Frictional evaluation of thermally sprayed coatings applied on the cylinder liner of a heavy duty diesel engine: Pilot tribometer analysis and full scale engine test

The piston system accounts for roughly half of the mechanical friction of an internal combustion engine, thus it is important to optimize. Different thermally sprayed cylinder liners were investigated in order to optimize the frictional impact of the contact between cylinder liner and piston ring/piston. A novel tribometer test setup was used to scan through different materials at different running conditions. Two cylinder liner materials showed significantly lower friction than the other tested materials, CrC–NiCr and MMC. All the thermally sprayed cylinder liners were worn significantly less than the reference material. Based on these results a full-scale single cylinder test was performed to validate the results from the rig. Comparing the thermally sprayed cylinder liner MMC with reference cylinder liner the test showed higher friction torque for the MMC cylinder liner except in one case; at low speed and high pressure. An analysis of the results between the tribometer and the engine points at the importance of the ratio between viscous and mechanical friction losses. The most probable cause of higher friction torque for the thermally sprayed coating (MMC) is that the functional surface of the cylinder liner promotes an increase in viscous friction.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of in Situ Primary Si/Mg_2Si Locally Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites Piston by Centrifugal Casting

Al-Si pistons are frequently damaged by burning piston top surface due to elevated combustion temperature, and by rubbing the first ring groove against the engine cylinder liner. To prevent piston from these damages, some technologies were invented, such as mounting high Ni cast iron ring around the first ring groove in Al alloy piston body and thermal resistant steel on piston top surface, and fabricating Al composite pistons by squeeze casting for enhancing the whole or local piston performance. In this paper, composite pistons locally reinforced with in situ primary Si and primary Mg2Si particles are fabricated by centrifugal casting. The microstructure characteristics, hardness and wear resistance of the composite piston are investigated and the motion characteristic of the in situ particles in centrifugal field is analyzed. The results of the experiments show that primary Si and Mg2Si particles mix up with each other in melt and segregate at the regions of piston top and piston ring grooves under the effect of centrifugal force. Particulate reinforced regions have a higher hardness and better wear resistance compared with the unreinforced regions and this performance increases after heat treatment. The analysis result of particle movement shows that, primary Si and primary Mg2Si particles move at approximately the same velocity in the centrifugal field, because of the growth of primary Si and fusion after colliding between primary Si particles, which compromised the velocity difference of primary Si and primary Mg2Si particles caused by the difference of their densities. Research results have some theory significance and applicative value of project in development of new aluminum matrix composites piston products.     

3D Surface Characterizations of Wear Particles Generated from Lubricated Regular Concave Cylinder Liners

Wear particle analysis can be developed as an effective method for assessment of the running conditions of concaved cylinder liners. The aim of this study was to numerically characterize the topographical features of wear particles generated from different surface textured cylinder liners and to investigate their changes with alternations in both rotational speeds and surface textures. To achieve this goal, cylinder liners with three different surface textures were prepared and tested in four different speeds. In addition to an untreated surface, concave cylinder liner surfaces with two different diameters (1 and 2 mm) and two different depths (200 and 300 μm) were investigated. Wear particles were extracted from the lubrication oil; three-dimensional images of the wear debris were acquired using laser confocal microscopy; and their topographical features were analyzed quantitatively. This study has revealed that running-in conditions and stable state can be detected using wear debris analysis techniques at a micrometer scale. It has also been discovered that concave B cylinder liner with a depth–diameter ratio of 0.1 always generated wear particles different to those from the other two cylinder liners on each rotational speed. It is believed that the quantitative surface topography characterization results obtained in this study provide a practical base for developing a new, non-intrusive tool for monitoring the operation conditions of cylinder liner–piston rings in diesel engines.     

