The Hyper Performance Piston: A Game-Changer in Engine Design?

The hyper performance piston has finally arrived on the market, and with it, come claims of dramatic increases in fuel efficiency and emission cutbacks. But is there any advantage to making holes in the piston head, or is this just an aftermarket modification that pistons can account for up to 60 percent of the engine's friction? Regardless of whether you're using a range extender in a hybrid car or a heavy-duty diesel, the design considerations for the piston are major.

For years, manufacturers have had the option of going cast versus forged. A cast piston is melted and poured into a mold, requiring very little machining and making it possible to be mass-produced at an effective cost. Aluminum has been the popular choice for many applications, but as performance increases, so does the material's ability to fatigue under over 200 bar pressure. This has led to the development of alternative materials such as steel and forged pistons, which are more expensive to produce.

However, manufacturers have found innovative ways to increase power and fuel efficiency without resorting to these alternatives. One way to do this is by changing the shape of the piston head itself. The piston head is a critical component of the engine, bearing the brunt of the pressure and heat generated during combustion. This pressure can have a dramatic influence on the combustion process, making it essential to optimize the design.

One approach to achieving this optimization is through the use of a bowl for controlling movement of air and fuel. By creating a vortex inside the bowl before combustion, a better mixture can be achieved, leading to improved mileage, power, and emission control. Companies such as SOA are taking this concept one step further by making indentations with CNC machines on their pistons. These "hint ends" allow for the combustion flame to burn closer to the walls of the chamber, potentially improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

One notable example of the hyper performance piston in action is its use in a CAT 3516 engine in a mine truck. According to the manufacturer, this modified piston can double the lifespan of oil before changing it out, making it an attractive option for industrial applications where downtime can be costly. With prices starting at around $3,700 for a 2018 Cummins 6.7, the hyper performance piston may seem like an expensive modification for consumer vehicles.

However, when calculating the potential savings on emissions and fuel costs over the life of the vehicle, the hyper performance piston could prove to be a worthwhile investment. According to one calculator, the cost savings could add up to $5,800 for 100,000 miles. While this may not seem like a huge amount at first glance, it's essential to consider the broader context in which these vehicles are being used.

For example, regulatory push towards electric vehicles at the consumer level means that traditional engines and modifications will likely remain relevant for some time to come. Moreover, the development of battery technology has been slow to progress, leaving many areas of the world without established power infrastructure capable of supporting widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Until these issues are addressed, aftermarket parts such as the hyper performance piston will continue to have a place in the market.

In fact, recent research involving multi-objective genetic algorithms and optimization has shown that there is indeed a correlation between emissions and bolt geometry. This has significant implications for the development of more efficient engine designs. By leveraging these advanced technologies alongside traditional engineering methods, manufacturers may be able to push the boundaries of what is thought possible in terms of efficiency and performance.

One company that is making this technology available to consumers is SOA. Their piston web app allows users to design and optimize their own pistons using a variety of different shapes and configurations. This level of customization is unprecedented in the industry, and it's likely to have a significant impact on the way engineers approach engine design in the future.

As the world continues to grapple with the challenges posed by climate change and energy efficiency, companies like SOA are playing an increasingly important role in developing innovative solutions. While the hyper performance piston may seem like a niche product at first glance, its potential impact on the broader industry cannot be overstated.

