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| Advanced Materials. Article courtesy of http://RacingSecrets.com Using Advanced Materials to Improve Engine Performance New-generation, two-stroke automotive engines are more fuel- efficient and environment-friendly, but conventional engine materials, such as iron, steel, and aluminum, may not be able to handle the increased thermal loading required of certain engine parts, such as pistons, rings, bearings, and exhaust ports. Advanced ceramics, aluminum alloys, powdered metals, and coatings could help overcome this problem and extend engine life. The Mercury Marine Division of Brunswick and Argonne National Laboratory are working together under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to discover ways to solve the materials problems related to more efficient engines. One possibility is the use of advanced ceramic materials to fabricate pistons and rings. Advanced materials can handle thermal stress better than conventional materials. They are more resistant to thermal damage, wear and tear, and possibly even corrosion. These materials can be used in the development of a low-cost, compact engine featuring high power density that is appropriate for use in hybrid-electric and electric vehicles. Argonne researchers are using a specially designed infrared telemetry system to measure the temperatures of suspected hot spots on the pistons of a baseline single-cylinder, two-stroke, spark-ignition research engine. Conventional thermocouples are too fragile to withstand the severe conditions inside an automotive engine. The new telemetry system can accurately measure piston temperatures in an engine that is operating at 6,000 rpm. The temperature data will be used in a finite-element thermal stress model for designing pistons with advanced materials. Baseline data are now being collected and analyzed. A new direct fuel injection (DFI) two-stroke engine is being built for further piston temperature measurements. Argonne researchers will design new pistons, rings, and bearings that can withstand high local thermal stress. Advanced ceramic coatings will be placed on strategic locations on the piston bowl, and the rings will also be coated with advanced materials. Prototype pistons and rings will then be tested in the DFI engine. This concept is also applicable to light-, medium-, and heavy-duty spark- or compression-ignition engines.  Send this article to a friend Submit an Article Sign up for our FREE Racing Tech Newsletter Webmasters: You may freely reprint this article on your website provided the following caption remains intact, along with a working link.This article courtesy of http://RacingSecrets.com , your racing technology resource. |