LUBRICATION SYSTEM

What is lubrication?
The action of applying a substance such as oil or grease to an
engine or component so as to minimize friction and allow
smooth movement.The substance which apply to reduce the
friction is called lubricant.

 In an I.C engine, moving parts rub against each other causing

frictional force.
 Due to the frictional force, heat is generated and the engine
parts wear easily.
 Power is also lost due to friction.
 To reduce the power loss and also wear and tear of the
moving parts, a foreign substance called lubricant is
introduced in between the rubbing surfaces.
 The lubricant keeps the mating surfaces apart.
 Lubrication system may be solid (graphite), or semi-solid
(grease) or liquids (oil).
 The liquid lubricant generally used is mineral oil.

Purposes of lubrication (or) Functions of lubrication

 It reduces friction between moving parts.
 It reduces wear and tear of the moving parts.
 It minimizes power loss due to friction.
 It provides cooling effect: During circulation, it carries heat
from the hot moving parts and delivers it to the surrounding
through crankcase.
 It provides cushion effect:- It serves as a cushion against the
shocks of the engine.
 It provides cleaning action:- Impurities such as carbon
particles are dissolved during its circulation.
 It provides a sealing action:- It helps the piston rings to
provide an effective seal against high pressure gases in the
cylinder from leaking out.
 It reduces noise.

Need lubrication in the

 Internal surface of cylinder walls.
 Crank shaft bearings
 Crank pin
 Camshaft
 Cam shaft bearing
 Valve mechanism
 Piston rings
 Piston pin or gudgeon pin
 Timing gears
 Big end and small end of the connecting rod bearing.

PROPERTIES OF LUBRICANT
The lubricant used in I.C engine should have some properties
for the successful performance of the engine. The properties
required for a good lubricant are listed below:
1. Viscosity
2. Oilness
3. Flash point
4. Fire point
5. Pour point
6. Volatility
7. Resistance against corrosion
8. Chemical stability and physical stability
Viscosity :
 Viscosity is defined as the measure of fluid resistance to flow.
 Viscosity of the lubricant is depending upon its temperature.
 Viscosity of lubricant decreases as temperature increases and
vice versa.
 This property is very important property of lubricant because
it determines how efficiently the oil film separates the
moving surfaces from each other and prevents them rubbing.
 If high viscosity (i.e. too thick) oil is used, it will lead to power
loss, higher operating temperature and excessive wear. If low
viscosity oil is used, it cannot lubricate properly and leads to
rapid wear of moving parts.

VISCOSITY RATING

0W,5W,10W,20W,25W,10,15,20,30,40,50,60,80,....300.
Oil with W are for winter use and their viscosity test are made
at 00F (-180C)

Oil with out W are for use in summer months. Viscosity test
done at 2100F (990C).

SINGLE AND MULTY GRADE OIL

Multigrade oils are engine oils which can be used in a wide

temperature range. The oils are flowable in cold conditions and
can lubricate the engine reliably. When heated, the oil does not
become too thin.This means that the lubricant film does not
break off even at peak temperatures in the engine.
Mono grade (single grade) oils that were
suitable for either summer or winter use. This meant that
seasonal oil changes were also necessary. The multigrade oils
can be operated all year round. The multigrade oils can be
recognized by the typical SAE classes on the labels such as,

SAE10W/30
SAE 10W Oil at 00f and SAE 30 Oil at 2100F.

Oilness :
It is the property of an oil to spread and attach itself firmly to
the bearing surfaces. In general, high oiliness is required for
better lubrication.

Flash point :
 Flash point of the lubricant is the temperature at which it
forms vapour and produces combustible mixture with air.
 The high flash point is always desirable because low flash
point leads to burning of lubricant.
 The minimum flash point of lubricating oil used in I.C. engine
varies from 200 to 250°C.

Fire point
If oil is heated further a stage will reach when it will began to
burn continuously on applying a flame to it. This temperature is
called fire point.

Volatility :
When the lubricating oil is exposed to a high temperature for
long time, it may evaporate. This property is known as volatility.
The lubricating oil should have low volatility.
Pour point :
The minimum temperature at which the oil will pour is called
pour point.The oil will not be able flow below the pour point.

Resistance against corrosion:

The oil should not have any tendency to corrode the pipe lines.
Systems of engine lubrication
1. Petroil system
2. Splash system
3. Pressure system
4. Dry- sump system

PETROIL SYSTEM (Mist lubrication system)

 Generally used in small 2 stroke engines.

 Here, there is no separate sump and pump.
 Certain amount of lubrication oil is mixed with the
petrol ,usual ratio 2 to 3% oil.
 If oil is less there is a oil starvation or insufficient lubrication
causing damage to the engine.
 If oil is more excessive carbon deposit in the cylinder head.

Wet sump system

In this method, the lubrication oil is stored in the oil sump. From
the oil sump, the oil is supplied to various parts of the engine.
This system may be further classified as:
(a) Splash lubrication system
(b) Pressure lubrication system
SPLASH SYSTEM

 In this system, oil is stored in the crank case. A small scoop is

attached with the big end of connecting rod.
 When the crank is rotated, the scoop dips in the oil and
splashes the oil.
 The oil is splashed on cylinder wall, connecting rod ends and
valve mechanisms.
 This method is used in some motorcycles and single cylinder
stationary engines.
 Greater care should be taken that the oil in the crank case is
filled up to the desired mark.
 There will be insufficient lubrication when the oil level is low.

