Abstract: A piston, piston ring and method of construction thereof is provided. The piston ring is L-shaped, having a first portion configured to extend upwardly from a ring groove of a piston along a top land of the piston and a second portion configured for receipt in the ring groove. The first and second portions of the ring have an enclosed hollow cooling chamber with a cooling medium disposed therein such that the cooling medium is free to flow internally to the piston ring groove and upwardly from the piston ring groove along the top land.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston includes a body having a cylindrical outer surface with a ring belt region including an annular uppermost ring groove and a lower ring groove extending into the outer surface. A top land extends from the uppermost ring groove to an upper combustion surface. The body has a pair of pin bosses with pin bores aligned with one another along a pin bore axis. A first piston ring is disposed in the uppermost ring groove and a second piston ring is disposed in the lower ring groove. The body has an annular sealed cooling gallery with a cooling medium contained therein. The sealed cooling gallery is configured in substantial radial alignment between the first and second piston rings to provide optimal cooling to the ring belt region, top land and upper combustion surface.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a body including an upper combustion wall having an upper combustion surface; cylindrical outer wall with a ring belt region adjacent the upper combustion surface, and a closed annular cooling gallery located in radial alignment with the ring belt region. A cooling medium is contained in the cooling gallery. The cooling gallery has an inner surface including a radially outermost portion extending along the ring belt region. The outermost portion converges from the upper combustion wall toward a longitudinal central axis. During reciprocating motion of the piston, the cooling medium flows and remains in contact with the cooling gallery walls, thereby maximizing the capacity for heat to be transferred from the upper combustion wall to the contained cooling medium and from the cooling medium to the piston body, ring belt region and ultimately to the engine cooling system.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine and piston therefor is provided. The piston has a body including an upper combustion wall, a cylindrical outer wall including a ring belt region depending from the upper combustion wall, and a pair of pin bosses having axially aligned pin bores. The piston has a first cooling gallery in radial alignment with the ring belt region with a cooling medium contained therein. An insert member is fixed to the body in axially spaced relation beneath a lower wall of the first cooling gallery. The insert member bounds a second cooling gallery beneath the lower wall of the first cooling gallery. The insert member has an inlet opening configured to allow oil to flow into the second cooling gallery against the lower wall of the first cooling gallery and a separate outlet opening configured to allow the oil to flow outwardly from the second cooling gallery.

Abstract: A piston assembly including a piston body pivotally connected to a connecting rod by a wrist pin. The wrist pin includes a sealed cavity therein partially filled with a heat transfer medium. The heat transfer medium may be composed of a fusible alloy. The sealed cavity may be comprised of discrete compartments. The wrist pin may be integrated with the connecting rod and share a conjoined sealed cavity therewith so that heat transfer medium can draw heat effectively away from the piston body.

Abstract: A piston has a pair of diametrically opposite skirt portions with convex outer surfaces. Each skirt portion has opposite side edges extending substantially parallel to a central axis of the piston to a free end. The skirt portions each have a recessed slot extending radially into the convex outer surface to a recessed surface. The recessed surface extends fully across the convex outer surface to the side edges and separates an upper band section of the convex outer surface from a lower band section of the convex outer surface.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine including a piston body (20). The piston body (20) defines a first cooling chamber (46) that is sealed closed and contains a first cooling medium (48) other than air. During operation of the piston, the first cooling medium (48) extracts heat from the surrounding regions of the piston body (20) to cool the piston body (20). The piston body (20) also defines a second cooling chamber (50) adjacent to the first cooling chamber (46). A cooling oil (51) is projected into the second cooling chamber (50) and against the portion of the piston body (20) separating the first and second cooling chambers (46, 50) to extract heat from the first cooling medium (48). The cooling oil (51) is redirected within the second cooling chamber (50) to extract additional heat from the first cooling medium (48) or directly from the piston body (20).

Abstract: A process and apparatus utilizing at least one conformable anode (40) in a plating process to apply a plating to an article (10). A wire or other material suitable for an anode is shaped to conform to the approximate shape of a region of the article to be coated. The anode is powered by an electrical power source (44), and the article serves as the cathode. The anode and article are both immersed in a plating bath (38). The article and anode are rotated relative to one another about a central axis (22) of the article. The relative movement between the anode and the article causes a uniform plating (46) to be applied to selected regions of the article that pass the anode. Another anode (50) can be arranged in fixed relation with the article to cause plating to a separate selected region of the article concurrently with the other anode.

Abstract: A piston has a pair of diametrically opposite skirt portions each having an opening providing fluid communication between an outer surface of the skirt portions and an internal cavity. The openings provide the outer surfaces of the skirt portions with a circumferentially extending upper band portion above a horizontal plane extending through a pin bore axis and a circumferentially extending lower band portion below the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A diesel engine is fitted with a thin-walled wet liner fabricated of steel. The liner has a hardness that is within 10-20 Rc of the hardness of the piston rings carried on a piston within the liner. The inner surface of the liner is manufactured with a TRD=5Rvk (100?Mr2) of between 30 and 400 ?m, and a compound liner thickness to bore diameter in the range of 1.5 to 4 percent.