表面形貌对活塞环密封及摩擦性能的影响

综合考虑活塞环表面形貌、弹性变形、运动面型线影响,建立柴油机活塞环-缸套摩擦副的弹性流体动压润滑计算模型,分析活塞环表面纹理方向及粗糙度大小对活塞环窜气及摩擦功耗的影响。研究发现,随着转速的提升,活塞的窜气量及摩擦功耗会加剧,导致发动机效率降低;活塞环-缸套摩擦副的表面纹理方向影响窜气量和摩擦功耗,采用活塞环横向纹理和缸套纵向纹理配合时,对活塞环窜气量及摩擦功耗的改善效果较好;活塞环和缸套的表面粗糙度对密封和润滑特性有较大影响,当缸套表面粗糙度增大时,窜气量先减小后增大,摩擦功耗先增大后减小,而在一定范围内,当活塞环表面粗糙度增大时,窜气量和摩擦功耗都减小。     

发动机缸套-活塞环摩擦磨损特性试验研究

利用缸套-活塞环摩擦磨损试验台研究了速度，温度，载荷，供油等因素对缸套-活塞环系统摩擦磨损特性的影响。试验结果表明，缸套-活塞环摩擦副在发动机工作循环中润滑状态不断发生变化。在试验条件下，温度对摩擦磨损有显著影响，载荷和速度对摩擦力的影响较小。     

A rig test to measure friction and wear of heavy duty diesel engine piston rings and cylinder liners using realistic lubricants

Laboratory tests to evaluate piston ring and cylinder liner materials for their friction and wear behavior in realistic engine oils are described to support the development of new standard test methods. A ring segment was tested against a flat specimen of gray cast iron typical of cylinder liners. A wide range of lubricants including Jet A aviation fuel, mineral oil, and a new and engine-aged, fully formulated 15W40 heavy duty oil were used to evaluate the sensitivity of the tests to lubricant condition. Test temperatures ranged from 25 to 100 °C. A stepped load procedure was used to evaluate friction behavior using a run-in ring segment. At 100 °C, all lubricants showed boundary lubrication behavior, however, differences among the lubricants could be detected. Wear tests were carried out at 240 N for 6 h at 100 °C with new ring segments. The extent of wear was measured by weight loss, wear volume and wear depth using a geometric model that takes into account compound curvatures before and after testing. Wear volume by weight loss compared well with profilometry. Laboratory test results are compared to engine wear rates.     

Formation of Colloidal Shells on Acidic Droplets Undergoing Neutralization in Marine Diesel Engine Cylinder Oils

In this study, a novel colloidal shell formation phenomenon was observed when sulfuric acid droplets underwent neutralization in marine cylinder lubricant at 115 ± 5 °C using heating microcapillary videomicroscopy. Immediately upon injection, shells formed, wrapping the acidic droplets and detached slowly afterward. Shells were optically transparent, about 2 μm thick, and strongly cohesive and rigid since they could deform the contained acid droplet into a non-spherical shape. Shell surface is most likely hydrophobic since the acid droplets did not wet it. It is thought that these shells were made of hydrated calcium sulfate nanoparticles embedded within an organic matrix. This material was presumably formed when oil additives reacted with sulfuric acid right upon exposure. The discovery of this shell formation, which has not been previously reported in the literature, could be important since these shells could be precursors in the formation of well-known deposits found in diesel engine cylinder liners such as “liner lacquer” or “bore glaze,” which impact negatively the performance of marine diesel engines.     

汽车发动机机油添加剂减摩节能效果的试验研究

本文通过对汽车发动机缸套与活塞环摩擦副试样在机油中含与不含添加剂的润滑条件下进行静摩擦系数测定与快速磨损试验以及发动机台架负荷特性对比试验，探讨了车用发动机机油添加剂的减摩节能效果。     

Friction characteristics of piston rings in a reciprocating engine

The performance of a reciprocating engine can be improved by reducing the friction between piston rings and cylinder liner, which significantly contributes to the mechanical friction losses of an engine. The friction force of a piston ring pack is calculated, based on hydrodynamic lubrication theory, for the piston rings. Calculations were carried out for three sets of conditions. Oil starvation is taken into consideration in the calculation of oil-film behaviour for a ring pack. The friction characteristics of piston rings are evaluated using the frictional mean effective pressure. The friction force of a piston assembly is measured experimentally by an improved floating liner method. The effects of lubricant viscosity and engine speed on friction characteristics are investigated by both calculation and experiment.     

