We have all seen pistons, generally cylindrical engines that go back and forth in the bore due to the force produced during a specific combustion process. Now, one of the main parts of the piston is the piston ring, which is a ring-like structure that gets fitted into the groove of the outer diameter of the piston in an interchanging engine, such as a steam engine. Generally, these piston rings are of three types, and these types are generally based on their function and usability.
Marine engines, which needs to serve to a higher capacity, generally have all three types of piston ring, with little or no difference in their appearances. While the smaller marine engines generally contain any piston ring, based on the function it would be doing. This article will predominantly discuss the types of piston rings and then talk about their maintenance.
- Compression Rings-: Since the main force or energy of the piston comes from a combustion process; it is the need of the hour to stop the gas from leaking. The Compression rings basically get fitted at the topmost grooves of the piston and basically stops the gas leakage. Another function of the compression ring is to transfer the heat energy from the piston to the piston walls.
- Intermediate Rings-: The function of the intermediate rings is to shear the extra oil from the oil left by the oil ring and use it for lubrication of the compression ring. At the same time, it also helps the compression ring transfer the heat from the piston to the piston walls. It is positioned just below the compression ring, in the middle grooves of the piston.
- Oil Control Rings-: The oil control ring gets fitted into the lower level grooves of the piston, and as the name suggests, generally controls the oil which passes up or down the cylinder walls. Moreover, at the same time, the oil control rings also stop the oil from passing anywhere other than the face of the ring or cylinder. o, these rings’ work is to scrap the extra oil from the liner, get it back to the crankcase again, and use the extra oil to lubricate the liner. Farming while we are done discussing the types of piston rings, now is the time to talk about some tips about the maintenance of the piston ring.
During Routine Inspection
Routine inspection is done for the piston rings since it is imperative to check for the freeness of the rings since they can get stuck due to depositions of carbon. Depositions of carbon can break the liner, which might cause a lot of damage to the system.
During Major Overhaul
A major overhaul is done only when the piston rings are stuck on the grooves, or there is a large gap between the ring and groove due to the wear of normal day-to-day usage. A major overhaul requires the rings to be changed completely and a new set of rings installed.
Since there is a huge chance of carbon deposition due to rough usage, the carbon depositions are cleaned off during a major overhaul before installing a new set of rings.
Piston Rings, or predominantly Pistons, have got a huge application in today’s industry. Knowing these facts and information about pistons will surely help a person who works in the industry.
