GB2168457A

GB2168457A - Improvements in or relating to pistons for internal combustion engines or compressors

Info

Publication number: GB2168457A
Application number: GB08530307A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Ledsham Prince Rhodes; David Alec Parker
Original assignee: AE PLC
Current assignee: AE PLC
Priority date: 1984-12-15
Filing date: 1985-12-09
Publication date: 1986-06-18
Also published as: GB2168457B; GB8530307D0; KR870700130A; JPS62501160A; DE3569972D1; EP0204792B1; US4809591A; JPH0819875B2; GB8431725D0; WO1986003815A1; KR900004612B1; EP0204792A1

Description

GB2168457A 1

SPECIFICATION

Improvements in or relating to pistons for internal combustion engines or compressors The invention relates to pistons for internal combustion engines or compressors.

As a piston reciprocates within an associated cylinder or liner of an engine or compressor, noise is generated by contact between these parts. A substantial proportion of this noise is caused by lateral movement of the piston against the associated cylinder or liner, so called "piston slap", which occurs particularly when the engine or compressor is under load and when the piston is at top and bottom dead centre. This has been extensively measured and analysed; see, for example, the article by Ungar and Ross entitled "Vibrations and Noise due to Piston Slap on Reciprocating Machinery" on pages 132 to 146 of the Journal of Sound Vibration (1965) 2(2).

This noise is disadvantageous because it implies the presence of metal to metal contact between the piston and the cylinder liner, which can cause wear and because high levels of noise are undesirable. In addition, vibrations can be created which, in engines using wet cylinder liners, can cause cavitation erosion which is also undesirable. This is discussed in an article by Fearson entitled "Waterside Attack of Diesel Engine Cylinder Liners" in the January 1964 issue of the Journal of the Royal Naval Shipbuilding Society.

The solution offered in the Fearson article is 100 the creation of a full belt of oil between the piston skirt and the associated liner to provide viscous damping of the transverse motion of the piston. This is achieved by providing two 40 taper-faced sealing rings, one towards the lower edge of the skirt and the other just below the ring band. This measure has been found, by practical experiment, to reduce cylinder liner vibration and hence noise and liner 45 cavitation.

Although this arrangement succeeds in reducing piston slap, it has been found to have other, non-beneficial consequences. First, the quantity of oil held between the rings is of 50 comparatively high pressure and, since the rings are always in contact with the associated cylinder or liner, there is never any release of this pressure. This can cause the oil pressure to increase to such an extent that 55 the oil is forced past the upper ring, past the conventional compression and oil scraper rings and into the combustion chamber. This increases oil consumption and increases exhaust emissions.

Secondly, by creating a full belt of oil all round the piston, the viscous shear forces are increased between the piston and the associated cylinder or liner. This reduces the engine power and so increases fuel consumption.

65 For these reasons, this means of reducing piston slap has not found wide application, although the requirement for a way of reducing it, remains.

According to the invention, there is provided 70 a piston for an internal combustion engine or a compressor, comprising a crown and a gudgeon pin bore, there being, on each side of a plane including the piston axis and the gudgeon pin bore axis, a bearing surface for 75 transmitting lateral thrust to an associated cylinder or liner during reciprocation of the piston, the bearing surface being provided with at least one oil-retaining depression, having axially spaced circumferentially extending 80 edges, with a step being formed at each edge between the at least one depression and the adjacent bearing surface, so that the depression holds lubricating oil for damping lateral movement of the piston during reciprocation.

