Vacuum 65 (2002) 427432

The effect of thermal barrier coatings on diesel engine performance

! T. Hejwowski*, A. Weronski
Department of Materials Engineering, Technical University of Lublin, 36 Nadbystrzycka St., 20-618 Lublin, Poland

Abstract An experimental study of the effects of thin thermal barrier coatings on the performance of a diesel engine was conducted. Results obtained from the engine with thermally insulated pistons were compared with the baseline engine data. Engine trials demonstrated good properties of both coating systems. Temperature and stress distributions within the pistons were evaluated analytically by means of the Cosmos/Works FEM code. Results of a road test on a gasolineengine-driven car are also reported. The performance of the modied engine-driven car was found satisfactory. The ceramic coating did not produce observable knock in the engine, no signicant wear of piston skirts or cylinder liners was found. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Thermal barrier coating (TBC); Diesel engine; Engine tests; Yttria partially stabilised zirconia (YPSZ); Al2O3TiO2

1. Introduction The rapid increase in fuel expenses, the decreasing supply of high-grade fuels on the market and environmental concerns stimulated research on more efcient engines with acceptable emission characteristics. The state-of-art thermal barrier coatings (TBC) provide the potential for higher thermal efciences of the engine, improved combustion and reduced emissions. In addition, ceramics show better wear characteristics than conventional materials. Lower heat rejection from the combustion chamber through thermally insulated components causes an increase in available energy that would increase the in-cylinder work and the amount of energy tranported by the exhaust gases, which could be also utilized.
*Corresponding author. Fax: +48-81-525-08-08. E-mail address: thejwowski@lubin.home.pl (T. Hejwowski).

Application of thick plasma-sprayed coatings has a number of disadvantages namely, adhesion of coatings thicker than 0.5 mm is poor, temperatures of combustion chamber walls raised to excessive values reduce the volumetric efciency and create additional problems with adequate lubrication at the higher end of piston stroke. Typically, carbon deposits on the combustion chamber surface possess thermal properties comparable with ceramics. Due to higher temperatures in the combustion chamber, lower emissions of unburned hydrocarbons can be expected. On the other hand, however, for the same reasons, nitrous and nitric oxide (NOx) emissions would tend to rise. There are contradictory reports on the effect of TBC on engine performance [1,2]. Obtained results depend on the type of the engine and conditions of test. Measurement of temperatures and heat ux is difcult, thermal probes often interfere with

0042-207X/02/$ - see front matter r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 4 2 - 2 0 7 X ( 0 1 ) 0 0 4 5 2 - 3

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temperature distribution and materials used to construct them can catalyze the combustion process [3].

2. Aim and scope of investigations In our earlier publications [4,5], results of thermal fatigue and wear tests were discussed. The investigated coating systems were:
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NiCrAl bond coat 0.15 mm thick, Al2O340% TiO2 0.35 mm thick; NiCrAl bond coat 0.15 mm thick, ZrO28% Y2O3 0.3 mm thick; NiCrMo bond coat 0.15 mm thick, Al2O340% ZrO2 0.25 mm thick.

Fig. 1. The piston model and mesh, 0.5.

The most resistant to abrasion and erosion was the third coating system, which unfortunately, has inferior resistance to thermal cycling. The rst coating system is interesting from the economical point of view. The second and the most expensive coating system has low wear resistance combined with excellent resistance to temperature cycling. The rst two systems were chosen for further experimental tests. Based on the results of nite element calculations, it is demonstrated that the third coating system would not increase the engine efciency. The programme of investigations comprised the following steps:
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Finite element method (FEM) calculations to evaluate stress and temperature distributions in pistons with crowns covered with the TBC. All the systems were examined. Engine trials on base line engine and the engine with pistons covered with TBC. Durability tests and road test.

3. Numerical assessment of temperatures and thermal stresses Numerical analysis was performed to evaluate stress and temperature gradients in pistons with thermally insulated crowns. In calculations, FEM Cosmos/works version 4.0 was used. A 3D model of the piston was created. The piston was

supported by the rigid, motionless gidgeon pin. The displacements at the gidgeon pin hole surface were set to zero. It was assumed that the major mechanism of heat transfer is convection, all the materials are isotropic and linearly elastic with properties independent of temperature. The code did not enable us to perform full dynamic analysis and to assign different mesh size in the piston and coating. The highest possible quality meshes were generated. The piston model used in FEM calculations was based on the original design. The geometric model is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the average convection coefcients and temperatures in particular areas of the piston surface applied in calculations. These values were assumed to be constant, i.e. independent of coating material. The piston surface is heated in a pointwise-like way at the outlet of the swirl chamber and cooled through contact with cooler components of the combustion chamber. This model of the process is successfully applied by piston producers to evaluate design alterations. For simplicity, it was further assumed that the presence of a bond coat can be omitted. Three types of ceramic top coatings, formerly experimentally investigated, were considered. Nearly all the experimental effort is focused on zirconiabased systems. In practice, accurate data on thermal and mechanical properties of this coating

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in Table 1. The following conclusions can be drawn:

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Fig. 2. Average values of convection coefcients and temperatures in a combustion cycle (convection coefcient/temperature).

