Cylinder Rings

General Understanding

HOERBIGER Compression Technology

 Cylinder rings
Piston rings : between Piston and cylinder liner,
seal the compression space

Rider rings : Carry the weight of the piston and

half of the rod but should not seal
 Basic Understanding
Manufacturing of Rings at HRP
for differential pressures 0.1 to 400 bar
Cylinder for piston diameters 20 to 1400 mm
Rings made of metals cast iron, bronze
and non metallics filled PTFE, PEEK, PPS, Carbon

6.1.2
 cylinder DIA

outer DIA

Liner
of piston
axial
piston ring ring width
groove DIA .
ring groove

inner DIA of piston ring

axial
width of piston

piston ring radial thickness

clearance

rider ring
grooveDIA

inner DIA of
axial rider
ring width
Cylinder Rings

ring groove

rider ring
width of rider
Nomenclature of Dimensions

axial

Piston
clearance

running
clearance
rider ring
radial thickness
6.6.1
Cylinder Ring Design Selection – Main Factors

The main factors which influence the design selection are:

• Pressures -> number of rings, style, material

• Temperature -> material, type, ring sizes
• Gas, its mol weight and state (lube, wet, dry, bone dry) -> number of rings
material, style
• Cylinder, Piston and Rod design -> size, style
• The allowable dimensions for our components -> number of rings, size, style
• Required features (pin hole, pressure balancing or reliving) -> ring style
• Counterface of the cylinder / liner or piston rod -> material

18/04/2012 5
 Basic Understanding
Number of Rings According to Experience

Differential Pressure Recommended Number

bar gauge psig of PTFE-Rings per Piston

0 - 10 0 - 150 2
10 - 15 150 - 225 3
15 - 25 225 - 375 4
25 - 30 375 - 450 5
30 - 50 450 - 750 6
50 - 100 750 - 1500 7
100 - 200 1500 - 3000 8
200 - 320 3000 - 4725 9
320 - 400 4725 - 6000 10
6.2.6
Differential pressure for
single acting compressors : Outlet pressure minus atmospheric pressure
double acting compressors: Outlet pressure minus inlet pressure
 Cylinder Rings – Over Run Issue
Detail:
The piston rings must not leave the sliding area
Bearing surface

Ring stack length

Sliding area = uninterupted Over-run < 3 mm or

cylinder length (UCL) < 25 % of ring width

UCL = Piston ring stack length + piston stroke - 2 x over-run

18/04/2012 7
 Basic Understanding
Ring Styles

Cut

straight cut angle cut overlapped cut

or step cut

Ring Profiles
without with twin pressure
expander expander ring balanced

6.2.3

8
 Basic Understanding
Increasing Sealing Ability

Cut Rings with expander Cut rings, pegged together.

Rings for low pressure Twin Piston Ring Double Twin

applications,large diameters single acting: Piston Ring:
6.2.4
Sealing is improved The smaller ring Double twin
by springing the ring blocks the gap in piston rings
to the liner. the L-shaped ring seal in both
in one direction directions.
 Basic Understanding
Pressure Compensation
Piston ring designs for high pressure application:
without pressure balancing with pressure balancing
unbalanced unbalanced
force force

force profile torsion force profile torsion

Piston rings without pressure balancing will wear quick at high 6.2.5
differential pressures due to high contact pressure between the piston
ring and the liner. Grooves and radial holes of pressure balanced rings
allow a controlled leakage to the outer ring diameter; thereby reducing
the unbalanced force and torsion moment promoting reduced wear.
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Ring Type 0800

Description:
Simplest ring with
rectangular section
and straight cut (gap).
• Ring will not spin,
therefore preferred on
soft aluminium piston

straight cut

6.3.1

Application:
Standard piston ring. 11
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Ring Type 0801

Description:
Ring with rectangular section
and angle cut.
• Greater sealing efficiency
created by longer leakage
path for gas due to angle cut.
• Ring gap will not form witness
lines on the cylinder liner.

angle cut

6.3.2
Application:
Standard piston ring for
non brittle materials. 12
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Ring Type 0804

Description:
Ring with rectangular
section and angle cut,
2 piece design.

angle cut

Application:
6.3.3
For smaller ring diameters
and less flexible materials,
to mount without warming up. 13
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Ring Type 0808

Description:
Ring with rectangular section
and step cut, greater sealing
efficiency created by smaller
gaps, more expensive.

step cut,
(overlapped gap)

Application:
Piston ring for greater sealing 6.3.4

efficiency.
Not for brittle materials!
14
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Ring Type 0811

Description:
Ring with rectangular section
and step cut, 3 piece design,
greater sealing efficiency
created by smaller gaps,
more expensive.

step cut
(overlapped gap)

Application:
For smaller ring diameters
6.3.5
and less flexible materials,
(especially metallic rings,
e.g. Bronze).
15
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Pressure Balanced Ring Type 0803

Description:
Pressure balanced ring with
rectangular section and angle cut.
Less pressure load but approx.
the same cross sectional area.

angle cut

Application: 6.3.6
For high differential pressure per
ring. Longer life than plain rings.
16
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Pressure Balanced Ring Type 0805

Description:
Pressure balanced ring with
rectangular section and angle
cut, 2-piece design.
Less pressure load but approx.
the same cross sectional area.

angle cut

Application: 6.3.7
For high differential pressure
per ring, longer life than plain
rings. For non-flexible materials. 17
 Standard Piston Ring Types
Twin Piston Ring Type 0820

Description:
Twin ring consisting of an
L-ring and a rectangular ring
both straight cut and pegged
together so that the gap of the
rectangular ring is covered

gap
by the L-ring.

gap
rectangular ring

L-ring

Application:
The Twin Piston Ring is single 6.3.8
acting and only seals against
the small rectangular ring.
L-ring rectangular ring 18
For light gases.
 Standard Piston Ring Types
T-Section Double Twin Ring Type 0816

Description:
Double Twin Ring consisting
of a T-ring type 0816 and
2 rectangular rings all straight
cut and pegged together so
that the gaps of the rectangular
rings are covered by the T-ring.

rectangular rings

T-ring type 0816

6.3.9
Application:
Double Twin Rings seal
T-ring Rectangular rings 19
in both directions.
 Rider Rings
for Compressors

6.4

Basic Understanding Ring Types 20

 Rider Rings - Basics
Functions of Rider Ring is to:
• support the piston
Factors which influence
• prevent it from contacting the liner.
Rider Ring wear:
The Rider Ring should not seal the gas !
• specific bearing load
• ring projection
• piston velocity
• liner surface quality
• liner cooling
• gas type
• gas condition
• bedding in procedure

18/04/2012 21
 Basic Understanding
Task - Calculation
Task:
– to prevent the piston from contacting the cylinder liner.
– the rider ring should not seal the gas.
Design Criteria:
– bearing load
– piston and liner material
– hardness of the liner
– surface quality of the liner
– lube or non lube
– gas type
Specific load values: OD
– lube 0,07 MPa
– non lube 0,035 MPa
width of rider ring
Calculation of load: 6.4.1

=
weight of the piston* + half the rod weight*
OD of rider ring x width of all rider rings
22
* for V- and W-form compressors only the component of weight vertical to the liner
 Basic Understanding
Axial Clearance

axial clearance

Correct design of axial clearance

is important for good operation

axial clearance
is too great The ring moves backwards and
forwards in the piston groove
hitting both groove side faces
causing the ring and the groove
side faces to be damaged.

axial clearance
is too small
6.4.3
Ring is deformed so that it
bellows within the groove.