Abstract: A piston has a pair of diametrically opposite skirt portions with convex outer surfaces. Each skirt portion has opposite side edges extending substantially parallel to a central axis of the piston to a free end. The skirt portions each have a recessed slot extending radially into the convex outer surface to a recessed surface. The recessed surface extends fully across the convex outer surface to the side edges and separates an upper band section of the convex outer surface from a lower band section of the convex outer surface.

Abstract: A process and apparatus utilizing at least one conformable anode (40) in a plating process to apply a plating to an article (10). A wire or other material suitable for an anode is shaped to conform to the approximate shape of a region of the article to be coated. The anode is powered by an electrical power source (44), and the article serves as the cathode. The anode and article are both immersed in a plating bath (38). The article and anode are rotated relative to one another about a central axis (22) of the article. The relative movement between the anode and the article causes a uniform plating (46) to be applied to selected regions of the article that pass the anode. Another anode (50) can be arranged in fixed relation with the article to cause plating to a separate selected region of the article concurrently with the other anode.

Abstract: A piston has a pair of diametrically opposite skirt portions each having an opening providing fluid communication between an outer surface of the skirt portions and an internal cavity. The openings provide the outer surfaces of the skirt portions with a circumferentially extending upper band portion above a horizontal plane extending through a pin bore axis and a circumferentially extending lower band portion below the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A piston (120) and method for making a piston (120) for a fuel-injected diesel engine adapted to withstand the damaging effects of fuel injection plume-induced oxidation in the regions of the piston bowl (134) and rim (130). The surfaces of the piston crown (126) targeted by the fuel injection plume (138) are first coated with a corrosion-resistant and oxidation-resistant composition applied as a slurry or by a thermal spraying technique, such as HVOF or plasma spraying. Thereafter, a high energy industrial laser beam irradiates the as-sprayed coating to increase its density, while simultaneously reforming its microstructure so as to fuse, alloy, and materially bond the coating material with the underlying steel substrate, thereby resulting in a durable protective surface for the steel piston crown (126).

Abstract: A cylinder liner for an internal combustion diesel engine and corresponding method of construction and method of improving engine performance therewith has a cylindrical inner wall providing a bore extending along a central axis for reciprocation of a piston therein. The inner wall has an axial lower portion and an axial upper portion. The lower portion has a first diameter below a top-dead-center plane and the upper portion has a second diameter provided by a material formed as one piece with the inner wall, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter.

Abstract: A diesel engine piston assembly comprises a piston body having a top wall with a combustion bowl formed in the top wall and having a combustion bowl edge, an outer ring belt formed with a plurality of ring grooves including a top ring groove with an upper wall of the top ring groove and a top land portion of the ring belt disposed between the top ring groove and the top wall, a pair of pin bosses with aligned pin bores and a skirt; and a diamond dispersed chromium composite coating applied to at least the top wall, the combustion bowl edge, the top land portion and the upper wall of the top ring groove.

Abstract: A piston head has a top extending radially about a first axis and first and second pin bosses depending downwardly and defining first and second pin bores. A connecting rod includes a fork having first and second connecting bosses spaced apart from each other and defining first and second connecting bores. A piston skirt extends cylindrically and includes a bridge extending diametrically through the first axis defining a skirt bore for axial alignment with said pin bores and said connecting bores. The bridge is disposed between the first and second connecting bosses, which are disposed between the pin bosses. The pin bores are axially aligned with the connecting bores and with the skirt bore. A wrist pin extends within the pin bores and the connecting bores and the skirt bore along the second axis to interconnect the piston head and the connecting rod and the piston skirt.

Abstract: A piston (120) and method for making a piston (120) for a fuel-injected diesel engine adapted to withstand the damaging effects of fuel injection plume-induced oxidation in the regions of the piston bowl (134) and rim (130). The surfaces of the piston crown (126) targeted by the fuel injection plume (138) are first coated with a corrosion-resistant and oxidation-resistant composition applied as a slurry or by a thermal spraying technique, such as HVOF or plasma spraying. Thereafter, a high energy industrial laser beam irradiates the as-sprayed coating to increase its density, while simultaneously reforming its microstructure so as to fuse, alloy, and materially bond the coating material with the underlying steel substrate, thereby resulting in a durable protective surface for the steel piston crown (126).

Abstract: The invention provides a method for forming a tribologically enhanced surface on a work-piece. The method includes the step of combining a predetermined material operable to enhance tribological properties with a liquid to form a slurry or a solution. The method also includes the step of applying the slurry/solution to a surface of a work-piece. The method also includes the step of transforming the phase of the predetermined material with a laser after the applying step. Transforming the phase of the predetermined material generates a chemical reaction binding the tribological agent with the surface of the work-piece.