Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of a Cylinder Liner Microstructure on Lubrication Condition of a Twin-Land Oil Control Ring and a Piston Skirt of an Internal Combustion Engine

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Tribology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is hypothesized that structured sliding-surfaces improve the lubrication condition by forming an oil sump on the sliding surface, redistributing the oil, and trapping wear debris. For these reasons, structured sliding-surfaces have been used as a friction reduction method for a long time. In this work, effects of microstructure laid on the cylinder liner of an internal combustion engine on twin-land oil control ring (TLOCR) and piston skirt lubrication condition were investigated by comparing friction between a conventional fine-honed liner (CFL) and a micro-structured liner with the CFL. The measurements using a floating liner engine showed that the microstructure improved lubrication condition by reducing hydrodynamic friction. On the other hand, it was also observed that the microstructure could result in elevated friction under certain engine operating conditions.

Graphical Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Heywood, J.B.: Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals, pp. 725–730. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York (1988)

  2. Tian, T.: Dynamic behaviours of piston rings and their practical impact. Part 1: ring flutter and ring collapse and their effects on gas flow and oil transport. Proc. IMechE Part J J. Eng. Tribol. 216(4), 209–228 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1243/135065002760199961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Tian, T.: Dynamic behaviours of piston rings and their practical impact. Part 2: oil transport, friction and wear of ring/liner interface and the effects of piston and ring dynamics. Proc. IMechE Part J J. Eng. Tribol. 216(4), 229–248 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1243/135065002760199970

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Liu, Y., Li, Y., Tian, T.: Development and application of ring-pack model integrating global and local processes. Part 2: ring-liner lubrication. SAE Int. J. Engines 10(4), 1969–1983 (2017). https://doi.org/10.4271/2017-01-1047

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Richardson, D.E.: Review of power cylinder friction for diesel engines. ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power 122(4), 506–519 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1290592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Li, Y., Chen, H., Tian, T.: A deterministic model for lubricant transport within complex geometry under sliding contact and its application in the interaction between the oil control ring and rough liner in internal combustion engines. SAE Technical Paper 2008-01-1615 (2008). https://doi.org/10.4271/2008-01-1615

  7. Liu, Y., Kim, K., Westerfield, Z., Meng, Z., Tian, T.: A comprehensive study of the effects of honing patterns on twin-land oil control rings friction using both a numerical model and a floating liner engine. Proc. IMechE Part J J. Eng. Tribol. 233(2), 299–255 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1177/1350650118774395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Totaro, P.: Modeling piston secondary motion and skirt lubrication with applications. Master’s Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014). http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92125

  9. Meng, Z.: Numerical investigation of the piston skirt lubrication in heavy duty diesel engines. Master’s Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2017). http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111710

  10. Westerfield, Z., Totaro, P., Kim, D., Tian, T.: An experimental study of piston skirt roughness and profiles on piston friction using the floating liner engine. SAE Technical Paper 2016-01-1043 (2016). https://doi.org/10.4271/2016-01-1043

  11. Totaro, P., Westerfield, Z., Tian, T.: Introducing a new piston skirt profile to reduce engine friction. SAE Technical Paper 2016-01-1046 (2016). https://doi.org/10.4271/2016-01-1046

  12. Westerfield, Z., Tian, T., Liu, Y., Kim, D.: A study of the friction of oil control rings using the floating liner engine. SAE Int. J. Engines 9(3), 1807–1824 (2016). https://doi.org/10.4271/2016-01-1048

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Meng, Z., Ahling, S., Tian, T.: Modeling of oil transport between piston skirt and cylinder liner in internal combustion engines. SAE Int. J. Adv. Curr. Pract. Mobility 1(3), 1158–1168 (2019). https://doi.org/10.4271/2019-01-0590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Meng, Z., Ahling, S., Tian, T.: Study of the Effects of Oil Supply and Piston Skirt Profile on Lubrication Performance in Power Cylinder Systems, SAE Technical Paper 2019-01-2364 (2019). https://doi.org/10.4271/2019-01-2364

  15. Lu, P., Wood, R.J.K.: Tribological performance of surface texturing in mechanical applications—a review. Surf. Topogr. Metrol. Prop. 8(4), 043001 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ronen, A., Etsion, I., Kligerman, Y.: Friction-reducing surface-texturing in reciprocating automotive components. Tribol. Trans. 44(3), 359–366 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1080/10402000108982468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Etsion, I., Sher, E.: Improving fuel efficiency with laser surface textured piston rings. Tribol. Int. 42(4), 542–54 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2008.02.015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yamasaka, K., Okamoto, D., Ito, A., Tahara, H., Sumiyoshi, T.: Effect of texturing for sliding surface of a piston ring by means of ultrashort pulse laser on friction reduction. Trans. JSAE 48(2), 271–276 (2017). https://doi.org/10.11351/jsaeronbun.48.271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Urabe, M., Takakura, T., Metoki, S., Yanagisawa, M., Murata, H.: Mechanism of and fuel efficiency improvement by dimple texturing on liner surface for reduction of friction between piston rings and cylinder bore. SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-1661 (2014). https://doi.org/10.4271/2014-01-1661

  20. Urabe, M.: Piston Ring friction reduction and optimizing of dimple texture on cylinder liner to contribute to engine fuel efficiency. LEMA 525, 9–13 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Dinkelacker, F., Denkena, B., Rienacker, A., Koeser, P. S.: Tribologisch maßgeschneiderte Zylinderlaufbuchsen durch spanend gefertigte Mikrostrukturen, Abschlussbericht Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Project Number 276357669 (2019)

  22. Liao, K., Liu, Y., Kim, D., Urzua, P., Tian, T.: Practical challenges in determining piston ring friction. Proc IMechE Part J J. Eng. Tribol. 227(2), 112–125 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1177/1350650112465364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Gropper, D., Wang, L., Harvey, T.J.: Hydrodynamic lubrication of textured surfaces: a review of modeling techniques and key findings. Tribol. Int. 94, 509–529 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2015.10.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Takiguchi, M., Takimoto, T., Asakawa, E., Nakayama, K., Someya, T.: A study of friction force reduction on piston skirt (effect of width, roughness and resin coating). Trans. JSME 63(611), 327–332 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was sponsored by Daimler and the Consortium on Lubrication in Internal Combustion Engines in the Sloan Automotive Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The consortium members were Mahle, Rolls-Royce Solutions, Shell, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo Trucks, and Weichai Power. Authors deeply thank members for the corporation.

Funding

This work was sponsored by Daimler and the Consortium on Lubrication in Internal Combustion Engines in the Sloan Automotive Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The consortium members were Mahle, Rolls-Royce Solutions, Shell, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo Trucks, and Weichai Power.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Koji Kikuhara & Tian Tian

  2. Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH, Maybachplatz 1, 88045, Friedrichshafen, Germany

    Philipp S. Koeser

Authors
  1. Koji Kikuhara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philipp S. Koeser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tian Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by KK, PK and TT. The first draft of the manuscript was written by KK and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koji Kikuhara.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declared that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kikuhara, K., Koeser, P.S. & Tian, T. Effects of a Cylinder Liner Microstructure on Lubrication Condition of a Twin-Land Oil Control Ring and a Piston Skirt of an Internal Combustion Engine. Tribol Lett 70, 6 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-021-01546-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-021-01546-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation