Thermal Analysis of Ceramic Coated (Mullite YSZ) Piston using Finite Element Analysis

Recent researches reveal that the thermal barrier coating (TBC) on engine surfaces plays a vital role on analyzing the emission and performance characteristics of IC engines. In this research, an effort is made to investigate the thermal analysis and heat transfer analysis of thermal barrier coated piston of IC Engines using Finite Element Analysis. Yttria Stabilized Zirconia and Mullite chosen as a thermal barrier coating material because of higher thermal expansion coefficient, low thermal conductivity, high melting point and having good mechanical properties and also maintains stable phase structure at higher temperatures. Literature review shows that piston crown surface is one of the primary components in diesel engine which highly influences in the efficiency and performance calculation of IC Engines. In this work, piston crown surface selected as a coating surface and ceramic material coated by plasma spraying technique with optimizing pressure and velocity. Thermal and heat transfer analysis of piston crown surface will help to identify the temperature variations within IC engines. Result of this analysis shows the temperature distribution of piston surface at which the maximum temperatures and minimum temperatures are occurs. So, this methodology will help to evaluate the temperature distribution and thermal stress analysis numerically. The results of diesel engines are also validated with determined experimental values, it shows good agreements with considerable deviation.