PISTON FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abstract

A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston wall defining an outer perimeter of the piston, and a piston face located at an end of the piston wall. The piston face includes a radially-extending outer face, and a combustion bowl formed therein and recessed from the outer face. The combustion bowl includes an upper bowl including a flat upper bowl radial surface recessed from the outer face a distance in the range from 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters, and a lower bowl including a lower bowl surface recessed to a maximum bowl depth from the flat upper bowl axial surface in the range from 10.4 to 13.4 millimeters. The piston face is axisymmetric about a piston central axis.

Claims

1. A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a piston wall defining an outer perimeter of the piston; a piston face disposed at an end of the piston wall, the piston face including: a radially-extending outer face; and a combustion bowl formed therein and recessed from the outer face, the combustion bowl including: an upper bowl including a flat upper bowl axial surface recessed from the outer face a distance in the range from 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters; and a lower bowl including a lower bowl surface recessed to a maximum bowl depth from the flat upper bowl axial surface in the range from 10.4 to 13.4 millimeters; wherein the piston face is axisymmetric about a piston central axis.

2. The piston of claim 1, wherein the upper bowl radial surface is orthogonal to the piston central axis.

3. The piston of claim 1, wherein the lower bowl is defined by a lower bowl surface including: a concave surface portion; and a convex surface portion extending from the concave surface portion toward the piston central axis, wherein the maximum bowl depth is located in the concave surface portion.

4. The piston of claim 3, wherein the lower bowl surface is connected to the upper bowl axial surface via a bowl transition radius in the range of 0.32 to 0.52 millimeters.

5. The piston of claim 4, wherein the intersection of the bowl transition radius to the upper bowl axial surface defines a lower bowl radius from the piston central axis in the range of 28.4 to 30.4 millimeters.

6. The piston of claim 5, wherein the concave surface portion extends radially outwardly from the piston central axis further that the lower bowl radius.

7. The piston of claim 1, wherein the radially-extending outer face intersects the upper bowl at an upper bowl edge, the upper bowl edge defining an upper bowl radius in the range of 40 to 42 millimeters relative to the piston central axis.

8. The piston of claim 7, wherein an upper bowl axial surface extends from the upper bowl edge toward the upper bowl radial surface and is connected thereto by an upper connector radius in the range of 0.25 to 0.45 millimeters.

9. The piston of claim 1, wherein the lower bowl has a lower bowl center located at the piston central axis, the lower bowl center having a center depth relative to the upper bowl axial surface in the range of 3.71 to 5.71 millimeters.

10. The piston of claim 1, wherein the radially-extending outer face extends radially from the combustion bowl to the piston wall and has a radial width in the range of 9.5 millimeters to 11.5 millimeters.

11. The piston of claim 1, wherein the radially-extending outer face is orthogonal to the piston central axis.

12. The piston of claim 1, wherein the combustion bowl is defined by revolving a set of coordinate points 360 degrees about the piston central axis, the set of coordinate points defined in Table 1.

13. A piston, comprising: a piston face; and a combustion bowl formed in the piston face and recessed therefrom, the combustion bowl including: an upper bowl having an upper bowl radius at the piston face in the range of 40 to 42 millimeters, the upper bowl including a flat upper bowl axial surface recessed from the piston face; and a lower bowl recessed from the upper bowl having a lower bowl radius at the upper bowl in the range of 28.4 to 30.4 millimeters; wherein the lower bowl includes a lower bowl surface recessed to a maximum bowl depth from the flat upper bowl axial surface in the range from 10.4 to 13.4 millimeters.

14. The piston of claim 13, wherein the upper bowl a flat upper bowl radial surface recessed from the piston face a distance in the range from 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters.

15. The piston of claim 14, wherein the upper bowl radial surface is orthogonal to the piston central axis.

16. (canceled)

17. The piston of claim 13, wherein the lower bowl surface includes: a concave surface portion; and a convex surface portion extending from the concave surface portion toward the piston central axis; wherein the maximum bowl depth is located in the concave surface portion.

18. The piston of claim 17, wherein the lower bowl surface is connected to the upper bowl via a bowl transition radius in the range of 0.32 to 0.52 millimeters.

