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.     

金属陶瓷添加剂对船舶主机汽缸套-活塞环摩擦学行为的影响

将普通CD40润滑油作为基础润滑油，在3种不同的载荷作用下，对含有金属陶瓷添加剂润滑油对汽缸套-活塞环摩擦磨损特性的影响进行了模拟试验研究，并与实际使用的普通CD40润滑油的试验结果进行了比较。研究结果表明，汽缸套-活塞环摩擦副在这种添加剂作用下，其磨损失重及摩擦因数都大幅度降低。摩擦副表面扫描电镜分析结果也表明，这种添加剂使摩擦表面更光滑，其本身具有表面自修复作用。     

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.     

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。     

Temperature–friction characteristics of used lubricant from two-stroke cross-head marine diesel engines

It is now quite apparent that, in a two-stroke, cross-head marine diesel engine, the lubrication regime in the contact between piston ring and cylinder liner at the top dead centre (TDC) is of a boundary type. Therefore, the tribological performance of a system to simulate the real contact should be assessed under conditions closely resembling the operating engine environment. In the reality of engine operation, the lubricant is often contaminated by fuel and products of combustion, hence the need to study the temperature–friction characteristics of this actual lubricant under the conditions of boundary lubrication.In this paper, an oil taken from the drainage system of the engine was used. A five times heating and cooling test methodology was employed to assess tribological performance of a model contact lubricated with the actual oil. The model contact was formed by a pin sliding over a plate both made of materials used in two-stroke, cross-head marine diesel engines.Experiments showed that the general trend in temperature–friction characteristics of the used oil is similar to that of a new oil. However, the level of friction in the contact lubricated with an used oil is significantly higher than that for a new oil.     

Temperature—friction characteristics of cylinder lubrication in large,slow, cross‐head marine diesel engines under boundary lubrication conditions

In large, slow, cross‐head marine diesel engines research has increasingly shown that the lubrication regime between piston rings and cylinder liner at top dead centre is of the boundary lubrication type due to the high gas pressure, low sliding speed, and high temperature. This means that the tribological properties of piston ring, cylinder liner, and cylinder lubricant in these types of engine under boundary lubrication conditions should be considered simultaneously when friction and wear between the piston ring and cylinder liner are studied. Until now there has been no standard method to evaluate boundary lubrication performance. There are a few traditional methods used in lubricant research, but their results are not correlated with service conditions. It is important to find a suitable method to evaluate the boundary lubrication performance of lubricants at the laboratory testing stage or before the engine testing stage. The important parameters, such as sliding speed, normal load, materials of the contacting pairs, and lubricant, need all to be controlled. In this paper a systematic experimental procedure, the ‘five times heating and cooling test’, is introduced to assess lubricant properties under boundary lubrication conditions. Most of the parameters mentioned above are controlled. The model contact, of pin‐on‐plate form, is made from the actual piston and liner materials used in a large‐bore, slow, cross‐head marine diesel engine. The temperature characteristics of different blends of lubricants are investigated under boundary lubrication conditions using a pin‐on‐plate reciprocating test rig. These blends of lubricants have the same additives but different base fluids; they nevertheless fulfil the physical and chemical requirements of a real marine diesel engine. The test temperature range is from room temperature to the working temperature of the top piston ring. The experiments show that there are different temperature—friction characteristics for lubricants with different bases and the same additive package and there are also different temperature—friction characteristics during heating up and cooling down for each blend. Single‐base lubricants have more promising temperature—friction characteristics than those of a blend of a high‐viscosity base and a low‐viscosity base at high temperature.     

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 Phenomena of Vegetable Oil–Based Lubricants with Additives at Severe Sliding Wear Conditions

The tribological responses of palm oil and soybean oil, combined with two commercial antiwear additives (zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate and boron compound), were investigated at a lubricant temperature of 100°C and under severe contact conditions in a reciprocating sliding contact. The friction coefficient of palm oil with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate was closest to the commercial mineral engine oil, with a 2% difference. The soybean oil with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate produced a 57% improvement in wear resistance compared to its pure oil state. The existence of boron nitride in vegetable oils was only responsive in reduction of wear rather than friction. The response of commercial antiwear additives with vegetable oils showed a potential for the future improvement in the performance of vegetable oils.     

