Research on accelerated thermal fatigue testing and life prediction of Al-Si alloy pistons under start-stop cycles

•The simulation and experimental comparison of temperature field of Al-Si alloy piston were studied.•Accelerated thermal fatigue tests were conducted to study the influence of various experimental factors on piston life.•Fatigue cracks originated at the interface between the aluminum matrix and the detached hard particles.•The experimental life prediction model of Al-Si alloy piston under axial constraint was established. As one of the most critical components in the combustion chamber of diesel engines, pistons operate under high temperature and pressure conditions for extended periods, which increases the likelihood of failures such as thermal fatigue. This paper first utilizes finite element simulation to obtain the temperature and stress field distribution of an Al-Si alloy piston under actual engine conditions. The results indicate that the throat area of the piston is the most susceptible to fatigue failure. Based on this, accelerated thermal fatigue tests were conducted to study the influence of various experimental factors on piston life, as well as to analyze the weight of each factor. Results from macroscopic and microscopic analyses of cracks using a scanning electron microscope show that fatigue cracks originate at the interface between the aluminum matrix and the detached hard particles. The cracking at the piston throat exhibits clear characteristics of ductile fracture, which is the result of cumulative fatigue damage. Therefore, from the perspective of continuum damage mechanics, it is considered to characterize the equivalent stress using the average loading rate during the loading phase and the maximum axial temperature gradient, establishing an experimental life prediction model for Al-Si alloy pistons.