19. The piston of claim 13, wherein the lower bowl has a lower bowl center located at the piston central axis, the lower bowl center having a center depth relative to the upper bowl radial surface in the range of 3.71 to 5.71 millimeters.

20. A piston, comprising: a piston wall defining an outer perimeter of the piston; a piston face disposed at an end of the piston wall, the piston face including: an outer face; and a combustion bowl formed therein and recessed from the outer face, the combustion bowl is defined by revolving a set of coordinate points 360 degrees about a piston central axis, the set of coordinate points defined in Table 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Other features, advantages and details appear, by way of example only, in the following detailed description, the detailed description referring to the drawings in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a piston assembly;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a piston; and

[0029] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a combustion bowl of an embodiment of a piston.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0031] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a piston assembly 10. The piston assembly 10 includes a piston 12 connected to a connecting rod 14 via a piston pin 16. The connecting rod 14 is coupled to the piston 12 at a proximate end 18 while the connecting rod 14 is coupled to a crank shaft journal 20 of a crank shaft (not shown) at a distal end 22, opposite the proximate end 18. The piston 12 resides in a cylinder 26, defining a combustion chamber 28. As the crank shaft rotates about a shaft axis (not shown), the connecting rod 14 urges motion of the piston 12 along a combustion chamber axis 30. The piston 12 includes a piston face 32, and a piston wall 34 extending from the piston face 32 generally in a direction along the combustion chamber axis 30 toward the crank shaft journal 20 and a piston base 36. In some embodiments, the piston wall 34 includes one or more circumferentially-extending grooves 38 into which piston seals (not shown) may be installed to provide sealing between the cylinder 26 and the piston wall 34. The piston wall 34 defines an outer perimeter of the piston 12, and the piston face 32 is located at a remote end of the piston wall 34, relative to the crank shaft journal 20 location.

[0032] Referring to the perspective view of FIG. 2, the piston face 32 includes a radially-extending outer face 40 defining a radially outboard portion of the piston face 32 relative to a piston central axis 42. In some embodiments, the outer face 40 is flat and orthogonal to the piston central axis 42. Further, in some embodiments, the outer face 40 abuts the piston wall 34 and is orthogonal to the piston wall 34. Radially inboard of the outer face 40, the piston face 32 includes an upper bowl 44, and a lower bowl 46 radially inboard of the upper bowl 44. The upper bowl 44 is recessed from the outer face 40 along the piston central axis 42 in a direction toward the piston base 36. Similarly, the lower bowl 46 is recessed from the upper bowl 44 along the piston central axis 42 in a direction toward the piston base 36.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 3, each of the outer face 40, the upper bowl 44 and the lower bowl 46 are defined by surfaces centered on and axisymmetric about the piston central axis 42. The outer face 40 extends radially inwardly from the piston wall 34 to an upper bowl edge 48. The upper bowl edge 48 defines an upper bowl radius 50, which in some embodiments is in the range of 40 millimeters (1.575 inches) to 42 millimeters (1.654 inches). An upper bowl axial surface 52 extends substantially along the piston central axis 42 from the upper bowl edge 48 to an upper bowl radial surface 54. The upper bowl axial surface 52 may be connected to the upper bowl radial surface 54 by an upper connector radius 56, which in some embodiments is in the range of 0.25 millimeters (0.010 inches) to 0.45 millimeters (0.018 inches). In some embodiments, the upper bowl radial surface 54 is flat and orthogonal to the piston central axis 42. Further, the upper bowl radial surface 54 defines an upper bowl depth 58 from the outer face 40. In some embodiments, the upper bowl depth 58 is in the range of 3.5 millimeters (0.138 inches) to 4.5 millimeters (0.177 inches).

[0034] The lower bowl 46 is defined by a lower bowl surface 60 extending from the upper bowl radial surface 54. The lower bowl surface 60 intersects the upper bowl radial surface 54 at a bowl transition edge 62, and a lower bowl radius 64 is defined from the piston central axis 42 to the bowl transition edge 62. In some embodiments, the lower bowl radius 64 is in the range of 28.4 millimeters (1.157 inches) to 30.4 millimeters (1.197 inches). In some embodiments, the upper bowl radial surface 54 may be connected to the lower bowl surface 60 by a bowl transition radius 80, which in some embodiments is in the range of 0.32 millimeters (0.013 inches) to 0.52 millimeters (0.020 inches).