A Model for Wear and Friction in Cylinder Liners and Piston Rings

Abstract

A one-dimensional elstohydrodynamic mixed lubrication wear and friction model is developed. The model can predict the effects of surface roughness, asperity contact, temperature-pressure-viscosity on wear, lubrication, and friction of the piston rings and cylinder liner. Wear is predicted based on the surface asperity contact pressure. The cylinder bore wear and the ring pack friction during an engine break-in are simulated and compared with the experimental results. The influence of cylinder wall temperature and surface roughness on friction and wear is investigated. The ring pack friction due to oil viscous shearing and asperity contact is found to reach its minimum at a certain oil temperature.     

Tribological Effects of BN and MoS2 Nanoparticles Added to Polyalphaolefin Oil in Piston Skirt/Cylinder Liner Tests

We report in this article the friction and wear results of polyalphaolefin (PAO 10) base oil with the addition of 3 wt% boron nitride (BN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoparticles with nominal size of 70 and 50?nm, respectively. The formulations were tested using cast iron cylinder liner segments reciprocating against aluminum alloy piston skirt segments at 20, 40, and 100?°C. The results showed that, at a load of 250?N and a reciprocating frequency of 2?Hz, BN did not lower friction whereas MoS₂ nanoparticles were very effective at reducing both friction and wear, compared with the base oil. The viscosities of both formulations were similar to the base oil, which allowed for a direct comparison between them. Raman spectroscopy showed the formation of an aligned MoS₂ layer on the cast iron liner surface, which most likely functions as a tribofilm. In the case of the cast iron liner tested with BN nanolubricant, no traces of BN were found. The effect of surfactants was also studied, and it was found that some surfactants were not only beneficial in dispersing the nanoparticles in oil, but also in producing some reduction in friction and wear, even when used as stand-alone additives in PAO 10.     

Friction and wear processes in piston rings

It has been recognised that a large part of the top piston ring wear of an ic engine takes place in boundary lubrication around top dead centre (tdc) position. A quantitative assessment of the friction behaviour using actual piston ring and cylinder liner under conditions close to tdc has been made. The factors responsible for wear under these conditions have been identified as surface temperature, peak combustion pressure, total energy on the wearing surfaces and other physical properties of the material under sliding     

Friction and Wear of Low-Phosphorus Engine Oils with Additional Molybdenum and Boron Compounds,Measured on a Reciprocating Lubricant Tester

Previous research has already extensively characterized the effects of a variety of engine oils on engine performance. However, low-phosphorus engine oils, which are of growing importance due to the reduction of automotive emissions, have not been studied much. This paper sets forth the results of an initial investigation involving the effects of low-phosphorus engine oils on the friction and wear characteristics of typical engine cylinder kit components from a 3.8-liter, four-cylinder engine. For these tests, sections of molybdenum-coated piston rings were oscillated against segments of production cast iron cylinder bores. The oils were evaluated under two sets of conditions; i.e., the frequency of 20 Hz and a load of 60 N and a frequency of 40 Hz and a load of 120 N. The friction coefficients were continuously recorded, and the wear depths on the cylinder bore segments were measured at the conclusion of each experiment. The oils consisted of low-phosphorus prototype oil (LPPO) containing 0.05 wt% phosphorus, which is half the amount of ZDDP in GF–3 oils, and the LPPO treated with six different supplemental antiwear, anti-friction additives. The remaining additives in the LPPO were present in the amount required for full GF–3 formulation. The supplemental additives were selected to lower friction and replace and/or enhance antioxidant and antiwear properties lost due to lower zinc dithiophosphate (ZDDP) content. The results of low phosphorus concentration oils were compared to the results obtained with formulated ILSAC GF-3 engine oil. The oils that contained organomolybdenum ester showed the greatest benefit in friction reduction in the two different operating conditions. SEM/EDS/XPS surface analyses on the surfaces run with oils containing organomolybdenum ester showed evidence of molybdenum compound formation on the cylinder bore surface. In addition, antiwear film formation mechanisms due to surface interaction among the ZnDTP, organomolybdenum compounds, and metal oxides are discussed.     

