Question

Explain the physics behind pistons in paragraph format.

Answer 1

Piston does three main operations in the IC engine. First, it draws the air-fuel mixture; then, it helps compress said mixture and, finally, it needs to withstand the sudden rise in temperature caused by the ignition. Pistons have piston rings which also has a variety of role to play.Like, for e.g. they transfer 60 percent of the heat from the piston to the cylinder wall. The physics behind the air suction is that when the piston moves down a vacuum is created allowing the fresh air to enter due to the pressure difference. In the compression cycle the air fuel mixture is compressed, where the volume decreses and temperature increases as per the charles and boyles law. Pistons are made of three parts: the head or top, which is in direct contact with the heat and pressure, the grooved section where the piston rings are fitted (right above the piston pin which connects to the tie rod), and finally the skirt, which guides the piston inside the cylinder wall during its stroke. Depending on the angle and number of valves as well as the location of the spark plugs, pistons can take various shapes like flat or dome, etc.