TRIBOLOGICAL SYSTEMS IN COMBUSTION ENGINE

Zbigniew J. Sroka
Wroclaw University of Technology, POLAND, e-mail: zbigniew.sroka@pwr.wroc.pl

Summary: Among other things, efficiency of combustion engine depends on internal tribological processes. Proper description of friction, wear and lubrication processes dealing with engines components sets, gives possibility to right control of its operation and reliability. Huge range of study of as well tribology as combustion engine means that there are only some problems discussed in this paper. Combustion engine is given as a technical system. Base on functional and constructional sets of engine there are tribological systems described, too. Keywords: tribology, combustion engine, technical system

1. A FEW WORDS ABOUT TRIBOLOGY

Definition of tribology was given by Jost in the report published in 1966 [1]. It was dealing with losses in Bristish industry caused by wear of machine components. Name of tribology is a composition of two Greek words: tribos and logos. In the previous time tribology covered knowledge of friction. Today, it is much wider meaning. It is a field of study which watches not only friction but contact, wear and lubrication processes, too [3]. Each movable assembly can be study as a tribological system. Contact process should be analysed with reference to deformed real layers of set components. Surfaces are defined by as well deflection from ideal shape (flatness, conicity etc.) as micro-geometry, using factors of waviness and roughness. Deformation can be elastic and plastic. In the first case it is transfer of energy between elements. During plastic contact, topcoat is deformed. The molecular reaction can also exist in the contact spot. There are short and long range forces reactions. When V an der Waals forces are in function, it is adhesion process but if micro-zones of layers are diffusionless contacts it can be tacking. The third case called spot tacking (friction welding) would appear when molecules diffusion is reached. It is fast connection in that time. The friction is the next tribological process. Friction can be considered both in positive meaning (e.g. engine cooling) and negative sense (e.g. disappear of energy caused by slide bearings). There are various types of friction depending on different classifications. So, when the type of movement is taken into consideration, friction can be static or kinetic. There are also rolling and sliding friction types. The other performance of friction divide it to external and internal ones. The most popular friction modes depend on type of contact processes as follows: dry, fluid, semi-fluid and mitigated solid friction. Dynamic and energetic characters of friction give various measure parameters (factors): friction force, coefficient of friction, friction work, heat and temperature of friction, friction way, angle of friction etc. The next tribological process is called wear. It is an effects of friction but not only. In general it is mass decement and durable deflection of topcoat of elements. There are two type of wear exist as follows: frictional and non-frictional. The first group consists of: corrosion, erosion and cavitations. The frictional examples of wear can be mechanical, chemical, thermal and from physical chemistry point of view discussed. Abrasive wear, fatigue wear (pitting or spalling), adhesion, thermal wear, plastic wear, oxidation etc. belongs to that group. Variety of materials and operation conditions cause often mixture wear processes. An example of it is fretting, which is both adhesion and oxidation. Reduction ways of negative effects of friction and wear are achieved by lubrication using lubricant (oil, grease, ointment, emulsion etc.) inside of elements contact as an interlayer of tribological system. They (lubricants) do also anticorrosion task. Following the consideration mentioned above, every tribological system can be described by group of three components as follows: two elements (one is a base and the second is called movable one) and interlayer. Tribological system exists in environment, which has an effect on system, too. Because of this environment is often and often treated as a fourth components of tribological system [3, 4, 6]. figure 1.
ENVIRONMENT

1st component base

interlayer

2nd component movable

Figure 1: Structure of tribological system

2. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AS A TECHNICAL SYSTEM

Internal combustion engine is a machine inside of it fuel energy is transformed to mechanical during heat process of combustion. There is a co-existence of chemical, mechanical and thermal phenomena. Combustion engine is a complex machinery in which there are constructional and functional sets. It means that there are systems with the individual objectives to realise but subordinate main goal of getting mechanical power. Knowledge of systems structure and parts performance gives the possibility to design, manufacture and operate engine in right way. It can be useful to predict a durability of machine. Internal combustion engine often is divided into four levels of constructional structure. Each of them does specific function. Design structure of combustion engine as a technical system is shown on the figure n o2.

