Design and Analysis of Piston by Aluminium Alloy and Silicon Carbide Composite Material

In an engine the purpose of the piston is to transfer force from expanding gas in the cylinder to the crank shaft via a piston rod. Piston has to endure the cyclic gas pressure and the inertial forces at work, and this working condition may cause the fatigue damage of the piston such as piston side wear, piston head cracks and so on. Usually the pistons are made of Aluminum for lightweight, thermal conductivity. But it has poor hot strength and high coefficient of expansion makes it less suitable for high temperature applications. In this project, Aluminum and Silicon Carbide (AlSiC), an aluminum matrix composite is used as an alternative for aluminium. A 3D model was made using Autodesk Fusion 360 and Structural and thermal analysis was done on ANSYS 13.0. Compared to Aluminium, AlSiC has better abrasion resistance, creep resistance, dimensional stability, exceptionally good stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios and better high temperature performance. Fabrication of piston using AlSiC is also easier than using Aluminium.