Blow-by and tribological performance of piston ring pack during cold start and warm idle operations

To reduce the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines, more attention has been paid to the tribological performance of the piston ring pack during the cold start and idle operations. In this research, a numerical model considering the cylinder liner deformation and the piston ring conformability is developed to predict the blow-by, lubrication, friction and wear of the piston ring pack under different operating conditions. The gas flow rate, inter-ring gas pressures, minimum oil film thickness, frictional force and wear load during cold start are calculated and compared with those during warm idle operating conditions. The results show that cylinder liner deformation and piston ring conformability together obviously affect blow-by and other tribological performance. Meanwhile, it is found that friction loss is larger during cold start than during warm idle operating conditions. However, the wear process is more severe during warm idle operation than during cold start. From this research, the blow-by and tribological performance of the piston ring pack during cold start and warm idle operations are understood more deeply.