Engine lubrication (redirected from motor oil)

Engine lubrication

In an internal combustion engine, the system for providing a continuous supply of oil between moving surfaces during engine operation. This viscous film, known as the lubricant, lubricates and cools the power transmission components while removing impurities, neutralizing chemically active products of combustion, transmitting forces, and damping vibrations. See Internal combustion engine, Lubricant

Automotive engines are generally lubricated with petroleum-base oils that contain chemical additives to improve their natural properties. Synthetic oils are used in gas turbines and may be used in other engines. Probably the most important property of oil is the absolute viscosity, which is a measure of the force required to move one layer of the oil film over the other. If the viscosity is too low, a protecting oil film is not formed between the parts. With high viscosity too much power is required to shear the oil film, and the flow of oil through the engine is retarded. Viscosity tends to decrease as temperature increases. Viscosity index (VI) is a number that indicates the resistance of an oil to changes in viscosity with temperature. The smaller the change in viscosity with temperature, the higher the viscosity index of the oil.

Small two-stroke cycle engines may require a premix of the lubricating oil with the fuel going into the engine, or the oil may be injected into the ingoing air-fuel mixture. This is known as a total-loss lubricating system because the oil is consumed during engine operation.

Most automotive engines have a pressurized or force-feed lubricating system in combination with splash and oil mist lubrication. The lubricating system supplies clean oil cooled to the proper viscosity to the critical points in the engine, where the motion of the parts produces hydrodynamic oil films to separate and support the various rubbing surfaces. The oil is pumped under pressure to the bearing points, while sliding parts are lubricated by splash and oil mist. After flowing through the engine, the oil collects in the oil pan or sump, which cools the oil and acts as a reservoir while the foam settles out. Some engines have an oil cooler to remove additional heat from the oil. See Wear