Friction Reduction by Dimple Type Textured Cylinder Liners-An Experimental Investigation

Applying texture to a surface in a tribological interface will influence frictional performance, which has been investigated in several previous studies. However, since varying operating conditions heavily affect the frictional performance and optimum texture dimensions, more work in this field is required. There are few experimental studies concerning the influence of texture on friction especially under sliding lubricated conditions and even fewer at high sliding speeds. In this work, the effect of texture on frictional losses between the piston ring and cylinder liner is studied experimentally. The texture is of the dimple type, with a diameter and depth of 300 mu m and 3 mu m, respectively, applied to the cylinder liner surface. Experiments are performed with sliding speeds close to real piston sliding speeds. A clear reduction in frictional losses is observed with the textured cylinder liner. Moreover, qualitatively comparing the experimental results to a numerical model shows a good correlation.

Automated summary

Applying texture to the surface of a tribological interface can have an impact on frictional performance. However, there is limited research on the influence of texture on friction under lubricated sliding conditions, especially at high sliding speeds. This study experimentally investigates the effect of texture on frictional losses between the piston ring and cylinder liner. The results show a clear reduction in frictional losses with the textured cylinder liner, and there is good correlation between the experimental results and a numerical model.