Contribution fuel consumption reduction by optimizing pistons/piston rings

Changes in societies and demands for global protection of the environment place intense and growing demands on engine developers for reduced exhaust emissions and, increasingly in future, for significantly reduced fuel consumption. Passenger car engines as well as engines for commercial applications (Midrange Diesel and Heavy Duty Diesel) are concerned.

Improvement of fuel efficiency by initiation of single and isolated measures has become very difficult due to deep interactions between thermodynamics, mechanics and tribology strategies exceeding the single component level. So it appears to be consistent to consider fuel and friction saving developments on pistons and piston rings in this paper.

With regard to pistons it is demonstrated that an optimized piston design opens opportunities to exploit better thermal load bearing strength of steel pistons with the result of an oil pump design significantly more efficient. With respect to piston rings it will be shown that measures of layout, design and coating technologies even today can still make significant contributions for friction reduction and improvement of CO² emissions.