The following is a more detailed description of three embodiments of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a first form 90 of piston for an internal combustion engine or a compressor and including a bearing surface formed with a plurality of oil-retaining depressions, Figure 1A is a polar section of a part of the 95 bearing surface of the piston of Fig. 1 on the lines G-G and E-E of Fig. 1, Figure 1B is a polar section of a part of the bearing surface of the piston of Fig. 1 on the line F-F of Fig. 1, Figure 1C is a polar section of a part of the bearing surface of the piston of Fig. 1 on the lines D-D and B-B of Fig. 1, Figure ID is a polar section of a part of the bearing surface of the piston of Fig. 1 on the 105 line C-C of Fig. 1, Figure 1E is a vertical section of a part of the bearing surface of the piston of Fig. 1 on the line S-S of Fig. 1, and to a greatly exaggerated radial scale, the Fig. 1 section lines 110 being included in this Figure, Figure 1F is a vertical section of a part of the bearing surface of the piston of Fig. 1 on the line T-T of Fig. 1, to a greatly exaggerated radial scale, the Fig. 1 section lines being 115 included in this Figure, Figure 2 is a side elevation of a second form of piston for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of discrete bearing surfaces, each bearing surface being formed with 120 one or more oil-retaining depressions, Figure 2A is a polar section of a part of the bearing surfaces of the piston of Fig. 2 on the lines G-G and E-E of Fig. 2, Figure 2B is a polar section of a part of the 125 bearing surfaces of the piston of Fig, 2 on the line F-F of Fig. 2, Figure 2C is a polar section of the surface on the lines D-D and B-B of Fig. 2, Figure 2D is a polar section of a part of the 130 bearing surfaces of the piston of Fig. 2 on the GB2168457A 2 line C-C of Fig. 2, Figure 2E is a vertical section of a part of the bearing surfaces of the piston of Fig. 2 along the line S-S of Fig. 2, to a greatly exaggerated radial scale, and including the section lines of Fig. 2, and Figure 2F is a vertical section of a part of the bearing surfaces of the piston of Fig. 2 on the line T-T of Fig. 2, to a greatly exagger 10 ated radial section, and including the section 75 lines of Fig. 2.

In all the embodiments to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the piston is a piston of aluminium or aluminium 15 alloy for an internal combustion engine. The piston may be produced by casting, preferably by squeeze casting although it may also be forged. The piston is formed with a crown 10, a surrounding ring band 11 including three 20 grooves 12 for the receipt of compression and oil control piston rings, and a skirt 13 to each side of a plane including the piston axis and the axis of a gudgeon pin bore 14.

On each side of a plane including the piston 25 axis and the gudgeon pin bore axis, the piston skirts 13 are formed with thrust surfaces formed as one or more areas in a configura tion to be described in more detail below in relation to the individual embodiments. These 30 surfaces transmit lateral thrust from the con necting rod to the associated cylinder or liner (not shown).

Referring now to the embodiments specifi cally, in Fig. 1, each thrust surface 15 is 35 formed by a single area on each skirt extend ing, in an axial direction, between the ring band 11 and a lower edge 16 of the skirt. At its lateral edges the thrust surface 15 is con nected to the surrounding skirt by ramps 17 40 (see both Fig. 1 and Figs. 1 A, 113, 1C and 1 D).

Three depressions 18a, 18b, 18c are formed on the bearing surface 15. They are arranged in two axially spaced rows; an upper 45 row and a lower row. The upper row includes only one depression 18a which is arranged about the intersection with the bearing surface 15, of a plane including the piston axis and normal to the gudgeon pin bore axis (see Fig.

50 113). The lower row includes two depressions 18b, 18c (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 11)), which are equally spaced on opposite sides of said plane, with the centre of each depression being angularly offset around the piston by 22.5' 55 from this plane (see Fig. 1 D). There is thus substantially no axial overlap between the upper depression 18a and the two lower depressions 18b, 18c. The upper depression 18a is of greater area than either of the two 60 lower depressions 18b, which latter have the same area. Each depression 18a, 18b, 18c is wholly surrounded by the bearing surface 15.

As will be seen in Figs. 1 E and 1 F, the skirt 13 is generally barrelled in an axial direction.

65 Each depression 18 is generally rectangular with two spaced circurnferentially extending edges 19. As seen in Figs. 1 E and 1 F, a step 20 is formed at each edge 19 between a depression 18 and the surrounding bearing 70 surface 15. The depth of this step is preferably less than 125 microns and preferably more than 12 microns. Each step 20 may lie in a plane normal to the piston axis or maybe inclined relative to such a plane (as seen in Figs. 1 E and 1 F).

In the centre of each depression 18 is a base 30 connected to axially extending side edges 22 of the depression by ramps 21 (see Figs. 2B and 2E). The angular extent of the 80 base 30 is preferably 5' with the angular extent of each ramp 21 being 10'. The slope of each ramp 21 is less than 1.5'.