In the metal piston, high stresses appear at the point close to the outlet of swirl chamber. In thermally insulated pistons, this effect disappears. Effect of coatings on stress and temperature distributions decreases with increasing distance from the free surface. Temperatures developed at the coating surface can be signicantly higher than those on the metal piston surface. Al2O3ZrO2 coating has practically no effect on heat ux, maximum temperature developed at the surface of 0.6 mm thick coating is 481 K compared to 465 K of the metal piston. The optimum coating thickness for ZrO2Y2O3 and Al2O3TiO2 is slightly below 0.5 mm. Temperatures at the coating surface are then in the range 448586 K. Thicker coatings hinder temperature equalization on the coating surface creating hot spots.

are accessible for this coating, including also their dependence on coating morphology. For the analysis, average values were accepted [6], whereas for the remaining two coatings, approximate values were taken [7]. FEM calculations were performed for three coating thicknesses, namely, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.6 mm and for the metal piston. The input properties of the coatings are given

4. Test rig and results A 4C90, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, fourstroke diesel engine with swirl chamber combustion system was used in engine tests. The engine is applied to drive light trucks, all-terrain vehicles

Table 1 Input properties of piston alloy and coatings Property Material Piston alloy Al12% Si Youngs modulus (GPa) Poissons ratio Yield strength (GPa) Tensile strength (GPa) Shear modulus (GPa) Flexural strength (MPa) Thermal expansion (1/K) 106 Specic heat (J/kg K) Thermal conductivity (W/m K) Density (kg/m3) 80 0.28 0.25 0.245 30.5 21 960 155 2700 YPSZ 11.25 0.25 F F 32 10.9 620 1.4 5650 Al2O340% TiO2 13 0.24 F F 30 1.3 800 1.4 3000 Al2O340% ZrO2 340 0.23 F F 340 7.0 800 15 4010

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and electric generating sets. The general data of the engine are as follows:
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maximum power (kW/HP)F51.5/70 bore/stroke (mm)F90/95 cubic capacity (cm3)F2417 compression ratioF20.6:1 fuel injection pumpFpiston in line either rotary mechanical governingFmechanical coolingFliquid weight (dry) (kg)F230.

The test rig enabled measurement of the following parameters: rotational speed, brake torque, fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature, cooling water temperature and intensity of gas blow-by to gear box. Performance characteristics were taken for engine equipped with conventional pistons and for engine with assembled pistons covered with the TBC. In the same engine, two pistons covered with NiCrAl bond coat 0.15 mm thick/aluminatitania (Al2O3TiO2) top coat 0.35 mm thick and two pistons covered with NiCrAl bond coat 0.15 mm thick/ZrO28% Y2O3 (yttria partially stabilized zirconia) top coat 0.3 mm thick were mounted. Fig. 3 presents the dependence of brake torque on rotational speed for both base-line engine and the modied one. Fig. 4 shows a comparison of brake

Fig. 4. Brake power comparison over a range of engine speeds between engines with metal (2) and ceramic-covered pistons (1).

power between conventional and modied engines. Dependence of specic fuel combustion on rotational speed of the engine for both engines is depicted in Fig. 5. The following conclusions can be drawn from the experimental data:
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fuel consumption for a modied engineFwas lower by 4.2% for speeds about 1100 rpm, 11.7% at 4000 rpm and 20.7% at 2500 rpm; specic fuel consumption for a modied engineFdecreases by 1520%; in the highest speed range, power of a modied engine is approx. 8% higher; brake moment for a modied engineFdecreases by 4% at lower speeds and is 6% higher than in conventional engine for highest speeds; exhaust gas temperature is 200 K higher in a modied engine; temperatures of cooling water and oil are a few Kelvin degrees higher in a modied engine.

Fig. 3. Comparison of brake torque for engines with metal (2) and ceramic-covered pistons (1) over a range of engine speeds.

