Friction cut by AE piston
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A NEW piston concept aimed at reducing engine friction Was announced last week by the AE group at its 1982 technical symposium.
Known as the AEconoguide, the piston has the normal full contact area of the skirt profile on the thrust and non-thrust faces replaced by small individual contact areas or pads.
These pads, which are some 0.02 5mm (about one thou) proud of the skirt, are produced by machining the piston on equipment designed and developed by AE.
The effect of the AEconoguide design is to reduce the total contact area of the skirt by about 75 per cent while ensuring that both contact area and stiffness remain consistent over a wide range of loads and temperatures.
Test results have shown a reduction on friction of up to 14 per cent with a corresponding fuel consumption improvement of four per cent.