ANALYSIS OF CI ENGINE PERFORMANCE BY THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS ON PISTON UNDER DIFFERENT COOLING RATES

Abstract

To analyze performance of a twin cylinder four stroke CI engine whose piston is coated with a ceramic material and experiments are carried out at different cooling rates. Research & Development technique is used for decreasing costs and consumption of fuel in internal combustion engines and technological innovation studies are going on continuously. Through various constructional changes engine efficiency development efforts are augmented day by day; for instance, parallel to development of advanced technology ceramics, ceramic coating applications in IC engines grows fast. In order to get better engine performance, fuel energy must be converted to machine energy at the most possible rate. Lower heat rejection from combustion chamber through thermally insulated components leads to increase in available energy that will raise the cylinder work and total energy carried by the engine exhaust, which could be also utilized. The research engine was a four-stroke, direct injection, twin cylinder, water cooled CI engine. It was tested at constant speed and different load conditions before coating. Also Piston was coated with 0.5mm size of Zirconia (ZrO2) over a 150 μm thickness of NiCrAlY bond coat. The engine was tested at standard conditions to study the effect of coated surfaces of piston on its performance and emissions of the engine. The ceramic-coated engine performance is to be compared with conventional uncoated engine performance. Engine exhaust such as NOx CO, CO2 and Unburned Hydro Carbons are to be determined with the aid of exhaust gas analyzer by conducting several experimental cycles at various loads i.e., at 0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5& 3 K.W load after piston is coated by ceramic material.