In conclusion, the hyper performance piston represents a significant step forward in engine design and technology. By leveraging advanced materials and manufacturing techniques, companies are able to achieve dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions control. While there are certainly challenges ahead, including the ongoing push towards electric vehicles and the need for more widespread adoption of renewable energy sources, the potential benefits of this technology make it an exciting development that is worth keeping a close eye on.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe hyper performance piston has come out and there are claims that this has dramatic increases in fuel efficiency along with emission cutbacks but is there any advantage to making holes in the Piston head or is this just aftermarket type the Pistons can account for up to 60 percent of the engine's friction so regardless if you're using a range extender in a hybrid car or using a heavy duty diesel there are major design considerations for this particular component for many years there has been the option of going cast versus forged where a cast is melted poured into the mold there is very little Machining and this can be mass produced at an effective cost a aluminum has been the popular choice for many applications but as you get into higher pressure performance diesels this can be a problem because over 200 bar the material starts to fatigue very quickly this has led to different types of materials such as steel and even the forged process which is formed and machined but these alternatives are typically more expensive so manufacturers are coming up with different innovative ways to produce more power and better fuel economy one excellent way to do this is to change the shape of the Piston head itself this is a critical component of the Piston because there's enormous amounts of pressure focused at this area and this can have a dramatic influence on how the combustion process occurs even as of now there is a lot of research going into piston bolt design optimization one way to do this is to use a bowl for controlling movement of air and fuel creating a Vortex inside the Bowl before combustion leading to a better mixture these bowls can be in a variety of different shapes for mileage power or emission control SOA is one of the few companies to take this one step further by making indentations with CNC machines these hint ends allow for combustion flame to burn much closer to the walls of the chamber the company claims up to 25 better fuel economy and 80 percent less nitrogen oxide the company has demoed a few engines with the hyper performance piston with the most notable being the cat 3516 engine in a mine truck they claim that they can double the lifespan of the oil before changing it out in terms of downtime for a mine operation this could be very cost effective if the claim is true so for Industrial and Commercial applications this aftermarket part could make sense if the numbers are correct now as a consumer product there are a lot more personal factors and even warranty involved so there is a little bit more calculation to see if this is the right fit right now it's available for Duramax Cummins and Ford power stroke and I did check on their site for some kids and it costs roughly around 3 700 US dollars for a 2018 coming 6.7 so I guess it depends on where you live and the exchange rates you are based in but according to the calculator with emissions and oil changes and fuel mileage this could amount to 5800 saved for 100 000 miles I wasn't totally convinced about buying this overly expensive product for an existing vehicle but this was really intriguing is there any correlation between the bull geometry and the emission control so I looked at a different study which involved the cases multi-objective genetic algorithm and this optimization comprised of 50 designs with analysis focused on nitrogen oxide and suit according to the study there is indeed a correlation between emissions and bold geometry they also provide a piston web app so you can design your own bolt and Export it to an sdl file it's interesting that parallel developments of using algorithms along with computational fluid dynamics to calculate what is the most efficient type of component but it's also going to be interesting to see if AI will come out with drastic and strange new engine designs there is an obvious regulatory push towards electric vehicles at the consumer level and one could argue that a breakthrough in Battery Technology could make the hyper performance piston obsolete however there are many factors in this equation there will always be a high demand for the transportation of goods Mining and agriculture but there also is an influx of lighter electric vehicles for the average driver but in many parts of the world there is no established power infrastructure which can supplement the grid for these power demands and until we solve the power grid demands along with consumer affordability and renewable resources then aftermarket parts such as the hyper performance piston will still make sense for many years to come but more importantly I would like to know what you think about all this so please leave a comment like the video If you enjoyed it and also make sure to subscribe to my channelthe hyper performance piston has come out and there are claims that this has dramatic increases in fuel efficiency along with emission cutbacks but is there any advantage to making holes in the Piston head or is this just aftermarket type the Pistons can account for up to 60 percent of the engine's friction so regardless if you're using a range extender in a hybrid car or using a heavy duty diesel there are major design considerations for this particular component for many years there has been the option of going cast versus forged where a cast is melted poured into the mold there is very little Machining and this can be mass produced at an effective cost a aluminum has been the popular choice for many applications but as you get into higher pressure performance diesels this can be a problem because over 200 bar the material starts to fatigue very quickly this has led to different types of materials such as steel and even the forged process which is formed and machined but these alternatives are typically more expensive so manufacturers are coming up with different innovative ways to produce more power and better fuel economy one excellent way to do this is to change the shape of the Piston head itself this is a critical component of the Piston because there's enormous amounts of pressure focused at this area and this can have a dramatic influence on how the combustion process occurs even as of now there is a lot of research going into piston bolt design optimization one way to do this is to use a bowl for controlling movement of air and fuel creating a Vortex inside the Bowl before combustion leading to a better mixture these bowls can be in a variety of different shapes for mileage power or emission control SOA is one of the few companies to take this one step further by making indentations with CNC machines these hint ends allow for combustion flame to burn much closer to the walls of the chamber the company claims up to 25 better fuel economy and 80 percent less nitrogen oxide the company has demoed a few engines with the hyper performance piston with the most notable being the cat 3516 engine in a mine truck they claim that they can double the lifespan of the oil before changing it out in terms of downtime for a mine operation this could be very cost effective if the claim is true so for Industrial and Commercial applications this aftermarket part could make sense if the numbers are correct now as a consumer product there are a lot more personal factors and even warranty involved so there is a little bit more calculation to see if this is the right fit right now it's available for Duramax Cummins and Ford power stroke and I did check on their site for some kids and it costs roughly around 3 700 US dollars for a 2018 coming 6.7 so I guess it depends on where you live and the exchange rates you are based in but according to the calculator with emissions and oil changes and fuel mileage this could amount to 5800 saved for 100 000 miles I wasn't totally convinced about buying this overly expensive product for an existing vehicle but this was really intriguing is there any correlation between the bull geometry and the emission control so I looked at a different study which involved the cases multi-objective genetic algorithm and this optimization comprised of 50 designs with analysis focused on nitrogen oxide and suit according to the study there is indeed a correlation between emissions and bold geometry they also provide a piston web app so you can design your own bolt and Export it to an sdl file it's interesting that parallel developments of using algorithms along with computational fluid dynamics to calculate what is the most efficient type of component but it's also going to be interesting to see if AI will come out with drastic and strange new engine designs there is an obvious regulatory push towards electric vehicles at the consumer level and one could argue that a breakthrough in Battery Technology could make the hyper performance piston obsolete however there are many factors in this equation there will always be a high demand for the transportation of goods Mining and agriculture but there also is an influx of lighter electric vehicles for the average driver but in many parts of the world there is no established power infrastructure which can supplement the grid for these power demands and until we solve the power grid demands along with consumer affordability and renewable resources then aftermarket parts such as the hyper performance piston will still make sense for many years to come but more importantly I would like to know what you think about all this so please leave a comment like the video If you enjoyed it and also make sure to subscribe to my channel\n"