Study on feasibility of EJPO coating technology for aluminium engine block applications

未来的先进动力系统将会给发动机部件带来更加苛刻的工作条件。更高的发动机输出比和点火压力，加上替代燃料（如E85），会对发动机气缸/活塞系统造成更严重的磨损和腐蚀问题。拟议的项目是解决工业对发展未来发动机对硬件和新兴轻量化材料的影响和后果的迫切关注。由于摩擦、磨损和腐蚀是表面现象，因此涂层方法可以真正有效地降低成本并最大化部件的性能寿命。因此，人们提出了一种具有多种功能的变革性表面技术，称为电解喷射等离子体氧化（EJPO），以协调未来动力系统对硬件和材料科学的影响。项目任务主要集中在(1)优化铝硅合金EJPO涂层工艺，提高铝硅合金的抗磨、抗腐蚀和散热性能；（ii）将优化后的EJPO涂层应用于铝（Al-Si）汽缸孔；（iii）涂层与活塞的相容性研究；（四）通过发动机测功机试验，验证表面技术在未来发动机应用中的多功能性；(v)开始为发动机生产线建立原型自动化EJPO设施。这项技术的进步将允许在未来低摩擦、低排放、低成本、高效率的发动机中更多地使用轻质合金。这对颠转的油电混合动力汽车也很重要，因为工程师们必须抵消混合动力系统带来的额外质量。质量与燃油效率直接相关，带有涂层的轻质材料将成为对抗脂肪、摩擦、磨损、腐蚀和排放的有效武器。该项目还将为未来的汽车工业提供HQP培训，并为在加拿大创造和保留汽车工作岗位奠定技术基础。

Future advanced powertrains will result in even increasingly harsh operating conditions to engine components. The higher specific engine output and firing pressures combining with alternative fuels (e.g., E85) cause more severe wear and corrosion problems to the engine cylinder/piston systems. The proposed project is to address urgent industrial concerns on the impact and consequence of developing future engines to hardware and emerging lightweight materials. Since friction, wear, and corrosion are surface phenomena, a coating approach can be truly effective for minimizing costs and maximizing the performance life of components. A transformative surface technology with multifunctionality, called Electrolytic Jet Plasma Oxidation (EJPO), is thus proposed to reconcile the impact of the future powertrains to hardware and materials sciences. The project tasks mainly focus on (i) optimization of the EJPO coating process for Al-Si alloys to have the enhanced anti-wear, anti-corrosion, and thermal dissipating properties; (ii) application of the optimized EJPO coating on aluminium (Al-Si) cylinder bores; (iii) investigation of the coating compatibility with the pistons; (iv) verification of the multifunctionality of the surface technology for future engine applications through engine dynamometer tests; and (v) initiation in establishment of a prototyping automated EJPO facility for an engine production line. The technology advancement would allow a more intensive use of lightweight alloys in future engines being low friction, low emission and high efficiency at a low cost. This is also of importance for up-wrung gas-electric hybrid vehicles for which engineers have to offset the added mass caused by the hybrid systems. Mass is directly related to fuel efficiency, and lightweight materials with coatings would compete and win as an effective weapon for fighting fat, friction, wear, corrosion, and emission. The project will also provide the HQP training for future automotive industry and a technical foundation for creating and retaining the auto jobs in Canada.