[0035] From the bowl transition radius 80, the lower bowl surface 60 includes a concave surface portion 66 that extends radially outwardly relative to the piston central axis 42 greater than the lower bowl radius 80. The concave surface portion 66 further extends to a maximum bowl depth 68, relative to the upper bowl axial surface 54. In some embodiments, the maximum bowl depth 68 is in the range of 10.4 millimeters (0.409 inches) to 13.4 millimeters (0.528 inches). The concave surface portion 66 is connected to a convex surface portion 70 of the lower bowl surface 60. The convex surface portion 70 extends from the concave surface portion 66 toward a lower bowl center 72. In some embodiments, the lower bowl center 72 coincides with piston central axis 42 and has a center depth 74 relative to the upper bowl axial surface 54 in the range of 3.71 millimeters (0.146 inches) to 5.71 millimeters (0.225 inches).

[0036] As stated above, the outer face 40 is a radially-extending flat surface orthogonal to the piston central axis 42, and extends between the piston wall 34 and the upper bowl edge 48. The outer face 40 has an outer face radial width 74 in the range of 9.5 millimeters (0.374 inches) to 11.5 millimeters (0.453 inches).

[0037] The upper bowl 44 and the lower bowl 46 together define a combustion bowl 76 of the piston 12, and may be represented by the cross-sectional peripheral line 78. The three-dimensional configuration of the combustion bowl 76 may be obtained by rotating the peripheral line 78 360 degrees about the piston central axis 42. The peripheral line 78 may be defined by a set of coordinate points (x.sub.1, y.sub.1, z.sub.1), (x.sub.2, y.sub.2, z.sub.2), . . . (x.sub.n, y.sub.n, z.sub.n), such as coordinate set S shown in Table 1. The values of the coordinate points in Table 1 are presented as lengths from an origin in millimeters, and represent an embodiment of a peripheral line 78. The origin is defined as the intersection of the plane containing the outer face 40 with the piston central axis 42, with the z-axis corresponding to the piston central axis 42, and the x values representing radial distances from the piston central axis 42. It is to be appreciated, however, that the coordinate points in Table 1 may be multiplied by a factor f, a real number greater than zero, to arrive at a scaled version of the peripheral line 78.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 i X.sub.i (mm) Y.sub.i(mm) Z.sub.i(mm) 1 0.0000 0.0000 8.8295 2 0.2734 0.0000 8.8313 3 0.5467 0.0000 8.8365 4 0.8199 0.0000 8.8452 5 1.0930 0.0000 8.8573 6 1.3659 0.0000 8.8730 7 1.6385 0.0000 8.8921 8 1.9109 0.0000 8.9146 9 2.1829 0.0000 8.9407 10 2.4545 0.0000 8.9702 11 2.7257 0.0000 9.0031 12 2.9965 0.0000 9.0395 13 3.2666 0.0000 9.0793 14 3.5363 0.0000 9.1225 15 3.8052 0.0000 9.1692 16 4.0735 0.0000 9.2193 17 4.3412 0.0000 9.2724 18 4.6084 0.0000 9.3279 19 4.8750 0.0000 9.3858 20 5.1410 0.0000 9.4460 21 5.4064 0.0000 