Piston speed is the average speed of a piston moving through its stroke, measured in feet per minute. It is a critical factor in engine design, affecting power, efficiency, fuel mileage, and even altitude restrictions in aircraft engines. Designers consider factors such as oil pump volume, piston ring design, and engine cooling to ensure the engine can withstand extreme conditions. In performance applications, low fuel consumption is crucial, and the engine design often determines the rest of the race car.
Piston speed is a phrase found mostly in engine building discussion groups. This terminology refers to the average speed, measured in feet per minute, of a piston moving through its combustion cycle within a cylinder or, as it is more commonly known, its stroke. The formula to determine the average speed of the piston is: (RPM x 2 x stroke) / 12.
Engine designers refer to many factors, including piston speed, when designing a new engine. Functions such as oil pump volume, piston ring design, and engine cooling work in concert with the function and cooperation of the other parts of the engine. These factors also help create the parts to ensure they are made of the right materials and the right thickness to withstand a lifetime in an extreme environment.
When creating a new engine for a production vehicle model, factors such as piston speed help determine where the engine will reach its maximum power and efficiency. Fuel mileage and towing capacities are determined by these different engine characteristics, as are the fuel type and octane rating. In aircraft engines, even maximum altitude restrictions can be influenced by piston speed.
A combustion engine is nothing more than a large air pump. The efficiency of the engine’s ability to pump and move air is the determining factor of a successful engine. As it pumps its air, an engine generates heat from the friction of all the moving parts. Designers and engineers have spent many hours designing lubrication systems that will cool engines and allow them to do their jobs in less hot and damaging conditions. They examine all aspects of the engine during this critical design phase.
In performance applications, piston speed is a critical factor in determining fuel mileage. It seems that a vehicle with the lowest fuel consumption per mile (kilometer) wins more and more races. Therefore, it is the duty of the engine designer to create an engine that produces the most power and consumes the least amount of fuel. The rest of the race car is often based on the design of that engine.
Piston speed is responsible for the ultimate creation and success of any type of vehicle. Long hours are spent calculating the layout of components and the relationship of those components to other parts of the engine. Piston velocity is a critical component in the design, planning, and execution of the combustion engine.
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