum stress value obtained was 103.67 Mpa.
Also, we can see the temperature distribution is maximum at top i.e. 500.and total heat flux is 6.6732

Fig 10: Total Deformation

 Fig 11: Equivalent stress

Fig 12: Temperature Distribution

Fig 13 : Total Heat Flux

CONCLUSION

We can conclude from above picture is that Grey Cast iron has greater deformation and stress
resistance an well as it has low tolerance in temperature (thermal behaviour). So, Grey cast iron is
list suitable material for piston as its cannot withstand the heat and piston breaks easily. So ,other
material like aluminium ,composite material etc is preferable.

The following conclusions can be drawn after the analysis.

a. The structural deformation is least at the piston pin holes and maximum at the top surface.
b. The stress concentration is highest at piston pin holes.
c. The temperature of the piston is maximum at the upper surface.

REFERENCE
• DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE PISTON USING THREE MATERIALS Goriparthi
S N Phanindra kumar1, Murari indrani2, Nagababu Gungati
• THERMAL & STATIC ANALYSIS ON IC ENGINE PISTON USING FEA
1Thirakavinod Kumar, 2 B. Ravisekhar
• Design and Analysis of Piston Using Composite Material Molla Shehanaz1 ,
Dr.G.Shankariah