Results can be rationalized in the following way: ceramic layer applied to piston crowns reduces heat transferred from combustion gases and increases their temperature. At low rotational speeds, in a conventional engine, temperature of the combustion chamber drops down before the next portion of fuel is ignited, which secures good

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Fig. 5. Specic fuel consumption for a conventional (2) and modied engine (1).

lling of the chamber. At very high rotational speeds, for both engines, volume of air admitted to the chamber is signicantly lower due to higher temperatures attained by combustion chamber walls. In this situation, in the modied engine, the negative effect of reduced lling efciency is offset by better combustion. Resistance to thermal fatigue is the most important characteristic for TBCs. Performance of both coating systems was evaluated in an earlier test [4,5]. The problem in transferring thermal fatigue data generated in the laboratory is that the choice of failure criterion depends on expected service conditions of the coating. Hitherto, applied tests were developed to access the performance of coatings applied in turbines. In such conditions, detached fragments of coatings leave the turbine without inducing signicant damage to the turbine components. In the case of combustion chamber of the diesel engine, however, which is denitely a more closed system, effect of loose ceramic particles must be taken into account. Erosion and abrasion resistances of top coatings were evaluated in the earlier study, to complete the picture, the durability test was carried on the 4C90 engine. The engine was subjected to cyclic load changes, which in turn caused cyclic variations of temperatures and stresses at the piston surfaces. The same set of ceramic-covered pistons was used

for this purpose. The engine was allowed to idle for 10 min and later, was loaded with the full brake moment of 120 Nm for another 50 min. The total time of the test was 100 h. Every 20 h, the cylinder head was removed and combustion chamber surfaces thoroughly examined. Both coatings survived the test, carbon deposits on both coatings have similar thickness and appearance. On completion of the test, piston skirts, cylinder sleeves and piston rings were examined metalographically. Depth of wear scars and extent of damage of piston skirts was comparable with those found on metal pistons. Piston rings were made of cast iron. To provide adequate wear resistance and facilitate running in, all the three rings were phosphatized, for re ring and piston scraper ring, this was preceded by chromizing. Chromium coatings on rings of pistons covered with the top coat of yttria partially stabilized the zirconia-bore signs of minor damage. Particles detached from titaniaalumina coating caused higher damage, there was, however, no necessity to replace them. In conclusion, both coating systems passed the test. The TBC based on Al2O3TiO2 was also applied to the piston crowns, re decks of cylinder head and valves of gasoline engine of a small passenger car Fiat 126. Although road tests are in progress, the preliminary results show that fuel consumption and engine performance are not worser than those for an original engine. The ceramic coating did not produce any observable knock in the engine. Examinations of piston skirts and cylinder liners revealed no signicant wear at the conclusion of the running-in period.

5. Conclusions Thermal barrier coatings with NiCrAl bond coat and aluminatitania or yttria partially stabilized ZrO2 can be used to constitute durable and efcient thermal barriers on gasoline engine and diesel engine piston crowns. Results of FEM calculations showed that the optimum thickness of the TBC is slightly below 0.5 mm. It was found in tests performed on a naturally aspirated diesel engine with pistons covered with TBCs, that

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specic fuel consumption was lower by 1520%. Signicant increase in engine performance was found at high engine speedsFpower increased by approx. 8% and brake moment by 6%. Exhaust gas temperature was found to be 200 K higher than in the engine with metal pistons. TBC with aluminatitania shows good resistance to conditions prevailing in a gasoline engine combustion chamber, the performance of the thermally insulated engine was found to be satisfactory.

References
[1] Assanis DN, Mathur T. The effect of thin ceramic coatings on spark-ignition engine performance. SAE Trans 1990;900003. [2] Wochni G, Spindler W. J Engn Gas Turbines Power 1988;110:482502. [3] Jones RL. Combust Sci Technol 1997;129:18595. [4] Hejwowski T. A study of erosive and abrasive wear of plasma sprayed coatings. Proc ISAPS 1999;2:2116. ! [5] Hejwowski TA, Weronski A. Thermal fatigue resistance of plasma sprayed coatings. Proc ISAPS 1999;2:21722. [6] Schwingel D, et al., Thermophysical and mechanical properties of PYZ thick thermal barrier coatings. Proceedings of the 15th International Thermal Spray Conference, 2529 May 1998, Nice, France. [7] Oczos KE. Formation of ceramic technical materials. Rzeszow, Poland: Ocyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Rzeszowskiej, 1996. p. 8994.

Acknowledgements Authors are very grateful to Dr. Z. Slawinski for suggestions and discussions.