润滑油中加入纳米氧化铝对缸套-活塞环摩擦副摩擦磨损特性的影响

在普通CD40润滑油中加入纳米氧化铝,研究了在不同载荷条件下对缸套活塞环摩擦副摩擦磨损特性的影响;用铁谱仪对试验油样进行了磨粒分析;用原子力显微镜对缸套试样表面的微观形貌进行了测试;用LAS-3000型表面分析系统对磨损表面进行了成分分析。结果表明：缸套活塞环摩擦副在含纳米氧化铝的润滑油作用下,表现出优越的抗摩减磨性能,其效果随栽荷的增大而增强;在高载荷作用下缸套试样表面形貌有了明显的改观,减小了摩擦阻力,降低了摩擦因数。     

Surface topography and tribology of cast iron in boundary lubrication

This work aims to study and understand the influence of the surface topography on wear of grey cast iron used for heavy duty diesel engine cylinder liners. A micro-alloyed grey cast iron was tested with different surface topographies. These were polished surfaces, honed surfaces (with two different honing parameters) and three model surfaces with well defined grooves on a polished specimen.Reciprocating friction tests using a steel ball rubbing against a flat or a cylindrical sample (extracted from a cylinder liner) were carried out on a Cameron Plint test rig. A commercial synthetic oil for diesel engine was used as the lubricant. The friction coefficient and the electrical contact resistance were measured during the tests. The wear volume of the cylinder liner part was also measured at the end of the test.The influence of the surface topography on the tribochemical film formation and on the wear behaviour of cast iron was established. Surfaces exhibiting lots of surface asperities had the highest wear, mainly due to delayed formation of protective tribochemical film. In our test conditions, the spacing between the grooves on model specimens had no influence on the wear behaviour of the cast iron specimens.     

Changes in the mechanical properties of oil used in a gasoline engine

This study is concerned with the changes in and deterioration of the mechanical properties of oil used in a gasoline engine. The properties analysed were friction and antiwear performance, wear debris, load-carrying ability and the formation of surface films. It was found that the oil run in an engine deteriorated so as to increase the wear and friction and decrease the load-carrying ability as the running distance of oil was increased. The main cause of deterioration was related to the ability to form a protective film in the contact zone. When the film was produced by additives (sulphur), this could properly protect the surface in the contact zone undepleted from wear and friction. But as the oil deteriorated, it could not form such a film and so its protective ability on sliding surfaces diminished.     

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.     

Frictional characteristics of molybdenum dithiophosphates

The friction and wear characteristics of molybdenum dithiophosphate (MoDTP) types of additives were investigated under reciprocating sliding conditions. Additives composed of pure MoDTP were ineffective with a paraffinic base oil but were effective with an engine oil containing P-S compounds such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate. In contrast, additives containing P-O and P-S compounds together with MoDTP were effective with both the base oil and the engine oil.The surface film effective in reducing friction and enhancing wear resistance was composed mainly of molybdenum sulphide and iron phosphate at the surface and molybdenum trioxide and iron phosphate in the subsurface.     

The effects of contact configuration and coating morphology on the tribological behaviour of tetrahedral amorphous diamond-like carbon (ta-C DLC) coatings under boundary lubrication

ABSTRACT

Tribological studies were carried out with tetrahedral amorphous diamond-like carbon (ta-C DLC) coatings, varying in thickness and roughness, using two different contact configurations lubricated with seven types of hydraulic oils. Tribopair of cast iron and ta-C coated steel were tested in both non-conformal and conformal, unidirectional sliding contacts. The friction and wear results were mainly affected by the thickness of the coating in the non-conformal contact and the surface roughness of the coating in the conformal contact. Tests done with mineral base oil containing rust inhibitor in the non-conformal contact and with Polyalphaolefins and synthetic ester base oils in the conformal contact resulted in the lowest friction while that with mineral base oil containing zinc resulted in high friction and counterface wear. The results highlight the interdependence of contact configuration, lubricant chemistry, coating’s surface morphology and coating’s thickness in determining the tribological behaviour of ta-C coatings under boundary lubrication.     

