Performance analysis of a novel design of an engine piston for a single cylinder

Abstract The piston, often referred to as the “heart” of the internal combustion engine due to its complexity, is susceptible to failure under thermal and mechanical strains caused by low octane gasoline or irregular ignition. This study introduces and evaluates a novel piston design for a four-stroke, one-cylinder gasoline engine. The proposed design features a piston divided into two parts with a shock absorber in between to mitigate vibration and stress caused by fluctuating combustion. In contrast to conventional designs, the proposed approach integrates dampers to minimize piston deformation and alleviate stress on the connecting rod, thereby enhancing overall system efficiency. The study also demonstrates the advantages of using steel due to its superior strength-to-weight ratio and wear resistance. Design and analysis were conducted using SolidWorks and ANSYS software. The maximum total deformation was 8.57 × 10 −2 m for the conventional piston compared to 8.51 × 10 −2 m for the proposed piston. Comparative performance evaluations indicate that the proposed piston significantly reduces total deformation by 0.7%. However, the equivalent elastic strain reached the highest value of 1.78 × 10 −5 m/m in the conventional piston, while for the proposed piston, it increased to 6.2 × 10 −5 m/m, representing a 71.3% increase that remains within the allowable limit based on the yield strength of 1,300 MPa. The material operates within the elastic range, making it safe under elastic strain and stress conditions. Similarly, the von-Mises stress was recorded as 3.518 × 10 6 Pa for the conventional piston, while it increased to 1.218 × 10 7 Pa for the proposed piston, representing a 71.1% increase. Additionally, the design decreases maximum linear acceleration on the connecting rod while increasing it on the crankshaft, with a 3.9% rise in the rod’s total deformation. The clarified improvements, including stress reduction and the use of dampers, are emphasized as novel contributions. Finally, the research demonstrates that the proposed design not only improves engine durability but also reduces mechanical losses, making it more suitable for high-performance applications by reducing the piston mass by 30.8%.