Piston ring wear understanding is raised

The development work included modelling techniques to provide new insights into the tribology of the ring and liner system of large engines, allowing reduced friction without increasing wear. Federal-Mogul says it is the sole piston ring supplier to the EU-supported Hercules project and is working closely with Wärtsilä, with which it has a long history of cooperation, to develop new ring designs, materials and coatings.

The tribology simulation codes under development by Federal-Mogul use friction and wear computer models that will allow the creation of new ring designs, aiming to reduce ring pack friction without increasing wear, which the company says is a key factor in improving powertrain efficiency and durability.

“Participation in the Hercules project confirms our leading world-class innovation capability,” said Rainer Jueckstock, Federal-Mogul senior vice president of powertrain energy. “Federal-Mogul’s technical expertise is making a major contribution to the development of a new generation of marine engines that will run more efficiently and more reliably than current engines and produce lower emissions.“

“Progress is very good and the initial results from the HERCULES programme are being reviewed by the project partners,” said Franz-Gunther Cantow, Federal-Mogul’s director of global sales and engineering, Powertrain Energy. “In the long term, the output from this project should mean that ships will be able to transport goods more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly manner.”

Federal-Mogul has consolidated the research and development capacities for the large piston ring market at its Burscheid site near Cologne, Germany. Production takes place in Friedberg,Germany and in Gothenburg, Sweden. HERCULES stands for High Efficiency Engine R&D on Combustion with Ultra Low Emissions for Ships and is a major EU programme to improve the efficiency and performance of large engines for the marine sector.