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US 9,951,714 B2Granted
Steel piston with filled gallery
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Corporation
InventorMichael Weinenger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steel piston for an internal combustion including a cooling gallery containing a solid coolant, such as an aluminum-based material, is provided. The solid coolant has a thermal conductivity which is greater than the thermal conductivity of the steel material and fills at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of the cooling gallery. The solid coolant provides for exceptional cooling along a crown of the piston, reduces corrosion and erosion along the crown, and avoids the problem of oil coking.
Claims24
A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis;
- said body including a crown and a cooling gallery extending along at least a portion of said crown and circumferentially about said center axis;
- a coolant filling at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of said cooling gallery;
- said coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than said thermal conductivity of said steel material of said body;
- said coolant being a monolithic solid aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about said center axis along said portion of said crown and remaining solid at a temperature of at least 200° C. such that said coolant provides solid structural support to said crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C.;
- and
- all surfaces of said coolant being exposed to gas or engaging said steel material of said body.
4 more elements
A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis;
- said body including a crown and a cooling gallery extending along at least a portion of said crown and circumferentially about said center axis;
- a coolant filling a volume percent (vol. %) of said cooling gallery;
- said coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than said thermal conductivity of said steel material of said body;
- said coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about said center axis along said portion of said crown such that said coolant provides solid structural support to said crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C.;
- and
- wherein said coolant fills at least 90 vol. % of said cooling gallery.
4 more elements
A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis;
- said body including a crown and a cooling gallery extending along at least a portion of said crown and extending circumferentially about said center axis, said cooling gallery being sealed;
- a coolant filling at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of said sealed cooling gallery;
- said coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than said thermal conductivity of said steel material of said body;
- said coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about said center axis along said portion of said crown such that said coolant provides solid structural support to said crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C.;
- and
- wherein said crown includes a plurality of walls defining said sealed cooling gallery, said coolant extends continuously along each of said walls and completely around said sealed cooling gallery, said coolant fills less than 100 vol. % of said sealed cooling gallery and defines a pocket filled with air, and said pocket is spaced from each of said walls by said coolant.
4 more elements
A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis;
- said body including a crown and a cooling gallery extending along at least a portion of said crown and extending circumferentially about said center axis;
- a coolant filling at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of said cooling gallery;
- said coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than said thermal conductivity of said steel material of said body;
- said coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about said center axis along said portion of said crown such that said coolant provides solid structural support to said crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C.;
- and wherein said crown includes an upper wall and a lower wall and an outer side wall together defining said cooling gallery, and said cooling gallery extends continuously along said upper wall of said crown and through a center axis of said piston.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis, the body including a crown with a cooling gallery extending along at least a portion of the crown and extending circumferentially about the center axis;
- and
- filling at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of the cooling gallery with a coolant, the coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the steel material of the body, the coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about the center axis along the portion of the crown and remaining a solid at a temperature of at least 200° C. such that the coolant provides solid structural support to the crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C., and all surfaces of the coolant being exposed to gas or engaging the steel material of the body.
A method of manufacturing a piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis, the body including a crown with a cooling gallery extending along at least a portion of the crown and extending circumferentially about the center axis;
- and
- filling a volume percent (vol. %) of the cooling gallery with a coolant, the coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the steel material of the body, the coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about the center axis along the portion of the crown such that the coolant provides solid structural support to the crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C., and wherein the step of filling the cooling gallery includes filling at least 90 vol. % of the cooling gallery with the coolant.
A method of manufacturing a piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis, the body including a crown with a plurality of walls defining a cooling gallery, the cooling gallery being sealed and extending circumferentially about the center axis;
- and
- filling at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of the sealed cooling gallery with a coolant such that the coolant extends continuously along each of the walls and completely around the sealed cooling gallery, the coolant filling less than 100 vol. % of the sealed cooling gallery and defining a pocket filled with air, the pocket being spaced from each of the walls by the coolant, the coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the steel material of the body, and the coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending circumferentially continuously about the center axis such that the coolant provides solid structural support to the crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C.
A method of manufacturing a piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a body formed of a steel material having a thermal conductivity and extending circumferentially about a center axis, the body including a crown with an upper wall and a lower wall and an outer side wall together defining a cooling gallery, the cooling gallery extending continuously along the upper wall of the crown and through the center axis of the piston;
- and
- filling at least 15 volume percent (vol. %) of the cooling gallery with a coolant, the coolant having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the steel material of the body, and the coolant being a monolithic aluminum-based material extending continuously along the upper wall of the crown and through the center axis of the piston such that the coolant provides solid structural support to the crown at piston operating temperature of at least 200° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.