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This paper aims to understand the influence of cylinder liner temperature on friction power loss of piston skirts and the synergistic effect of cylinder liner temperature on lubrication and heat transfer between piston skirt and cylinder liner.

A method to calculate the influence of cylinder liner temperature on piston skirt lubrication is proposed. The lubrication is calculated by considering the different temperature distribution of the cylinder liner and corresponding piston temperature calculated by a new multilayer thermal resistance model. This model uses the inner surface temperature of the cylinder liner as the starting point, and the starting temperature corresponding to different positions of the piston is calculated using the time integral average. Besides, the transient heat transfer of mixed lubrication is taken into account. Six temperature distribution schemes of cylinder liner are designed.

Six temperature distributions of cylinder liner are designed, and the maximum friction loss is reduced by 34.4% compared with the original engine. The increase in temperature in the second part of the cylinder liner will lead to an increase in friction power loss. The increase of temperature in the third part of the cylinder liner will lead to a decrease in friction power loss. The influence of temperature change in the third part of the cylinder liner on friction power loss is greater than that in the second part.

The influence of different temperature distribution of cylinder liner on the lubrication and friction of piston skirt cylinder liner connection was simulated.

A free-piston engine (FPE) is an unconventional engine that abandons the crank system. This paper aims to focus on a numerical simulation for the lubricating characteristics of piston rings in a single-piston hydraulic free-piston engine (HFPE).

A time-based numerical simulation program was built using Matlab to define the piston motion of the new engine. And a lubrication mode of piston rings was built which is based on the gas flow equation, hydrodynamic lubrication equation and the asperity contact equation. The piston motion and the lubrication model are coupled, and then the finite difference method is used to obtain the piston rings lubrication performances of the FPE. Meanwhile, the lubrication characteristics of the new engine were compared with those of a corresponding conventional crankshaft-driven engine.

The study results indicate that compared with the traditional engine, the expansion stroke of the HFPE is longer, and the compression stroke is shorter. Lubrication oil film of the new engine is thicker than the traditional engine during the initial stage of compression stroke and the final stage of the power stroke. The average friction force and power of the hydraulic free piston engine are slightly lower than those of the traditional engine, but the peak friction power of the FPE is significantly greater than that of the traditional engine. With an increase in load, the friction loss power and friction loss efficiency decrease, and with a decrease in equivalence ratio, the friction power loss reduces, but the friction loss efficiency decreases first and then increases.

In this paper, only qualitative analysis was performed on the tribological difference between conventional crankshaft engine and HFPE, instead of a quantitative one.

This paper contributes to the tribological design method of HFPE.

No social implications are available now, as the HFPE is under the development phase. However, the authors are positive that their work will be commercialized in the near future.

The main originality of the paper can be introduced as follows: the lubrication and friction characteristics of the new engine (HFPE) were investigated and revealed, which have not been studied before; the effect of the HFPE’s special piston motion on the tribological characteristics was considered in the lubrication simulation. The results show that compared with the traditional crankshaft engine, the new engine shows a different lubrication performance because of its free piston motion.

This paper aims to investigate the lubrication performance of cam/tappet contact during start up. Especially, the thermal insulation effects of coating on the lubrication performance during cold start up process and warm start up process are studied.

A numerical model for the analysis of thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication of coated cam/tappet contact is presented. In this model, the Reynolds equation and the energy equations are discretized by the finite difference method and solved jointly.

During start up, the contact force at cam nose-to-tappet contact decreases with increasing time, while the absolute entrainment velocity has the upward trend. The minimum film thickness, maximum average temperature and friction power loss increase with increasing time, while the coefficient of friction decreases during start up. Because of the thermal insulation effect, the coating can significantly increase the degree of temperature rise. Compared with the uncoated case, the coated cam/tappet results in a lower friction power loss. Generally, the friction power loss in the cold start up process is much higher than that in the warm start up process.