Level 1

ENGINE

Level 2

BL

TPC

CH

ZAS

POW

ROZ

WY

OLE

OP

Level 3

BLi

TPCi

CHi

ZASi

POWi

ROZi

WYi

OLEi

OPi

BLij

BLij

BLij

Level 4

Figure 2: Structure of open constructional system of combustion engine

BL block of engine, TPC piston-rings-cylinder, CH - cooling, ZAS feeding, POW air supply, ROZ valve timing, WY - exhaust, OLE - lubrication, OP additives and control unit

Level no 1 means whole engine as a technical system consists of many subsystems (sets) building level n o 2. They can be functioned as separate ones and create next level of structure no3 and 4 etc. There is an example of TPC subsystem (level no 2) divided into two next levels- figure 3.

Level 2 Level 3
piston rings connecting rod

TPC- set
cylinder pin crankshaft bearings

Level 4

shank

big end

screws

small end - sleeve

Figure 3: Structure of open technical subsystem for TPC set

The last level of system structure is an element it means components which is the smallest separate part (without of any another inside of it). But, the newest research try treating the smallest part of system as a subsystem with atomic bonds, where it can be friction, too. Because of this structures like above are open and to analyse it can be taken only that level which is necessary. There are functional dependability between constructional sets in engine. It means that functional system also exists. The main goal is to reach mechanical power with as high efficiency as possible. Function can be proper (working process) or improper (losses). An example of right function is air and fuel feeding to the combustion

chamber through inlet pipes (POW) and fuel set (ZAS) to run piston and crankshaft from subsystem TPC. Dynamics of combustion system caused vibration of TPC components and block (BL). The improper functions in this case are vibration and deflection of block. An example of functional dependability between subsystems belong to level no 2 is shown on fig. 4.

W Y

ZA S TP C

PO W OL E CH

OP RO Z

BL

Figure 4: Structure of functional subsystem of constructional subsystem TPC (level no 2) from combustion engine
goal function (proper) improper function (losses)

3. TRIBOLOGICAL (SUB)SYSTEMS INSIDE COMBUSTION ENGINE

Constructional and functional relationships in combustion engine give the reason to try understanding engine as a tribological system. An analyse of tribology needs right description of friction sets, answer which type of wear is gone and what kind of lubrication is used. There are some examples of tribological subsystems in engine tables 1- 8.
Table 1: Tribological systems for TPC (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological system
piston piston ring piston cylinder liner piston pin piston ring cylinder liner connecting rod pin connecting rod crankshaft crankshaft main bearing

Friction
K/M M / SL T/S M / SL ST T/M T/P/M

Wear
Zs+Zk+Zc+Zp Zs+Zk+Zz Zs+Zk+Zz+Zkw Zs+Za+Zz+Zk Zs+Zk+Zz Zs+Zk+Zz+Zkw Zs+Zk+Zz+Zkw

Lubrication
Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Figure 5: Abrasive and corrosion for compression piston ring (authors research)

Table 2: Tribological systems for BL (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological systems
block cylinder (top flange) block main bearing block cinder head screws cylinder head cylinder liner cooling pass coolant

Friction
ST ST ST St K/Z/W

Wear
Zk+Zkt Zk+Zkw+Zp Zz+Zkt Zk+Zkt Zk+Zkw+Ze

Lubrication
No No No No Yes

Figure 6: Fatigue wear and plastic deformation of cylinder heads screw (authors research) Table 3: Tribological systems for ROZ (according to fog. 2.)

