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Friction and wear are the main causes of energy dissipation in automotive engines. To minimize the frictional power losses, it is extremely important to improve the tribological characteristics of ring/liner assembly which accounts for almost 40–50% frictional power losses. The present study attempts to mitigate friction and wear of the ring/liner tribo-pair using GNP/SAE 15W40 nano-lubricant. To simulate the ring/liner interface, the tribological performance of nano-lubricants was assessed using a tribometer based on ASTMG181 standard under various operating conditions. The coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate lowered using graphene nano-lubricants (GNL). The tribological results showed that friction coefficient, wear rate, and surface roughness of piston ring improved in the range 17.71%–42.33%, 25%–40.62%, and 61%, respectively, under GNL lubricating conditions during the boundary lubrication. Further, the characterization of wear tracks of piston ring and cylinder liner confirmed tribo-film formation on worn surfaces resulting in decreased COF and wear rate.

This study concentrates on enhancing the performance of the gasoline engine through nano-lubrication. The effect of Graphene nano-platelets (GNP) as lubricant additives in SAE 15W40 oil on the fuel energy consumption and piston ring wear is investigated. GNP-filled lubricating oil boosted the brake strength, engine torque, and mechanical efficiency, whereas the gasoline engine’s brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) decreased by 5.3%–6.5% due to a 1.7%–3.46% improvement in engine mechanical efficiency. Further, emission results showed that the GNP-filled lubricating oil reduced the emissions of the engine by approximately 3%–6% as compared to the virgin lubricating oil. Furthermore, the piston ring wear was found to reduce by using GNP-filled nano-lubricant. The characterization of the worn piston ring surfaces showed that the tribo-film formed on wear tracks resulted in the improved performance of the engine thereby reducing abrasive wear and surface roughness. From these studies, an attempt has been made to co-relate engine performance characteristics with tribological perception to contribute in the direction of energy savings and fuel economy.

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