Sd. Gulwadi, A MIXED LUBRICATION AND OIL TRANSPORT MODEL FOR PISTON RINGS USING A MASS-CONSERVING ALGORITHM, Journal of engineering for gas turbines and power, 120(1), 1998, pp. 199-208
A numerical study of the interactions between hydrodynamic/boundary lu
brication, oil transport, and radial dynamics of a piston ring using a
mass-conserving (cavitation) algorithm is presented. The scheme outli
ned in this investigation facilitates the calculation of the volume of
oil accumulating at the leading and trailing edges of the piston ring
as it scrapes against the liner. The calculation of this oil accumula
tion is important in the estimation of lubricating oil consumption in
engines. The numerical procedure employed in this study is capable of
depicting the transition between the various modes of piston ring lubr
ication (hydrodynamic, mixed, and boundary) over an engine cycle, incl
uding the detachment of oil film from the ring and its subsequent re-a
ttachment. Additionally, the effects of (a) liner lubricant availabili
ty and (b) ring face profiles on the oil accumulation are also discuss
ed.