用SRV试验机评价柴油机油摩擦磨损性能

采用SRV^?4型摩擦磨损试验机为试验平台,以某商用车公司提供的发动机缸套-活塞环截取件作为摩擦副试验件,以15W-40 CF-4和15W-40 CI-4发动机油为润滑介质,建立评价柴油机油摩擦磨损性能的模拟试验方法,并使用该方法对油品配方中减摩剂的区分性及不同材质活塞环与润滑油的适配性等进行考察。试验结果表明:建立的模拟试验方法能较好地区分出具有优异抗磨性能的柴油机油,同样对油品配方中减摩剂和不同材质活塞环与润滑油适配性等有着较好的区分性,可以作为润滑油品开发者和OEM汽车厂家对油品配方开发和摩擦副材质筛选的模拟评价手段。     

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.     

Fretting wear behaviour of hypereutectic P/M Al–Si in oil environment

The fretting wear behaviour of forged hypereutectic P/M Al–Si in contact with hardened steel and Cu–Sn–Pb bearing material is investigated. Fretting tests are performed with a view to the movement in the contact between the small end of the connecting rod and the piston pin in a car engine. Therefore, the tests are carried out under engine oil lubrication at temperatures up to 150°C. The behaviour of the Al alloy is compared to that of steel, the current connecting rod material. Some tests under non-lubricated conditions are also performed. The correlation between the friction coefficient, the wear volume and the microscopic wear mechanisms is discussed. After the running-in wear, a stable wear condition is reached for the Al–Si/steel contact.     

Influence of Surface Groove Width on Tribological Performance for Cylinder Liner–Piston Ring Components

Surface groove width is of great significance to the performance of the cylinder liner–piston ring (CLPR) with the different surface textures in marine diesel. However, little is understood about the specific application (e.g., the geometric parameters of surface textures and operating conditions) of surface texture in actual marine diesel engines. To address this issue, different surface groove textures including grooves structures with 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-mm widths were designed based on previous results related to marine diesel engine applications. A series of experimental tests was conducted in a reciprocation tester, and data on the friction characteristics were obtained under different operating conditions. Comparative studies on the friction coefficients, worn surface features, and oil film characteristics were performed. Results showed that the 2-mm groove structure of the cylinder liner was more favorable for improving the wear performances at low speed, whereas a 3-mm groove structure of the cylinder liner was more suitable for improving the wear performance at higher speeds, though its wear performance needs to be improved under high load. These results help to understand the specific application of surface texture on the wear performance of the CLPR pair.     

Wear Mechanisms in Thermally-Sprayed Mo-Based Coatings

The successful development of advanced diesel engines relies heavily on piston ring coating materials which can withstand elevated temperatures and reduce friction. Traditional hard chrome plating and flame-sprayed Mo-wire materials have reached their potential in the diesel engine environment, and alternatives are needed. Thermally-sprayed Mo-based allays and composites are being evaluated for applications as next-generation ring-face coatings. The alloy development task of producing complex Mo-based alloy powders for use as thermally-sprayed coating materials requires an understanding of their wear resistance under contact stress conditions. In this paper, the wear behavior of Mo and Mo+NiCrBSi thermally sprayed coatings is examined by pin-on-disc and single-point scratch-test methods. Microstructural analysis beneath worn regions have revealed that fracture of splats and their decohesion constitute the mode of failure. Improved wear resistance and stability of low friction coefficient was obtained by prealloying Mo with NiCrBSi prior to thermal spraying.     

Impacts of Friction-Modified Fully Formulated Engine Oils on Tribological Performance of Nitrided Piston Rings Sliding against Cast Iron Cylinder Bores

The tribochemical interaction in a nitrided piston ring/cast iron cylinder bore sliding contact with two commercial fully formulated engine oils (ILSAC GF-2 and GF-3 category, referred to as modified GF-2 and modified GF-3, respectively) supplemented with molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) friction modifier was investigated in a laboratory bench test. Test results indicated that the modified GF-2 oil could produce a rapid friction reduction while the modified GF-3 oil maintained a stable and lower coefficient of friction (μ = 0.03) for a longer testing time. The modified GF-3 oil also generated a lower wear rate compared with the modified GF-2 oil under the same tribotest conditions. Based on SEM/EDX analyses of wear tracks on the tested tribo-components, it appears that the better formed tribofilm on both the lower and upper specimens by the modified GF-3 oil made a significant contribution to its tribological performance compared with the modified GF-2 oil when sliding under the same test conditions.