Oil film thickness measurement: a contribution to the understanding and control of lubrication in the piston-ring packs of IC engines

Abstract

Oil film thickness measurement is a vital experimental technique which has been widely applied to investigate lubrication in a range of tribological components. This article focuses on its development and use as a tool to study the hydrodynamic lubrication of piston-rings in internal combustion engines. This includes the development of experimental sensors to measure lubricant film thickness and a review of phenomena related to the hydrodynamic lubrication of piston-ring packs. Future applications of oil film thickness measurement as part of a feedback-based system to control the lubrication of ring packs are also discussed.