Running-in wear of a compression ignition engine: Factors influencing the conformance between cylinder liner and piston rings

The conformance between the liner and rings of an internal combustion engine depends mainly on their linear wear (dimensional loss) during running-in. Running-in wear studies, using the factorial design of experiments, on a compression ignition engine show that at certain dead centre locations of piston rings the linear wear of the cylinder liner increases with increase in the initial surface roughness of the liner. Rough surfaces wear rapidly without seizure during running-in to promote quick conformance, so an initial surface finish of the liner of 0.8 μm c.l.a. is recommended. The linear wear of the cast iron liner and rings decreases with increasing load but the mass wear increases with increasing load. This discrepancy is due to phase changes in the cast iron accompanied by dimensional growth at higher thermal loads. During running-in the growth of cast iron should be minimised by running the engine at an initial load for which the exhaust gas temperature is approximately 180 °C.     

Corrosion and wear resistance characteristics of NiCr coating by laser alloying with powder feeding on grey iron liner

To reduce the mixed fuel induced excessive wear of the cast iron engine cylinder liners, research on laser alloying of NiCr alloy with powder feeding was performed to locally change both the composition and the microstructure of the liner. The research indicated that laser alloying of 75Ni25Cr on grey cast iron liner demonstrates sound alloying layers free of cracks and porosities. The microstructure of the alloyed layer is composed of pre-eutectic austenite and ledeburite. The alloying element Ni is mainly located in the austenite, while Cr is mainly in cementite. The average hardness is HV_0.2500. The corrosion resistance of the alloyed layers in diluted H₂SO₄ solution and NaOH solution is dramatically improved compared to the grey cast iron. The relative wear resistance of the laser-alloyed 75Ni25Cr layer is 4.34 times of that of the grey cast iron. The improvements on the corrosion and wear resistance of the cast iron are attributed to the composition and microstructure change by laser alloying of 75Ni25Cr. Laser alloying can be a good solution to improve wear and corrosion resistance of the grey iron liners in mixed fuel environment.     

The Effects of Cylinder Wall Surface Roughness and Bore Distortion on Blow-by in Automotive Engines

A laboratory test device, was developed to study the effects of cylinder wall, surface roughness and bore, distortion on blow-by in automotive engines. The test device was constructed of components from a four-cylinder engine with a test box welded into the engine block to take the place of one of the cylinders. Removable liners used in the lest box were honed to varying surface roughnesses and bore distortion levels, Blow-by, used as a measure of conformance between the piston rings and cylinder walls, was found to increase at the end of the test with increasing initial distortion and initial surface roughness.     

Fabrication and characterization of 7075 Al alloy reinforced with SiC particulates

7075 aluminum (Al) alloy as matrix and silicon carbide (SiC) as reinforcement has been identified since it has potential applications in aircraft and space industries because of lower weight to strength ratio, high wear resistance and creep resistance. Thorough investigations about the microstructure and characterization of Al alloy/SiC composite are needed so that metal matrix composites (MMCs) fabricated for aircraft and space industries are defect free and have sound microstructure. Objective of this research work are the fabrication and microstructural investigations of AA7075–SiCp MMCs. 7075 Al alloy is reinforced with 10 and 15 wt.% SiCp of size 20–40 μm by stir casting process. The resulting as-cast composite structures are analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis, and electron probe microscopic analysis (EPMA). SiCp distribution and interaction with 7075 Al alloy matrix is studied. The 7075 Al alloy–SiCp composite microstructure showed excellent SiCp distribution into 7075 Al alloy matrix. In addition to this, no evidence of secondary chemical reactions is observed in XRD and EPMA analysis. Decomposition step in derivative thermogravimetric curve is seen at temperature of 1,257, 1,210, and 1,256 °C for 7075 Al alloy, AA7075/10 wt.%/SiCp (20–40 μm) and AA7075/15 wt.%/SiCp (20–40 μm) composites, respectively. So, these composites can be successfully used for applications where temperature does not exceed beyond 1,250 °C.     

