Futuristic engine cylinder with micro-dimples.

Eco-Friendly Engines: How Texturing Cylinder Liners Can Boost Lubrication and Cut Emissions

Kai Mendoza in Tech & Innovation June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Innovative surface texturing is transforming engine design, enhancing performance while reducing environmental impact."

As the world grapples with dwindling fossil fuel resources and escalating air pollution, the automotive industry is under immense pressure to innovate. The focus has shifted towards designing high-efficiency, environmentally friendly internal combustion engines that not only meet stringent emission standards but also minimize fuel consumption. The challenge lies in achieving these goals without compromising engine performance and longevity.

In recent years, novel in-cylinder combustion modes have emerged as promising solutions. These methods, including modulated kinetic mode, premixed charge combustion ignition (PCCI), and homogeneous charge combustion ignition (HCCI), offer the potential to significantly reduce soot and NOx emissions. However, they also present unique challenges, particularly in terms of engine lubrication and wear.

Traditional engine lubrication systems often struggle to adapt to the varying combustion phases and peak gas pressures associated with these new modes, leading to unstable friction properties and increased wear, especially around the top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke. This is where innovative solutions like surface texturing of cylinder liners come into play, offering a way to enhance lubrication and reduce emissions across different combustion modes.

What is Cylinder Liner Texturing and How Does It Improve Engine Performance?

Futuristic engine cylinder with micro-dimples.

Cylinder liner texturing involves creating micro-dimples on the surface of the cylinder liner to improve its tribological properties. These micro-dimples enhance hydrodynamic effects between the piston ring and liner, leading to increased oil film thickness and improved bearing capacity. This ultimately reduces friction and wear, and adapts the engine to different combustion modes.

A study published in the "Journal of Automobile Engineering" investigated the effects of texturing cylinder liners with micro-dimples. The simulation results indicated that surface texturing significantly improves lubrication and friction properties, making the engine more adaptable to different combustion modes. Here are some key benefits:

Enhanced Hydrodynamic Effects: Micro-dimples increase the oil film thickness and bearing capacity.
Reduced Mixed Lubrication Interval: The interval where both fluid and asperity contact occurs is minimized.
Decreased Asperity Contact: Less direct contact between surfaces reduces wear.
Improved Tribological Properties: Overall enhancement of friction and lubrication characteristics.

The study further highlighted that the numerical fluctuation ranges of critical parameters, such as maximum asperity pressure, average friction force, and frictional loss, were significantly narrowed under different combustion modes. Specifically, the maximum asperity pressure was reduced by 21.6%, the average friction force by 27.8%, and frictional loss by 24.5%. These improvements underscore the potential of surface texturing to stabilize engine performance under diverse operating conditions.

The Future of Engine Technology: Adaptability and Sustainability

The research clearly demonstrates that texturing cylinder liners is a viable and effective method for improving engine lubrication and reducing emissions. By optimizing the parameters of micro-textures, it is possible to enhance the adaptability of engines to different combustion modes, leading to more stable and sustainable performance. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, innovations like surface texturing will play a crucial role in shaping the future of engine technology, balancing performance with environmental responsibility.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1177/0954407017724245, Alternate LINK

Title: Lubrication Adaptability To The Variations Of Combustion Modes By Texturing Cylinder Liner In Engines

Subject: Mechanical Engineering

Journal: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Authors: Bifeng Yin, Bo Xu, Yanqiang Qian, Jinghu Ji, Yonghong Fu

Published: 2017-09-13

Everything You Need To Know

What is cylinder liner texturing and how does it work?

Cylinder liner texturing involves creating micro-dimples on the surface of the cylinder liner. These micro-dimples enhance hydrodynamic effects between the piston ring and the liner. This enhancement leads to increased oil film thickness and improved bearing capacity. Ultimately, this reduces friction and wear, making the engine more adaptable to different combustion modes, which is crucial for modern, high-efficiency engines.

How does cylinder liner texturing improve engine performance and reduce emissions?

Surface texturing of cylinder liners improves engine performance by optimizing lubrication and reducing friction. Specifically, the micro-dimples in the cylinder liners increase oil film thickness, reducing the mixed lubrication interval and decreasing asperity contact. This leads to less wear and tear. The reduction in friction and wear directly contributes to lower emissions, aligning with the industry's goals for sustainable engine technology.

What are the advantages of using texturing cylinder liners in engines?

The advantages of using texturing cylinder liners are numerous. Firstly, it enhances hydrodynamic effects, leading to better lubrication. Secondly, it reduces the mixed lubrication interval, minimizing the time when both fluid and solid surfaces touch each other. Thirdly, it decreases asperity contact, reducing wear. Overall, it improves tribological properties, contributing to the engine's adaptability to various combustion modes like modulated kinetic mode, premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI), and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI).

How does cylinder liner texturing impact engine adaptability to different combustion modes like PCCI and HCCI?

Cylinder liner texturing enhances the adaptability of engines to advanced combustion modes, such as premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), by improving lubrication and reducing friction. These novel in-cylinder combustion modes, while promising for emissions reduction, pose challenges for traditional lubrication systems. Texturing helps stabilize performance under diverse operating conditions, improving the engine's ability to handle varying combustion phases and peak gas pressures associated with these innovative combustion modes.

What are the future implications of texturing cylinder liners for the automotive industry?

Texturing cylinder liners will play a crucial role in the future of engine technology. As the industry focuses on balancing performance with environmental responsibility, innovations like texturing will become increasingly important. By optimizing the parameters of micro-textures, the adaptability of engines to different combustion modes can be enhanced, leading to more stable and sustainable performance. This advancement supports the automotive industry's shift towards high-efficiency, environmentally friendly internal combustion engines that meet stringent emission standards while minimizing fuel consumption.