AT THE HEART OF ENGINE EFFICIENCY
FEDERAL-MOGUL explains how modern pistons have evolved to meet the demands of greater durability , less fuel consumption and reduced emissions .
For more than a hundred years , diesel and petrol engines have remained significantly different technologies . Today , the need for CO 2 reduction is bringing them together by adopting highly sophisticated direct injection systems with closed loop electronic control , highpressure turbocharging and / or supercharging and fewer cylinders .
Pistons must endure the most aggressive forces , amongst the highest temperatures and the most dramatic thermal cycles of any engine component . They must be light to reduce the loads and losses due to their reciprocating movement and to contribute to overall vehicle weight reduction . Naturally , there can be no compromise on durability or reliability , which must also continue to advance .
FRICTION-LESS
The award-winning Monosteel ® piston has become industry standard for heavy-duty diesel vehicle applications , with more than 3.5 million pistons produced to date . The Magnum Monosteel ® , advances further by reducing piston mass by up to 7 % and introducing a unique , “ double-band ” piston skirt that reduces friction by up to 17 %.
Reducing friction and improving the wear resistance of pistons are particularly important in highly-boosted petrol engines . By using a coating comprised of solid lubricants , Federal-
Federal-Mogul Nüral EcoTough ® coated piston Mogul ’ s new Nüral EcoTough ® offers superior wear resistance and reduces fuel consumption up to 0.8 % compared to pistons have demonstrated a conventional piston coatings reduction in friction of up to 18 % combined with a substantial reduction in wear . They provide immediate improvements in fuel consumption , emissions and durability whilst extracting more performance from smaller engines creating a dramatic increase in combustion temperatures .
Nüral ® pistons are designed in conjunction with the leading European vehicle and engine manufacturers and include optimised cooling gallery positions , making them ideal for high specific output turbocharged diesel engines .
RUNNING COOL
For commercial vehicle applications , Federal-Mogul has developed a unique and highly efficient cooling concept applying highly flexible cooling galleries in terms of size and shape . Positioned close to the most critical areas , they allow more heat to be removed from the critical combustion chamber area and top-ring groove .
In high-performance , heavily downsized diesel engines , high-pressure turbocharging and new fuelling strategies , piston temperatures are pushing beyond 400 ° C and cylinder pressures to over 200 bar for cars , beyond 250 bar for heavy-duty trucks .
Federal-Mogul ’ s engineers have identified that failures of conventional piston bowls in this highly aggressive
The award-winning Nüral DuraBowl ® piston increases service life up to 7 times compared environment can be traced to with a conventional cast piston the presence of silicon particles in the aluminium . By re-melting the alloy around the rim of the bowl , the silicon particles can be reduced to only one tenth of their previous size , substantially increasing the strength and durability of the piston rim .
The DuraBowl ® piston uses this technique to increase service life between four and seven times compared with a conventional cast piston , allowing engine designers to continue to drive up efficiency to reduce fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions .
FITTING RIGHT IN
Another substantial challenge is ensuring a good fit within the cylinder at all loads and temperatures . The oval skirt shape of Federal-Mogul ’ s Nüral Elastoval ® piston ensures optimum compliance of the piston skirt , allowing it to adapt as the load changes . Coupled with high geometric stability and minimized piston weight , this provides Elastoval ® pistons with increased durability , superior anti-seizure properties , and reduced friction .
Federal-Mogul parts are catalogued on MAM Autocat and the F : Drive . For more information , speak with your local FPS representative .
14 PISTON TECHNOLOGY VITAL NEWS ISSUE 45