Model investigation of piston ring-cylinder liner collaboration on a high power engine

Failures caused by improper collaboration between piston ring and cylinder liner still happen on engines ofhigh output, marine ones in particular. Among causes of this phenomenon one can mention higher mechanical and thermal loads of crank mechanism as well as difficulties in supply and distribution of lubricating oil over the entire surface of cylinder liner. It would be extremely difficult and because of regulations in most cases impossible to perform tests on correct collaboration between rings and liner of real running engine and on the other hand such tests on a test stand would be quite expensive. Use of mathematical models and tests on simulation model stands offers a way to reduce these costs. Basic dependences connecting piston ring geometry with oil film parameters and introductory results of computations performed with the use of analytical model of test stand will be presented in this paper. The tests are to be carried out for ring geometry corresponding to that of marine engine rings. Due to that, using presented earlier formulas and computer program constructed by the authors the phenomena accompanying operation of different versions of rings were analyzed from the point of oil film thickness and generated friction losses. These ring versions which revealed the most advantageous properties will be made and tested on a test stand.