This study presents a comparative analysis of batch and continuous lubricant supply strategies in internal combustion engines (ICEs), focusing on precursor consumption and material efficiency. A phenomenological model based on mass balance equations was developed to describe the dynamics of lubricant precursor depletion, film formation, and film removal under both supply strategies. The results demonstrate that the continuous supply strategy achieves a steady-state condition that ensures stable film thickness and a significant reduction in precursor consumption compared with the batch strategy. Sensitivity analyses reveal that both the kinetic constant and the film removal rate strongly influence lubricant make-up requirements, defining a feasibility region for system operation. Under supercritical conditions, the batch strategy exhibits rapid precursor overconsumption; in contrast, the continuous strategy maintains minimal excess. The proposed framework provides a system-level tool for evaluating lubrication strategies based on precursor utilization efficiency. The findings suggest that continuous lubrication strategies can improve material efficiency and environmental performance, with associated economic benefits, when properly designed and operated within feasible kinetic and mechanical limits.
Domínguez-García et al. (Fri,) studied this question.