In use, on reciprocation of the piston of Fig. 1 in a cylinder or liner of an internal combus- 85 tion engine or a compressor, oil from the oil film provided on the cylinder or liner flows over the bearing surface 15 and into the depressions, where it is held by the scraping action of the edges 19 of the depressions 18.

90 Because there is an oil film on the bearing surface, the depressions 18 will not be filled to their edges; there will be oil above the edges.

At points such as top and bottom dead 95 centre, where there is a tendency for the piston to generate noise by sideways piston slap against the associated cylinder or liner, the depressions 18 provide a cushion of oil which resists these sideways movements, and so re- 100 duces the amount of noise generated.

The fact that the depressions are angularly staggered ensures that there is a sufficient supply of oil to the depressions at all times. The use of three depressions on each side of 105 the piston in a generally triangular configuration provides three spaced oil cushions, which thus ensure that the piston is not pivoted by the effect of the cushions during lateral movement of the piston.

As the piston reciprocates, it pivots about the gudgeon pin, so that the piston does not have a fixed spatial orientation relative to the cylinder or liner. As a result of this, there can be no build-up of oil pressure on the depres- 115 sions during successive strokes of the piston, because the change of orientation releases oil from the depressions. In addition, the ramps 21 leading to the side edges 22 of the depressions 18 also allow a controlled escape of 120 oil should the pressure of oil within a depression rise unduly. This will also have the benefit of producing an additional supply of oil over the bearing surfaces 15, so tending to ensure that these surfaces are adequately lu- 125 bricated at all times.

Further, since the depressions cover only a proportion of the thrust surface of the piston, they do not produce a substantial increase in the viscous shear forces between the piston 130 and the cylinder liner. This is also helped by GB2168457A 3 the fact that, in each direction of reciprocation, there is only one side of the piston in lubricated sliding contact with the cylinder or liner. Thus, the reduction of piston slap is achieved without a substantial decrease of power or increase in fuel consumption.

Pistons of the kind described above with reference to Fig. 1 have been tested in a 2.0 litre gasolene engine. The test was performed 10 with the engine running at 1600 r.p.m. and one-third load one minute after a cold start. Measured were the level (LJ of the short duration (3ms) noise due to piston slap (i.e. the average level of filtered radiated noise over a 15 3ms inteval beginning at the start of the piston slap pulse. Also measured was the level (1-2) of noise (exclusing piston slap) from other sources within the frequency band used in measuring L, The difference between L, and 20 L, provides a measure of the intrusiveness of the piston slap noise.

For the pistons of Fig. 1, fitted at a clearance of 41mm and tested as described above, Ll=68dB and L2=76dB. The pistons fitted as original equipment in the engine (which did not have the features described above with reference to the drawings) were measured as L,=68dB and L2=86dB. Thus the "intrusiveness" of the piston slap (1-2-1-J, is 1OdB 30 (86dB-76dB) less with the pistons of Fig. 1, as compared with the original equipment pistons.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 2A to 2F, the second piston has bearing surfaces on either 35 side of the plane including the piston axis and the gudgeon pin bore axis, which are formed by two discrete bearing areas 23a, 23b. The discrete areas 23a, 23b are of generally elongate rectangular shape extending circumferenti- 40 ally around the piston and are symmetrically arranged about the intersection with the skirt surface of a plane including the piston axis and normal to the gudgeon pin bore axis. The two discrete areas 23a, 23b are axially 45 spaced.

A ramp 24 extends up to each circumferen tial edge 25 of each area 23a, 23b (see Fig. 2 and Figs. 2E and 2F) and a ramp 26 also extends up to each axially extending side edge 50 27 of each area (see Fig. 2 and Figs. 2A to 115 2D). The radial distance between each bearing area 23a, 23b and the edges of the associ ated ramps remote from said area, is prefera bly less than 125 microns. This distance is preferably more than 12 microns. The ramp 120 angle is less than 1.5'. This is in accordance with the teaching of our U.K. Patent Specifica tion No.2104188.