9.5085 22 5.6713 0.0000 9.5734 23 5.9355 0.0000 9.6405 24 6.1990 0.0000 9.7100 25 6.4619 0.0000 9.7819 26 6.7240 0.0000 9.8560 27 6.9855 0.0000 9.9324 28 7.2461 0.0000 10.0111 29 7.5060 0.0000 10.0921 30 7.7652 0.0000 10.1754 31 8.0235 0.0000 10.2610 32 8.2810 0.0000 10.3488 33 8.5376 0.0000 10.4389 34 8.7934 0.0000 10.5312 35 9.0482 0.0000 10.6258 36 9.3021 0.0000 10.7226 37 9.5551 0.0000 10.8217 38 9.8072 0.0000 10.9230 39 10.0582 0.0000 11.0265 40 10.3083 0.0000 11.1321 41 10.5573 0.0000 11.2400 42 10.8052 0.0000 11.3501 43 11.0521 0.0000 11.4623 44 11.2979 0.0000 11.5767 45 11.5426 0.0000 11.6933 46 11.7862 0.0000 11.8120 47 12.0286 0.0000 11.9328 48 12.2698 0.0000 12.0558 49 12.5098 0.0000 12.1809 50 12.7487 0.0000 12.3081 51 12.9862 0.0000 12.4374 52 13.2226 0.0000 12.5687 53 13.4582 0.0000 12.7013 54 13.6938 0.0000 12.8339 55 13.9295 0.0000 12.9665 56 14.1651 0.0000 13.0990 57 14.4007 0.0000 13.2315 58 14.6363 0.0000 13.3641 59 14.8719 0.0000 13.4966 60 15.1075 0.0000 13.6292 61 15.3431 0.0000 13.7618 62 15.5788 0.0000 13.8943 63 15.8144 0.0000 14.0269 64 16.0500 0.0000 14.1595 65 16.2857 0.0000 14.2920 66 16.5213 0.0000 14.4246 67 16.7568 0.0000 14.5572 68 16.9924 0.0000 14.6896 69 17.2281 0.0000 14.8222 70 17.4637 0.0000 14.9548 71 17.6993 0.0000 15.0874 72 17.9350 0.0000 15.2199 73 18.1720 0.0000 15.3501 74 18.4112 0.0000 15.4765 75 18.6527 0.0000 15.5991 76 18.8963 0.0000 15.7178 77 19.1419 0.0000 15.8324 78 19.3895 0.0000 15.9432 79 19.6391 0.0000 16.0500 80 19.8905 0.0000 16.1527 81 20.1437 0.0000 16.2514 82 20.3985 0.0000 16.3460 83 20.6550 0.0000 16.4365 84 20.9130 0.0000 16.5228 85 21.1725 0.0000 16.6050 86 21.4334 0.0000 16.6830 87 21.6956 0.0000 16.7568 88 21.9591 0.0000 16.8264 89 22.2239 0.0000 16.8917 90 22.4907 0.0000 16.9486 91 22.7599 0.0000 16.9942 92 23.0309 0.0000 17.0282 93 23.3032 0.0000 17.0506 94 23.5764 0.0000 17.0613 95 23.8497 0.0000 17.0603 96 24.1227 0.0000 17.0477 97 24.3949 0.0000 17.0233 98 24.6656 0.0000 16.9873 99 24.9345 0.0000 16.9397 100 25.2008 0.0000 16.8808 101 25.4641 0.0000 16.8105 102 25.7238 0.0000 16.7290 103 25.9794 0.0000 16.6365 104 26.2305 0.0000 16.5331 105 26.4765 0.0000 16.4192 106 26.7169 0.0000 16.2948 107 26.9513 0.0000 16.1603 108 27.1791 0.0000 16.0158 109 27.3999 0.0000 15.8617 110 27.6134 0.0000 15.6984 111 27.8188 0.0000 15.5262 112 28.0162 0.0000 15.3452 113 28.2048 0.0000 15.1560 114 28.3844 0.0000 14.9590 115 28.5545 0.0000 14.7544 116 28.7149 0.0000 14.5428 117 28.8654 0.0000 14.3245 118 29.0053 0.0000 14.1001 119 29.1347 0.0000 13.8698 120 29.2532 0.0000 13.6342 121 29.3605 0.0000 13.3939 122 29.4565 0.0000 13.1492 123 29.5410 0.0000 12.9006 124 29.6137 0.0000 12.6487 125 29.6744 0.0000 12.3939 126 29.7233 0.0000 12.1367 127 29.7602 0.0000 11.8777 128 29.7848 0.0000 11.6174 129 29.7972 0.0000 11.3563 130 29.7976 0.0000 11.0949 131 29.7871 0.0000 10.8338 132 29.7658 0.0000 10.5732 133 29.7338 0.0000 10.3136 134 29.6913 0.0000 10.0554 135 29.6382 