By this study, the lubrication performance and the kinematics and the dynamics of the cam/tappet during start up process are investigated. Meanwhile, the thermal insulation effect of coating is also illustrated. The difference of lubrication performance between cold start up process and warm start up process is analyzed. The results and thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication method presented in this study can be a guidance in the design of the coated cam/tappet.

Besides other approaches, fuel savings in automotive applications and energy savings, in general, also require high‐efficiency gearboxes. Different approaches are shown regarding how to further improve gearbox efficiency. This paper aims to address these issues.

The paper takes the following approach: theoretical and experimental investigations of bearing arrangements and gear design as well as lubricant type and lubricant supply to the components lead to efficiency optimisation.

No‐load losses can be reduced, especially at low temperatures and part‐load conditions when using low‐viscosity oils with a high viscosity index and low oil immersion depth or low spray oil supply of the components. Bearing systems can be optimised when using more efficient systems than cross‐loading arrangements with high preload. Low‐loss gears can contribute substantially to load‐dependent power loss reduction in the gear mesh. Low‐friction oils are available for further reduction of gear and bearing mesh losses. All in all, a reduction of the gearbox losses in an average of 50 per cent is technically feasible.

Results from different projects of the authors and from the literature are combined to quantitatively evaluate the potential of power loss reduction in gearboxes.

The purpose of this paper is to develop innovative geometry for gears aiming low power loss and easy manufacturing.

New gear profiles were developed and studied, and gears were built accordingly and then tested using an FZG machine.

Results from the experimental tests revealed the influence of the profile modifications on the operating temperature, thus on the efficiency of gears (in terms of power loss).

Studied cases were limited to experimental gear models compliant to the FZG machine.

Low‐loss gears can be produced using common technologies and tools. Its design includes power loss minimization besides mechanical strength. The new gears are more environmentally friendly and can operate with lower power consumption, lower temperature, increasing gear and gear oil life.

This work contributes to the development of the “low‐loss gears” concept, adapting it to low‐cost manufacturing technologies. Finally, more efficient gears and gearboxes can be produced only by performing simple geometrical modifications to standard gears.

This paper aims to address the influence of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings on the frictional power loss of spur gears. It shows potentials for friction and bulk temperature reduction in industrial use. From a scientific point of view, the thermal insulation effect on fluid friction is addressed, which lowers viscosity in the gear contact due to increasing contact temperature.

Thermal insulation effect is analyzed in detail by means of the heat balance and micro thermal network of thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication contacts. Preliminary results at a twin-disk test rig are summarized to categorize friction and bulk temperature reduction by DLC coatings. Based on experiments at a gear efficiency test rig, the frictional power losses and bulk temperatures of DLC-coated gears are investigated, whereby load, speed, oil temperature and coatings are varied.

Experimental investigations at the gear efficiency test rig showed friction and bulk temperature reduction for all operating conditions of DLC-coated gears compared to uncoated gears. This effect was most pronounced for high load and high speed. A reduction of the mean gear coefficient of friction on average 25% and maximum 55% was found. A maximum reduction of bulk temperature of 15% was observed.

DLC-coated gears show a high potential for reducing friction and improving load-carrying capacity. However, the industrial implementation is restrained by the limited durability of coatings on gear flanks. Therefore, a further and overall consideration of key durability factors such as substrate material, pretreatment, coating parameters and gear geometry is necessary.

Thermal insulation effect of DLC coatings was shown by theoretical analyses and experimental investigations at model test rigs. Although trial tests on gears were conducted in literature, this study proves the friction reduction by DLC-coated gears for the first time systematically in terms of various operating conditions and coatings.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2020-0257/

This paper aims to investigate the effects of low-viscosity and ultralow-viscosity engine oils on the comprehensive friction and fuel economy of turbocharged gasoline direct injection (TGDI) through simulation analysis and experiments.