The areas 23a, 23b are provided with de 60 pressions 28a, 28b, 28c in the same configu ration and with the same dimensions and ar rangement as the depressions 18a, 18b, 18c of Fig. 1 and 1 A to F and so these will not be described in detail. The provision of these 65 depressions 28a, 28b, 28c effectively divides the upper area 23a into two circurnferentially spaced surfaces disposed on either side of the plane including the piston axis and normal to the gudgeon pin bore axis (see Fig. 213).

70 The lower area 23b is effectively restricted to a single central portion arranged symmetrically about this plane (see Fig. 213).

In use, the ramps 24 up to the circumferential edges of the discrete areas 23a, 23b form converging passages which direct oil over these areas to ensure hydrodynamic lubrication under the increased pressures caused by the reduction of the skirt area resulting from the use of these areas 23a, 23b. The ramps 24 80 also direct lubricant into the depressions 28a where lubricant is retained by the steps 20 at the circumferential edges 29 of these depressions. The function of these ramps 24 in relation to the areas 23a, 23b is more fully de- 85 scribed in our U.K. Patent Specification

No.2104188.

As more fully described above in relation to the embodiment of Fig. 1, the presence of the oil in the depressions 28a, 28b, 28c provides 90 a cushioning effect against lateral movement of the piston which reduces the noise levels generated by the piston, while providing ade quate hydrodynamic lubrication over the bear ing areas.

95 It will be appreciated that there are a num ber of variations which may be made. The bearing surface may be formed by only one or more than two bands of bearing areas with one, two, three, four or more bearing areas 100 and/or depressions in the or each row. The depressions need not be formed with side ramps; there may be comparatively sharp steps leading down into the depressions at the side edges. The depressions may be interconnected.

Claims

1. A piston for an internal combustion engine or a compressor, comprising a crown 110 and a gudgeon pin bore, there being, on each side of a plane including the piston axis and the gudgeon pin bore axis, a bearing surface for transmitting lateral thrust to an associated cylinder or liner during reciprocation of the piston, the bearing surface being provided with at least one oil-retaining depression, having axially spaced circumferentially extending edges, with a step being formed at each edge between the at least one depression and the adjacent bearing surface, so that the depression holds lubricating oil for damping lateral movement of the piston during reciprocation.

2. A piston according to claim 1, wherein the maximum depth of the depression is less 125 than 125 microns below the adjacent bearing surface.

3. A piston according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one depression includes a central base connected to the circumferentially adjacent bearing surface by circum- 4 GB2168457A 4 ferentially extending ramps, the base and the ramps extending between the edges of the depression.

4. A piston according to any one of claims 5 1 to 3, wherein the depression is one of two or more depressions provided on said bearing surface.

5. A piston according to claim 4, wherein the depressions are arranged on said bearing 10 surface in at least two axially spaced rows.

6. A piston according to claim 4, wherein there are two rows with at least one depression in each row.

7. A piston according to claim 6, wherein 15 the at least one depression in one row is circumferentially staggered relative to the at least one depression of the next adjacent row so that there is no or substantially no axial overlap between the at least one depression 20 of said one row and the at least one depres sion of the next adjacent row.

8. A piston according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the bearing surface on each side of the plane including the piston axis and 25 the gudgeon pin bore axis is provided by a single contiguous surface, with the at least one depression being provided in each such surface.

9. A piston according to any one of claims 30 1 to 7, wherein the bearing surface on each side of the plane including the piston axis and the gudgeon pin bore axis is provided by a plurality of discrete bearing areas, there being at least one depression in each said discrete 35 area.

10. A piston according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bearing surface is formed on a skirt of the piston and is spaced radially outwardly of said skirt.

11. A piston according to claim 10, wherein the bearing surface includes generally axially extending edges between said bearing surface and said skirt, a ramp being provided between said edge and the skirt.

12. A piston according to claim 11, wherein the beari ng surface includes generally circurnferentially extending edges between said bearing surface and said skirt and wherein a ramp is provided between each said edge and 50 the skirt.

13. A piston for an internal combustion engine or a compressor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 1A, 113, 1C, 1D, lEand lForto Figs. 2, 2A, 55 213, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F of the accompanying drawings.

Printed in the United Kingdom for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Dd 8818935, 1986, 4235. Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.