0.0000 9.7990 136 29.5746 0.0000 9.5448 137 29.5007 0.0000 9.2932 138 29.4165 0.0000 9.0445 139 29.3222 0.0000 8.7992 140 29.2218 0.0000 8.5560 141 29.1215 0.0000 8.3129 142 29.0212 0.0000 8.0697 143 28.9209 0.0000 7.8266 144 28.8206 0.0000 7.5834 145 28.7203 0.0000 7.3403 146 28.6200 0.0000 7.0971 147 28.5198 0.0000 6.8540 148 28.4236 0.0000 6.6093 149 28.3356 0.0000 6.3618 150 28.2560 0.0000 6.1118 151 28.1846 0.0000 5.8595 152 28.1217 0.0000 5.6051 153 28.0800 0.0000 5.3471 154 28.0963 0.0000 5.0868 155 28.1722 0.0000 4.8362 156 28.3039 0.0000 4.6077 157 28.4849 0.0000 4.4126 158 28.7064 0.0000 4.2602 159 28.9575 0.0000 4.1582 160 29.2259 0.0000 4.1115 161 29.4992 0.0000 4.1087 162 29.7726 0.0000 4.1087 163 30.0460 0.0000 4.1087 164 30.3193 0.0000 4.1087 165 30.5928 0.0000 4.1087 166 30.8661 0.0000 4.1087 167 31.1395 0.0000 4.1087 168 31.4129 0.0000 4.1087 169 31.6863 0.0000 4.1087 170 31.9596 0.0000 4.1087 171 32.2330 0.0000 4.1087 172 32.5064 0.0000 4.1087 173 32.7798 0.0000 4.1087 174 33.0531 0.0000 4.1087 175 33.3266 0.0000 4.1087 176 33.5999 0.0000 4.1087 177 33.8733 0.0000 4.1087 178 34.1466 0.0000 4.1087 179 34.4201 0.0000 4.1087 180 34.6934 0.0000 4.1087 181 34.9668 0.0000 4.1087 182 35.2402 0.0000 4.1087 183 35.5136 0.0000 4.1087 184 35.7869 0.0000 4.1087 185 36.0604 0.0000 4.1087 186 36.3337 0.0000 4.1087 187 36.6071 0.0000 4.1087 188 36.8804 0.0000 4.1087 189 37.1539 0.0000 4.1087 190 37.4272 0.0000 4.1087 191 37.7006 0.0000 4.1087 192 37.9740 0.0000 4.1087 193 38.2474 0.0000 4.1087 194 38.5207 0.0000 4.1087 195 38.7941 0.0000 4.1087 196 39.0667 0.0000 4.0938 197 39.3296 0.0000 4.0242 198 39.5700 0.0000 3.9010 199 39.7763 0.0000 3.7302 200 39.9382 0.0000 3.5203 201 40.0478 0.0000 3.2814 202 40.1196 0.0000 3.0292 203 40.1903 0.0000 2.7767 204 40.2610 0.0000 2.5242 205 40.3318 0.0000 2.2717 206 40.4025 0.0000 2.0193 207 40.4734 0.0000 1.7668 208 40.5441 0.0000 1.5143 209 40.6148 0.0000 1.2618 210 40.6495 0.0000 1.0048 211 40.6495 0.0000 0.7434 212 40.6495 0.0000 0.4820 213 40.6495 0.0000 0.2206 214 40.6921 0.0000 0.0000

[0038] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the peripheral line 78 may be defined by fewer than all of the coordinate points of Table 1.

[0039] The piston 12 configurations presented herein, including the combustion bowl 76 achieves simultaneous reduction of soot and NOx emissions by providing enhanced mixing of combustion products with excess air available in the cylinder 26. Further, the combustion bowl 76 achieves this reduction of soot and NOx emissions while also maintaining or improving fuel consumption using conventional fuel injection and air handling equipment. The reduction of soot further achieves the benefit of keeping the engine oil cleaner.

[0040] While the above disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from its scope. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but will include all embodiments falling within the scope thereof