Fatigue life investigation on a MAC engine piston

Abstract

In MAC (Diesel) engines case, the shape of the piston head has an important influence on burning processes and, consequently on engine performance. Since the piston is subjected to high cyclic stresses during the blasting phase, a fatigue phenomenon occur. The piston design and material must provide a high fatigue resistance and a low weight, leading to low dynamic loading of the crank shaft and piston rod. The paper try to investigate the piston fatigue behavior, for several head shapes and materials, in order to establish an optimal design.