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The paper presents transient thermal-mixed-hydrodynamics of piston compression ring-cylinder liner conjunction for a 4-cylinder 4-stroke gasoline engine during a part of the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC). Analyses are carried out with and without cylinder de-activation technology in order to investigate its effect upon the generated tribological conditions. In particular, the effect of cylinder deactivation upon frictional power loss is studied. The predictions show that overall power losses in the piston-ring cylinder system worsen by as much as 10% because of the increased combustion pressures and liner temperatures in the active cylinders of an engine operating under cylinder deactivation. This finding shows the down-side of this progressively employed technology, which otherwise is effective in terms of combustion efficiency with additional benefits for operation of catalytic converters. The expounded approach has not hitherto been reported in literature.

Accurate simulation performs a crucial role in the design and development of new modern internal combustion engines. In the case of piston rings, simulations are used to effectively predict generated friction and power loss of proposed designs. These are consequences of viscous shear of a thin lubricant film, likewise boundary friction caused by direct interaction of piston rings with the cylinder liner/bore surface. The most commonly used model for determining boundary friction is that of Greenwood and Tripp. The model requires the pressure coefficient of boundary shear strength of asperities from the softer of the contacting surfaces as an input. This parameter needs to be measured. The paper describes the process of measurement using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), both for a dry surface and that wetted by the presence of a lubricant layer. For realistic results, the investigated specimen is a used, tested engine cylinder liner where boundary active lubricant additives are bonded to its surface as well as combustion products. This approach is as opposed to the previously reported works using new flat surfaces with base oil or partially formulated lubricants, and has not previously been reported in literature. The results show that for used cylinder liners, the measured boundary shear strength of asperities varies according to location along the stroke. Results are reported for the Top Dead Centre, Mid-stroke and Bottom Dead Centre locations. The measurements are subsequently used with 2D Reynolds Solution for a top compression ring-liner contact, where it is found that accurate localised predictions of generated friction and power loss can be made instead of the usual average value approach reported in literature.

In order to accurately predict the lubricant film thickness and generated friction in any tribological contact, it is important to determine appropriate boundary conditions, taking into account the oil availability and extent of starvation. This paper presents a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model of a piston ring pack for prediction of lubricant film thickness, friction and total power loss. The model takes into account starvation caused by reverse flow at the conjunctional inlet wedge, and applied to a ring pack, comprising a compression and scraper ring. Inlet boundaries are calculated for an engine cycle of a four-cylinder, four-stroke gasoline engine operating at 1500 r/min with conditions pertaining to the New European Drive Cycle. The analysis shows the two main sources of starvation: first, due to a physical lack of inlet meniscus and second, due to reverse flow at the inlet wedge significantly affecting the prevailing conditions from the generally assumed idealised boundary conditions. Such an approach has not hitherto been reported in literature.

Manufacturing processes are usually energy intensive, contributing to the global carbon dioxide emissions. Deep Drawing is one of the most common types of sheet metal forming processes with great potential for energy efficiency improvement. In this paper, the optimised combination of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) and graphite is proposed as a solid lubricant to reduce the punching force and energy consumption of deep drawing process. Different mixtures of MoS2 and graphite are prepared and their tribological performance are measured using experimental tests on tribometer. In order to investigate the friction reduction rate in deep drawing process, finite element simulation of the drawing process is performed. Results show that friction reduction using proposed combination of lubricants has significant effect on punching force and would provide greater process efficiency.