Stress mitigation of a thermal engine head block using the bioinspired BGM-FEM method

Abstract

Structural optimization plays a pivotal role in the design and development of engine heads, as it directly affects the performance, efficiency, and durability of internal combustion engines. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for the thermo-structural optimization of the internal surfaces of the engine heads, using the Biological Growth Method (BGM). The BGM is a bio-inspired technique that mimics the growth patterns observed in some biological organisms, able to achieve superior structural efficiency thus generating optimal designs. The effectiveness of the BGM methodology, coupled with mesh morphing techniques based on Radial Basis Functions (RBF), is in this work demonstrated for several districts, effectively reducing material usage and enhancing structural performance.