Researchers at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous research and development centre of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a low-cost solution called nanosecond laser surface texturing to enhance vehicle engine performance. This solution helps increase the lubrication of the moving parts within the engine, thus boosting engine performance.
Internal combustion (IC) engines represent the backbone of modern transport, but friction and wear between moving parts pose a big challenge to their performance. This causes enormous energy loss and, as a result, low fuel economy. The researchers said nanosecond laser surface texturing aims to address this problem.
“This timely approach seeks to enhance tribological performance (lubrication of the moving parts within the engine) in gray cast iron applied to a diversity of critical engine components, which include piston rings and cylinder liners,” said the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Thermal and frictional dissipation consume a significant proportion of the energy supplied to IC engines. The frictional losses for IC engines are nearly 50 percent in the piston-cylinder system. Of these, 70-80 percent occur in the piston rings: the top compression ring, oil control ring, and second compression ring. The extent of these losses depends largely on tribology—the study of friction, wear, and lubrication of the moving parts within the engine, said the team.
Nanosecond lasers with a 100-nanosecond pulse duration and a wavelength of 527 nanometers can produce high-quality surface textures rather cost-effectively, making it a more practical solution for industrial applications. In tests conducted under different conditions, the laser-textured surface significantly improved in reducing friction and raising wear resistance. The results were not limited to the combustion engine. “Optimising laser-textured surfaces holds immense potential for improving component performance in general in various industries ranging from the automotive industry to manufacturing,” the team noted.
–IANS
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