Investigation on the Frictional Performance of Surface Textured Ring-Deformed Liner Conjunction in Internal Combustion Engines

Abstract

In internal combustion engines (ICEs), the frictional performance of ring-liner conjunction (RLC) has drawn special attention because it greatly affects the fuel efficiency of the engines. In recent years, surface texture (i.e., micro dimples or grooves) has emerged as a promising approach to improve the frictional performance of RLC. However, most current studies on surface textured RLC were conducted by assuming that the liner was ideally circular and the lubrication condition was either fully flooded or starved. In this study, to evaluate the frictional characteristics of an RLC with surface texture on the ring, a numerical model of lubrication is presented by considering the liner deformation, as well as the coexistence of the fully flooded and staved lubrication conditions in an engine cycle. On this basis, the frictional properties of a surface textured RLC are analyzed, and the impacts of the liner deformation and temperature on the friction-reducing effect of the surface texture are also evaluated. The results show that the surface texture on the ring can effectively reduce the power dissipation and friction dissipation of an RLC, and the reductions vary with the liner temperature and deformation. Large reductions in the power dissipation and friction dissipation of an RLC are obtained when the liner temperature is low or the liner deformation is small.