Cavitating flow in engine piston ring-cylinder liner conjunction

Abstract

The main function of piston compression ring is to seal the space between the piston and the liner, acting as slider bearing, subjected to reciprocating motion. The compression ring-cylinder liner conjunction has been extensively studied and it is responsible for a significant part of the total frictional parasitic power losses of an engine. Paradoxically, the required sealing function of the compressions ring can result in increased friction. Therefore, in order to improve engine efficiency, it is important to fundamentally understand and subsequently palliate some of these losses. Another problem in any slider bearing-type contact is lubricant film rupture and cavitation in the conjunctional outlet zone, reducing load carrying capacity and potentially leading to erosion damage. A cavitation model presented in two-phase flow CFD analysis of the ring-bore contact under isothermal conditions. Liquid flow is modelled as a continuous phase and a dispersed phase, representing cavitation bubbles. Many of the fundamental physical processes assumed to take place in cavitating flows are incorporated into the model.