Open-faced piston assembly
The present disclosure provides an open-faced piston with a circumferential groove into which a piston ring assembly is arranged. Openings at the bottom of the circumferential groove and between a front land of the open-faced piston and the piston face are provided. The openings are arranged to allow for a combustion reaction to propagate through the volume defined between the bottom of the piston ring assembly and the piston face such that at least a portion of an air and fuel mixture located in that volume is reacted.
1. A piston comprising:
a circumferential groove that accommodates a piston ring assembly,
wherein a majority of a side of the circumferential groove is open to a face of the piston.
2. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the side is a radially inward side.
3. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential groove is a first circumferential groove, further comprising a second circumferential groove arranged behind the first circumferential groove.
4. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential groove extends at least partially around an outer surface of the piston.
5. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential groove extends around the entire outer surface of the piston.
6. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the side of the circumferential groove comprises a structural web.
7. The piston of claim 1 , wherein:
the piston ring assembly is configured for oil-less operation; and
the side of the circumferential groove forms a gas path from the piston face to the circumferential groove.
8. The piston of claim 7 , wherein the piston ring assembly comprises graphite.
9. The piston of claim 7 , wherein a minimum opening along the gas path is larger than a quench distance of an oxidizer and fuel mixture of a combustion section in contact with the piston.
10. The piston of claim 9 , wherein the quench distance is approximately 1 mm.
11. A piston assembly comprising:
a piston comprising:
a circumferential groove; and
a side of the circumferential groove, a majority of which is open to a face of the piston; and
a piston ring assembly arranged within the circumferential groove.
12. The piston assembly of claim 11 , wherein the side is a radially inward side.
13. The piston assembly of claim 11 , wherein the circumferential groove is a first circumferential groove, further comprising a second circumferential groove arranged behind the first circumferential groove.
14. The piston assembly of claim 11 , wherein the circumferential groove extends at least partially around an outer surface of the piston.
15. The piston assembly of claim 11 , wherein the circumferential groove extends around the entire outer surface of the piston.
16. The piston assembly of claim 11 , wherein the side of the circumferential groove comprises a structural web.
17. The piston assembly of claim 11 , wherein:
the piston ring assembly is configured for oil-less operation; and
the side of the circumferential groove forms a gas path from the piston face to the circumferential groove.
18. The piston assembly of claim 17 , wherein the piston ring assembly comprises graphite.
19. The piston assembly of claim 17 , wherein a minimum opening along the gas path is larger than a quench distance of an oxidizer and fuel mixture of a combustion section in contact with the piston.
20. The piston assembly of claim 19 , wherein the quench distance is approximately 1 mm.
21. A machine comprising:
a cylinder comprising a combustion section;
a piston assembly arranged within the cylinder, the piston comprising:
an open-faced piston comprising:
a piston face;
a circumferential groove that accommodates a piston ring assembly; and
a side of the circumferential groove, a majority of which is open to a face of the piston.
22. The machine of claim 21 , wherein the side is a radially inward side.
23. The machine of claim 21 , wherein:
the piston ring assembly is configured for oil-less operation; and
the piston ring assembly comprises graphite.
24. A piston comprising:
a circumferential groove that accommodates a piston ring assembly,
wherein a majority of a side of the circumferential groove is open, and
wherein the groove is open to region in contact with the face of the piston that is at a higher pressure than a region behind a land of the piston.
25. The piston of claim 24 , wherein:
the piston ring assembly is configured for oil-less operation; and
the piston ring assembly comprises graphite.