Numerical and Experimental Research on Thermal Insulation Performance of Marine Diesel Engine Piston Based on YSZ Thermal Barrier Coating

Although YSZ ceramic coating has been used in the field of aeroengines for a long time to protect blades from high temperature erosion, its application on marine engines is still very rare. In this study, YSZ powder was sprayed onto the upper surface of the Al-Si alloy piston by atmospheric plasma spraying. The piston with or without ceramic coatings was applied to the diesel engine bench, and the ship propulsion characteristics test was carried out to study the effect of the coating on the performance of the diesel engine when the ship was sailing. The temperature field results show that under 25% load, the temperature of the top surface of the coated piston is about 30.91 °C higher than that of the conventional piston. The increase in the temperature of the combustion chamber is conducive to better combustion of the fuel in the cylinder of the diesel engine. Therefore, when the marine diesel engine is tested for propulsion characteristics, the thermal efficiency is increased by 5% under the condition of 25% load.