Numerical analysis models of friction loss for reciprocating, crankshaft and valve train are established. Based on the FAST, the friction loss of 24 specific parts of a TGDI engine was analyzed. Finally, the engine test bench was built, which was used to test the mechanical loss, external characteristics and universal characteristics.

Compared with the baseline oil, lower viscosity lubricating oil can reduce the friction loss of nine components to varying degrees. When the viscosity decreases, the friction distribution ratio of reciprocating, crankshaft and balance shaft will gradually decrease. The proportion of reciprocating when using 0W12 is reduced by 4%. Tests have shown that ultralow viscosity engine oil reduces torque loss by up to 15.74% (2,000 rpm, full throttle), but its fuel consumption rate becomes higher in low-speed and high-torque conditions.

This work helps to understand the effect of lubricating oil characteristics on the comprehensive friction performance of the engine.

The purpose of this paper is to develop accurate model and simulation of mechanical power transmission within roller‐screw electromechanical actuators with special attention to friction, compliance and inertia effects. Also, to propose non‐intrusive experiments for the identification of model parameters with an integrator or system‐oriented view.

At system design level, the actuation models need to reproduce with confidence the energy losses and the main dynamic effects. The adopted modelling methodology is based on non‐intrusive measurements taken on a standard actuator test‐bench. The actuator model is first structured with respect to the bond‐graph formalism that allows a clear identification of the considered effects and associated causalities for model implementation. Various approaches are then combined, mixing blocked or moving load, position or torque control and time or frequency domains analysis. The friction representation model is suggested using a step‐by‐step approach that covers a wide domain of operation. The model is validated under varying torque and speed conditions.

A structured model is introduced with support of the bond‐graph formalism. Combining blocked/moving load and time/frequency domain experiments allows the development of progressive model identification. An advanced friction representation model is proposed including the effects of speed, transmitted force, quadrant of operation and roller‐screw preload.

Mechanical transmission energy losses and dynamics are modelled in a system‐oriented view without massive need to confidential design parameters. Not only speed but also load and operation quadrant effects are reproduced by the proposed friction model. The non‐intrusive experimental procedure is made consistent with use of a standard actuator test‐bench.

The analysis carried out in this study can provide guidance for manufacturers and researchers to design a piston for the development of engines.

Running conditions for pistons have become very severe because of the high combustion pressure and increase in piston temperature in the past 10 years. The precision of the model has a great effect on the power transmission, vibration noise emission. In this paper, the model was established with lubrication and dynamic governing equations, which were solved using finite element method coupled with Runge–Kutta method. A piston of an inline six-cylinder engine was studied, and some structural parameters were used to investigate its effect on the friction loss with lubrication and dynamic motion theory.

Based on the analyses, the effect of the friction load at the oil groove and thermal deformation of piston skirt were added to the model, and some useful information about the friction loss and dynamic characteristics were compared.

All the results will provide guidance for the development of the piston and reduction in the friction loss and wear.

This paper aims to address the influence of lubrication methods on operational characteristics, power losses and temperature behavior of gears and bearings. It contributes to the improvement of resource and energy efficiency of geared transmissions.

Experimental investigations were performed at a gear and bearing power loss test rig. Thereby, dip lubrication, injection lubrication with injection volumes from 0.05 to 2.00 l/min and minimum quantity (MQ) lubrication with an injection volume as little as 28 ml/h were considered. Measurements were evaluated in terms of no-load and load-dependent power loss, bulk temperatures and mean gear coefficients of friction.

Results show strongly reduced no-load gear and bearing losses for lubrication methods with low lubricant quantities. Load-dependent losses are similar to conventional lubrication methods and tend to be lower at high speed. This is related to higher bulk temperatures, as the heat dissipation of lubrication methods with low oil quantities is limited. Limited thermal load limits were shown to be extended by LowLoss gears.

Systematic investigations were conducted to evaluate the influence of dip, injection and MQ lubrication on power loss and temperature behavior of gears and bearings. The results of this study support further research on needs-based lubrication methods for gearboxes.