Piston rings

33

74

Checking end gap

Be sure to position rings in the cylinder bore

Metallic piston ring materials

CAST IRON
*Dirty or corrosive gases

BRONZE
*High pressure *High temperature

Non-metallic piston ring materials

PTFE - TEFLON
*Carbon filled - Non-lube and lubricated *Glass and Moly filled Lubricated *Bronze filled - Non-lube and lubricated (mostly air service) High temperature, non-corrosive

THERMOPLASTICS
*Combination rings

- (Lubricated)

Piston with conventional rings

Cylinder bore
Seal

Counterbore

= gas pressure

Piston movement

Piston

Seal

Rider rings
and

Rider bands

Using rider rings or rider bands and rings to support the piston off of the bore

Calculating required width of rider rings / bands

Total width = of all riders

piston weight + 1/2 rod weight bearing pressure x cylinder diameter x .866

Bearing pressure limits

5 psi 10 psi

non-lube lubricated

Calculating bearing pressure on existing rider rings / bands

piston weight + 1/2 rod weight Bearing pressure = groove width x cylinder dia. x .866 x no. of rings

Bearing pressure limits

5 psi 10 psi

non-lube lubricated

Typical application for rider rings

Typical application for rider bands

Piston with combination rings

Cylinder bore
Seal

Counterbore

= gas pressure

Piston movement

Piston
Piston weight makes bottom half of the ring seal against cylinder bore.

Seal

Bearing pressure limit is 5 psi non-lube and 15 psi lube.

120

Effective length of rider = .866 x cylinder diameter

Sizing rider rings / bands

Determining rider thickness

Bore diameter up to 12 12 to 16 16 to 21 21 to 26 26 and larger

Rider thickness .250 .312 .375 .438 .500

Sizing rider rings / bands

Determining rider O.D.
Rider O.D. = Bore size - running clearance

Running clearance

Running clearance: Cast iron = .002 per inch bore dia. Aluminum = .003 per inch bore dia. Ex: 10 cyl., alum. piston = .030 run. clrnce. 10 - .030 =

Rider O.D.

9.970 rider O.D.

Sizing rider rings / bands

Determining piston bottom groove diameter
Bottom groove diameter = rider O.D. - (2 x rider thickness)

Ex:

10 cyl., alum. piston = rider O.D. of 9.970 10 cyl., alum piston = .250rider thcknss
9.970 - (2 x .250) =

9.470 bottom groove diameter

Sizing rider rings / bands

Determining piston O.D.
Piston O.D. = rider O.D. - (2 x rider projection)

Ex: Piston O.D.

10 cyl., alum. piston = 9.970 rider O.D. Typical rider projection = .060
9.970 - (2 x .060) =

9.850 piston O.D.

Rider projection .060 typical

Sizing rider rings / bands

Determining rider ring groove depth
Groove depth = rider ring thickness - rider ring projection

Ex:

Groove depth

10 cyl., alum. piston = .250 ring thcknss Typical ring projection = .060
.250 - .060 =

.190 rider ring groove depth

Determining free I.D. for stretch on rider bands to allow for 3.5% interference fit.

Free I.D. = bottom groove diameter x .965

10 cyl., alum. piston = 9.470 bottom groove diameter 9.470 x .965 =

9.139 free I.D. (.331 interference fit)

Determining free O.D. for stretch on rider bands to allow for growth after stretching onto piston.

Free O.D. = free I.D. + (2 x rider thickness)

10 cyl., alum. piston = 9.139 free I.D. 10 cyl., alum. piston = .250 rider thickness 9.139 + (2 x .250) =

9.639 free O.D. (to allow for .331 growth after stretch)