CYLINDER HEAD

BY TRISHUL S. PATIL

Introduction

Cylinder head is an important part of IC Engine Cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top It forms the combustion chamber of IC Engine It houses parts like valves, spark plugs and fuel injectors It also houses integral ducts and passages for engines` coolant Number of cylinder heads is a function of the engine configuration Efficiency of the engine depends on the cylinder head

CYLINDER HEAD

Material Selection

Material selection depends upon the various factors Material must possess high strength, modulus of elasticity, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistance The material should posses low density, thermal expansion thermal conductivity Good machinability and castability of the metal alloy are also important factors The alloys must possess good vibration damping to absorb the shuddering of the moving parts Excellent castability, and high strength-to-weight ratio High strength is a particular concern in diesel engines

Materials Used

Generally different alloys are used Alloys such as gray cast iron alloys, compacted graphite cast iron, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys are used Two materials are widely used cast iron, aluminium and aluminium alloys like AlSi Mg, AlSi etc

Advantages & Disadvantages

Aluminium Advantages: Lightweight, repairable, easier to port, and more forgiving of high compression ratios Disadvantages: Cost, proper fastener tightening procedures to avoid thread damage, high coefficient of (thermal) expansion when engine reaches its normal operating temperature

Cast Iron Advantages: Inexpensive, durable, required in many oval track classes, less coefficient of (thermal) expansion Disadvantages: Heavy, less forgiving of high compression ratios, and more expensive to port.

Manufacturing Processes

Generally casting processes are used Green sand moulding, Lost foam casting, Gravity die casting etc

Green Sand Moulding

A combination of silica sand, clay, and water poured in one-half of the block pattern with a wood or metal frame Mold is then compacted by squeezing or jolting, and the process is repeated for the other half of the mold Then, molten cast iron, aluminum, or magnesium alloy is poured into the combined molds and solidifies The molds are removed, and the cylinder block is cleaned and inspected

Green Sand Moulding

Heat Treatment

Mostly T6 Heat Treatment is used It increases the strength of the alloy by as much as 30% The process occurs in two phases 1. Quench Phase 2. Precipitation

T6 Heat Treatment
Quench Phase Alloy is heated to 920 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 hours causing the copper to become dissolved in aluminum, forming a "Single Phase Alloy Slow air cooling, the copper will tend to reconstitute, or reform itself within the alloy Rapid water quenching, the reformation of the copper is retarded and the aluminum, supersaturated with copper, is locked into the "Single Phase Alloy" state.

T6 Heat Treatment
Precipitation
The alloy is heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 hours and then allowed to air cool Copper combines with the aluminum in a process called "precipitation hardening" to form a copper aluminum crystal These copper aluminum crystals gives the alloy its strength Strength of the alloy depends on size of these crystals

T6 Heat Treatment

Microstructures

Mechanical Testing

Mechanical Testing

Thank you