Federal-Mogul has announced the availability of its two-piece oil ring design – previously developed for diesel engines – for direct-injection gasoline engines.
The company says the patented LKZ oil control ring reduces oil consumption by up to 50% and friction by up to 15%, compared to the best conventional two-piece oil rings. The additional benefits of this improved engine performance are fuel economy, CO2 reduction and longer oil life, the company adds.
“There are very few technologies that provide such an easily implemented improvement in fuel economy and emissions reduction as LKZ rings,” said Rainer Jueckstock, Federal-Mogul senior vice president of Powertrain Energy.
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Used in both light- and heavy-duty diesel applications, LKZ rings are described as ideal for the highly loaded conditions increasingly seen in gasoline engines, particularly more sophisticated units with direct injection. “We are seeing strong interest for gasoline applications because of the immediate fuel economy benefit and reduction in CO2 at low cost,” Jueckstock said.
Typical piston rings apply equal pressure to the cylinder bore on the downstroke, toward the crankcase, and on the upstroke, toward the combustion chamber. Federal-Mogul’s LKZ ring combines a stepped surface and taper on its contacting edge, which provides pressure to the cylinder wall on the downstroke and a significantly lesser effect on the upstroke. The downstroke pressure, it is claimed, more effectively returns the oil that lubricates the cylinder to the oil pan, as opposed to allowing oil to enter the combustion chamber where it may create carbon on the spark plug or on the cylinder head and increase oil consumption.
“The LKZ ring is so effective in pulling oil away from the combustion chamber and in reducing oil consumption that we are able to improve ring tension and reduce friction,” said Johannes Esser, Federal-Mogul’s director of engineering, Rings and Liners. “Reduced ring friction requires less energy, which means better fuel economy and less CO2 emissions.”
“The LKZ ring, unlike conventional oil rings, also provides consistent low oil consumption over the life of the engine by reducing carbon build-up on critical parts of the piston, such as just above the compression ring,” Esser added. “Carbon build-up on the piston can lead to cylinder liner damage and increased oil consumption. The LKZ ring helps to mitigate that concern for vehicle manufacturers and consumers.”