Disadvantages
 It is not efficient, if the bearing loads are heavy.
 It is very difficult to introduce oil in the minute gaps between
the sliding surfaces.
Pressure lubrication system

 This system is used almost universally in modern car engines.

 In this system an oil pump takes oil from the wet sump
through a strainer and delivers it through a filter to main oil
gallery at a pressure of 200-400 Kpa.
 The oil pressure is controlled by means of a pressure - relief
valve situated in the filter unit or the pump housing.

Advantages :
 All the parts of the engine are efficiently lubricated.
 The minute gap between the sliding surfaces can be
lubricated since the oil is supplied under pressure.
Dry sump lubrication system

 This system is employed in some racing car engine - situation

where the vehicle has to
be operated at very steep
angles.
 The situation may arise
when there is no oil at
the place where oil pump
is installed to avoid this
dry sump system is used.
 Two pumps are used
instead of one.
 The scavenge pump A is installed in the crankcase portion,
it pumps oil to the separate reservoir B.
 From B pressure pump C pumps oil
through filter D to the cylinder bearings

The main advantage of this system is that there is no chance

of break down in the oil supply during up and down movement
of the vehicle.
 OIL FILTER SYSTEM
1. BY - PASS SYSTEM
2. FULL FLOW SYSTEM

BY - PASS SYSTEM

 In this system the whole of the oil does not pass through the
filter at the same time.
 Most of the oil without being filtered goes to the bearings,
rest 10 % passing through the filter is cleaned out and
returned to the sump.
 Impossible to filter the whole oil .
FULL FLOW SYSTEM

 In this system , oil which goes to the bearings must pass

through the filter first.
 If any time the filter blocked in the full flow system the oil
flow would be stopped and the bearing would be starved.
 To avoid this , a spring loaded relief valve is incorporated in
the filter which bypasses an emergency supply of unfiltered
oil to the bearings.

When the filter is blocked by means of any impurities the oil

which passes through the by-pass valve and the main relief
valve control the oil pressure as per the engine requirement.
The unfiltered oil is flow through the by pass valve.
 OIL FILTER
1. PRIMARY FILTER (Surface filter)
2. SECONDARY FILTER (Depth filter)

SECONDARY FILTER (Depth filter)

 Cartridge type
 Edge type
 Centrifugal type

Cartridge type

 Cartridge type oil filter consists of filtering elements which

are placed in the metallic casing for removing the impurities
present in the lubricating oil and is mostly used in automobile
engines.

 Currently, filter elements with fine pores have been

employed which has made to stop or arrest the particles of
size down to within the region of 5 microns.
 oil enters the filter at the top of the casing and passes
through the filter elements as shown by the arrow marks

 The pure oil has to be passed through the porous metallic

tube from where the oil goes to the outlet for circulation. A
drain plug is also provided.
 The filtering elements of two types are either be cleaned or
to be changed at every interval of 10000 kilometers.

Edge type

 Edge type oil filter is also called a stack type Oil filter.
 In this oil filter, the oil is made to pass through several closely
spaced discs which are mounted on the center spindle as well
as the square rod alternately.
 The clearance or gap between two successive discs is of few
microns only.
 The oil is allowed to pass through these spaces between the
discs and due to the small spaces involved in between the
discs, the impurities are left on the disk periphery itself from
where they are removed periodically.

Centrifugal type

 In this Oil Filter, the impure oil from the engine enters the
hollow Central spindle having holes around its periphery.
 The impure/dirty oil comes out of these holes and fills the
rotor casing after which it passes through the tubes A at the
ends of which Jets are attached.

 The oil under pressure passes through these jets and due to
the reaction of which, it gives motion to the rotor casing in
the opposite direction so that it starts rotating.

 The oil impinges on the outer stationary casing under heavy

pressures where the impurities are retained there itself and
cleaned oil falls below from where it is to be passed to other
parts of the engine.
 Depending upon the oil pressure circulating the oil, the
working speed of the rotor is usually between 2000 rpm and
7000 rpm.

 The filter walls have to be cleaned at intervals of about 70000

kilometer.
 OIL COOLERS

In all heavy duty engines the engine temperature and hence the
temperature of oil become high. As the viscosity of oil
decreases with oil temperature rise, at higher temperature the
oil film in the bearings breaks, to avoid such condition heavy
engines are provided with oil coolers.
Oil coolers are simple heat exchangers.
Cold water from the radiator is used to cool the oil. The water
type oil coolers are more common because it is a reversible
type.ie, for starting a minimum temperature is required for
engine so at starting the water heat the oil, when the oil
temperature rises the water cools oil that is why it is called
reversible type oil cooler.
 OIL PUMPS
 Next to oil strainer in the lubrication system is oil pump.
Its function is to supply oil under pressure to various engine
parts.
 Oil pump located inside the crank case below the oil level
also it mounded outside the crank case above the oil level.
 Pump drive from distributed shaft which in turn drive from
cam shaft through skew gear with 1:1 gear ratio.

1. Gear pump
2. Rotor pump
3. Vane pump
4. Plunger pump
5. Crescent type gear pump