The potential for thermal barrier coatings in internal combustion engines

The automotive industry nowadays presents a rich terrain for the innovation process, especially with the severe environmental challenges combined with the necessity of new materials and processing. While several studies highlight the advancements of electrification, this research focuses on the potential improvement of the fuel efficiency in internal combustion engines. To achieve higher fuel efficiency, thermal barrier coatings, which have been extensively used to improve the efficiency of aerospace engines, were applied in automotive engines.

Based on an adaptive approach, literature input, and engine tests, the optimum coating features were found for the desired application. For the thermophysical features, a combination of laser flash analysis (LFA) and modeling with object-oriented finite element (OOF) was employed to evaluate the thermal effusivity of TBCs applied on coupons and pistons. The performance of the coatings was evaluated in three different ways, by thermal cyclic tests on coupons,thermal swing tests, and by a single-cylinder engine experiment exposing the coatings to the engine environment. By reducing the thermal losses, this novel solution led to improved fuel efficiency on internal combustion engines.