Numerical Analysis to Investigate the Impact of Skirt Geometric Parameters on Secondary Piston Movement in a Single-cylinder Diesel Engine

Currently, modern internal combustion engines are receiving great attention due to their efficiency, particularly in response to the increasing limits imposed by environmental and emission legislation. Sound emissions of internal combustion engines are mainly caused by three sources of noise: combustion, mechanical and aerodynamic flow. The secondary motion of the piston plays a crucial role in the analysis of performance, noise, vibration and reliability of internal combustion engine (ICE). In the presented article, a mathematical simulation model has been developed by using of the GT-Suite software to study the rotational and lateral motion of the piston (called secondary motion) as well as the piston slap in ICE. This model takes into account the effect of variation in the major geometric parameters of the skirt design, such as the piston pin offset (P.P.O) and the length of the skirt. Furthermore, a combined model that accounts for the interplay between the secondary dynamics of the piston and the dynamic fluid lubrication has been developed. This model utilizes a mixed lubrication approach for the purpose of simulation. The results of this simulation have demonstrated that the variations in length of the skirt and the P.P.O have a considerable effect on piston secondary motion and tribological performances, and that the lateral motion of the piston is significantly influenced by the piston side force, which plays a crucial role in this behavior.