Simple Tech: Piston and piston rings explained

When combustion of the fuel inside the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine causes the air to heat up and expand rapidly, the part of the engine responsible for bearing the brunt of the pressure and heat spike is the piston.

Visually, a piston is a simple metal object, usually cast from aluminium but sometimes forged in high-performance applications. It is a sculpted cylinder that usually has a domed, flat or ‘designed’ top which includes cutouts for the valves. This is called the crown of the piston.

The sides of...