Thermal analysis of Nano ceramic coated piston used in natural gas engine

Nano ceramic coatings have low thermal conductivity which can provide good heat insulation properties, and therefore they have been widely used in industrial design as thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). In the design of internal combustion engines, TBCs have been used on combustion chamber components to improve engine performance. In this paper, improvement in the working performance of natural gas engines is demonstrated when an aluminum alloy piston is sprayed with a Y2O3 partially stabilized zirconia (PYSZ) ceramic coating. Steady-state thermal analyses were used to determine the effects of the ceramic coating on temperature distributions. Output was compared with results from an uncoated conventional piston using the finite element method. Results show that the temperature at the top surface of coated piston is significantly higher (about 44% or 153 °C higher) than that of the uncoated piston. This higher combustion chamber temperature results in better engine thermal efficiency and lower emissions. Simultaneously, the temperature of the coated piston substrate is much lower (about 12% or 43 °C lower) than that of the uncoated piston. The lower metallic substrate temperature provides better thermal fatigue protection for the piston.