Tribological systems
face of valve valve seat valve spindle guide valve spindle valve lifter valve lifter - cam valve timing drive wheels timing drive wheel chain timing drive belt set

Friction
K/S/M SL / M SL / M T/G K/M K/M K/M

Wear
Zkt+Zks+Ze+Zp+Zc Zs+Zk+Zz Zs+Zp+Zz Zs+Zk+Zz+Zp Zs+Zk+Zz+Za+Zp Zs+Zk+Zz+Za+Zp Zs+Zk+Zz+Za

Lubrication
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Figure 7: Abrasive and plastic deformation of valve spindle (authors research) Table 4: Tribological systems for ZAS diesel (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological systems
fuel pump: toothed wheels fuel pump: bearings injection pump: plunger cylinder injection pump: cut-off valve - guide injector exhaust gas injector: needle seat injector: needle guide line fuel

Friction
K/M T/S/M SL / M SL / M ST / M SL / M / G SL / M /G K/Z/W

Wear
Zs+Zk+Za+Zkw+Zp Zs+Zk+Zkw Zs+Za+Zz Zs+Zz+Ze+Zkw+Zk Zc+Zp+Zk+Zks Zz+Zs+Ze+Zk Zz+Zs+Ze+Zk Ze+Zkw

Lubrication
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Figure 8: Abrasive and adhesion of injection pump plunger (authors research) Table 5: Tribological systems for CH (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological systems
water pump coolant pipes and canals rolling bearings

Friction
T / SL / P / M K/M T/S/M

Wear
Zk+Zkw Ze+Zk+Zkw Zs+Zz+Zk+Zp

Lubrication
Yes Yes Yes

Figure 9: Cavitations of wet cylinder liner (outside wall) (authors research) Table 6: Tribological systems for OLE (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological systems
toothed (gear) wheels slide bearings oil canals

Friction
K/M T/M/G K/M

Wear
Zs+Zk+Za+Zkw+Zp Zs+Zk+Zkw Ze+Zkw

Lubrication
Yes Yes Yes

Figure 10: An example of erosion for oil drain (authors research) Table 7: Tribological systems for DOL (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological system
inlet air manifold

Friction
K/M

Wear
Zs+Ze

Lubrication
Yes

Figure 11: Abrasive of inlet manifold (authors research) Table 8: Tribological systems for WY (according to fig. 2.)

Tribological systems
canals and exhaust pipes turbocharger

Friction
K/M T / SL / S / M

Wear
Zs+Zk+Zks Zs+Zk+Zkw+Ze

Lubrication
Yes Yes

Figure 12: Corrosion and erosion of exhaust (authors research)

Abbreviations use in friction column: ST static, K kinetic, SL sliding, T rolling, S dry, P fluid, M semi-fluid, G mitigated solid friction, Z external, W - internal Abbreviations use in wear column: Zs abrasive, Zk corrosion, Zkt fretting, Zks corrosion caused by exhaust gas, Zz fatigue wear (pitting, spalling), Za adhesion, Zkw cavitations, Ze erosion, Zc thermal wear, Zp plastic deformation,

3. CONCLUSION
Internal combustion engine was described as a technical system consists of several levels of constructional and functional subsystems. Hierarchy of level depends on given problem which can be discussed. Tribological systems inside of engine were defined. There were types of friction and wear included. This project is a entry point to build tribological models needed both for effective management of reliability of combustion engine and prediction of its durability.

REFERENCES
[1] Jost J.P.: Lubrication (Tribology), Education and Research Her Majestys Stationary Office, London - Great Britain 1966, [2] Jost J.P.: Schofield J.: Energy saving through tribology: a techno-economic study, Institute of Mechanical Engineers Proc. 1981, Vol 195 n016, [3] Lawrowski Z.: Tribologia tarcie, zuywanie i smarowanie, PWN, Warszawa Polska 1993 (in Polish language), [4] Sroka Z.J.: Wpyw obcie cieplnych na zuycie tulei cylindrowych silnikw spalinowych, IKEM, Worcaw Polska 1994 (in Polish language) [5] Sroka Z.J.: Heat degradation of internal combustion engines to follow cylinder liner example, Power source and Transfer Conference Proceedings, Podgorica-Becici, 2001 p. 227-235, [6] Wodarski J.K.: Tokowe silniki spalinowe procesy tribologiczne, Wki, Warszawa - Polska 1982, (in Polish language)