Trends in engine technology and tribology

Abstract Fuel economy is one of the most important factors for both customer satisfaction and environmental protection. In order to improve fuel economy great efforts are being made to reduce mechanical losses by reducing friction loss and the weight of engine components, and trigology plays an important role in reducing friction. Some of the tribological problems that automotive engineers are now facing are described in this paper (for example, the problems of piston rings, pistons, bearings, engine oils, etc.). To promote effective environmental protection, automotive engineers, material engineers and tribologists need to cooperate with each other to solve the difficult aspects of engine tribology.