Engine head bolts are used to assemble the head, block and gasket of engine. Preload of the head bolts affects significantly the performance and durability of engine. A computer-aided engineering (CAE) approach to assess the appropriateness of head bo...
Engine head bolts are used to assemble the head, block and gasket of engine. Preload of the head bolts affects significantly the performance and durability of engine. A computer-aided engineering (CAE) approach to assess the appropriateness of head bolt preload has been developed. This paper introduces a finite element (FE) model of head/block/gasket/bolt structure, a FE analysis scheme to mimic the engine running condition, and a method to assess the performance and durability of the structure. Some experimental and analysis data are presented to demonstrate the reliability of the approach. A systematic procedure to determine the optimal bolt preload using the approach is discussed. The approach will be employed at the stage of engine development after further verification and improvement of the approach.