Friction characteristics of piston rings in a free-piston engine generator

Free-piston engine generator is a new alternative to traditional reciprocating engine, which moves without mechanical restriction of crankshaft system. This article investigated numerically the friction characteristics of piston rings in a free-piston diesel engine generator by adopting coupled models of dynamic and friction. The development of the dynamic model and friction model was described, and an iterative calculation method was presented, giving insight into the coupled parameters of these two models. The detailed effects of the dynamic on friction and lubrication were investigated compared with a corresponding traditional crank engine. The friction characteristics of the free-piston engine generator were found to differ clearly from those of the traditional engine due to its special piston motion. Compared with the traditional engine, the minimum lubricant film thickness of piston rings in the free-piston engine generator is thicker and lasts shorter at the dead center regions, but it is generally thinner at other positions. The average friction force, friction power, and friction work of the piston rings in the free-piston engine generator are less than the traditional engine due to the better lubrication in endpoints region. Meanwhile, the friction power of the free-piston engine generator increases with the increase in fuel mass or decrease in load. The friction efficiency varies in correlation with the generator load; the optimum friction efficiency can be obtained by either increasing or decreasing from a certain generator load.