Cabon ceramic engine conponents

[kachok25]

I know that there has ben an increase in the use of lightweight carbon ceramic conponents in several high heat applacations such as brake rotors for locamotives, but could this be used in internal engine conponents like pistons, rods, crankshafts, or even an engine block itself? They could be made very strong and lightweight in compareson metal parts, are there any downsides to using carbon if so what are they.

[Reed]

i know a few sports car teams tried to make pistons and maybe other internals from ceramics in i think the 80's or 90's. i think one of the problems they had is that ceramic is not as maleable as steel or iron or aluminum so ceramic stuff just shatters instead of mending or streching or moving a little.

[kachok25]

it is expexted that new techchnology will encounter setbacks in its infancy. Is there any way this can be overcome like using thicker higher elastisity berrings to help pad the shock that normaly be absorbed by the metal conponents. The same idea could be applied to the engine block itself, by placeing a thin metal sleve inside the ceremic block. Or simply use a forged rod rods with a composite piston and crankshaft since that is the middleman that transfers the shock from one end to another, it would be the only one that needs to be shock absorbent. Besides the crank is where we would expernece the greatest reduction in recipfocating mass and thus parasitic power loss, If we could use that alone it would be a great start. Besides lets remember that alumanum it not known for it's fatigue resistnace at near maxamum presures either. If it flexes at all it will eventualy break maby over several million load cycles but it will break, or at leased that is what I understand about it, I have even heard that there is no such thing as a safe load cycle for it, but I somehow doubt that since almost all high proformance engines use forged rods and pistons.

[kachok25]

With a semi-elastic matrix could CF be as shock resistant as metal components?