Reducing Power Cylinder Friction with Advanced Coatings and Optimized Lubricants
2022-01-0630
03/29/2022
- Event
- Content
- Power cylinder friction accounts for a significant amount of total engine friction within reciprocating, internal combustion engines. The power cylinder consists of the piston, piston rings, and cylinder liner, mitigating friction in these tribocouples is key to the development of efficient internal combustion engines. However, isolating these components for detailed analysis can be challenging. In this work, a new reciprocating liner test rig is developed and used to evaluate several technologies for reduced piston ring and liner friction. The rig design is novel, using a stationary piston and a reciprocating cylinder liner. Friction is calculated from the force measured in the connecting rod which supports the piston. The rig is very flexible and allows independent control of peak cylinder pressure, speed, and lubricant temperature. Using the newly developed test rig, several technologies for friction reduction are evaluated and compared. Friction reducing technologies include a special coating applied to the piston rings, various lubricating oil viscosity grades, and inclusion of a friction modifying additive to the oil. Results indicate that significant reductions in friction may be obtained using specialty coatings and optimized lubricating oils. Finally, results from the new reciprocating liner test rig are compared to data generated in a chassis dynamometer, vehicle fuel economy test, showing excellent agreement.
- Citation
- Bachu, P., Michlberger, A., and Bitsis, C., "Reducing Power Cylinder Friction with Advanced Coatings and Optimized Lubricants," SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-0630, 2022, .