Effects of electromagnetic stirring and rare earth compounds on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al–Si alloys

In this paper, the effects of rare earth addition and electromagnetic stirring on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al–Si alloys have been reported. Hypereutectic Al–Si alloy was prepared using liquid metallurgy route and modified with the addition of cerium oxide. To control the structure, slurry of hypereutectic Al–Si alloy was subjected to electromagnetic stirring before pouring into the mould. It was observed that the addition of cerium oxide (0.2 wt.%) refined the primary silicon particles and modified the eutectic silicon particles. Further, the electromagnetic stirring of the hypereutectic Al–Si alloy reduced the average size of primary silicon particles, from 152?±?9 to 120?±?6 μm, and the length of β-intermetallic compounds decreased from 314?±?12 to 234?±?10 μm. Similarly, the application of electromagnetic stirring on cerium oxide-modified hypereutectic Al–Si alloy also reduced the average size of primary silicon particles from 98?±?5 to 76?±?4 μm and the average length of β-intermetallic compounds from 225?±?7 to 203?±?5 μm. Mechanical properties namely tensile strength, ductility and hardness of the alloys were improved with electromagnetic stirring and addition of cerium oxide appreciably.     

Effect of Bio-Lubricant and Biodiesel-Contaminated Lubricant on Tribological Behavior of Cylinder Liner–Piston Ring Combination

This article addresses the issue of friction and wear characteristics of diesel engine cylinder liner–piston ring combinations under different lubricating conditions using a pin-on-disc wear tribometer. The discs were made out of actual engine cylinder liner material using a casting process. Pins were made out of top compression ring material. The tests were conducted on a pin-on-disc tribometer for wear and friction characteristics of the cylinder liner and piston ring combination with diesel-contaminated rapeseed oil–based bio-lubricant, diesel-contaminated commercial synthetic lubrication oil (SAE 20W40), biodiesel-contaminated commercial synthetic lubrication oil (SAE 20W40), and used (150 h) commercial synthetic lubrication oil (SAE 20W40). Experimental results demonstrated that the rapeseed oil–based bio-lubricant and biodiesel-contaminated synthetic lubricant exhibited better performance in terms of wear, friction, and frictional force under similar operating conditions. Thus, usage of newly formulated bio-lubricant and biodiesel in the long run may have a positive impact on engine life.     

钻井泵活塞缸套密封系统密封性能流-固耦合分析*

现有的关于钻井泵活塞皮碗受力情况的相关研究,大多忽略了钻井泵工作过程中活塞缸套与钻井液的流-固耦合作用,得出的结论与实际的受力特性有一定的差别。为研究活塞皮碗的受力情况,通过建立活塞缸套的有限元模型,采用流-固耦合方法来模拟活塞缸套受力特性,同时探讨皮碗过盈量以及唇角尺寸对其密封性能的影响。仿真结果表明：缸套与皮碗接触面之间受力变化规律与缸套内压力变化规律相似;在最大工作压力作用下,缸套内表面和垫圈表面与皮碗接触部位等效应力都较大,但相较于缸套和垫圈,皮碗是活塞密封中最易失效的部件;皮碗的应力主要集中在活塞皮碗的唇部及根部与垫圈接触处,而这也是皮碗易发生失效的2个部位;当皮碗过盈量大于1.0 mm,唇角大于15°时,皮碗唇部会产生向心效应,进而影响皮碗的密封性能。