Component test for simulation of piston ring – Cylinder liner friction at realistic speeds

The piston ring cylinder liner contact is a large contributor to mechanical friction losses in internal combustion engines. It is therefore important to have methods and tools available for investigations of these frictional losses. This paper describes the design of a novel component test rig which is developed to be run at high speeds with unmodified production piston rings and cylinder liners from heavy duty diesel engines. A simplified floating liner method is used and the test equipment is developed to fill the gap in between a full floating liner engine and typical component bench test equipment. The functionality and repeatability of the test are investigated and an unexpected behaviour of the twin land oil control ring is found.