What is a Piston Ring？
A piston ring is a metallic split ring that is attached to the outer diameter of a piston in an internal combustion engine or steam engine The main functions of piston rings in engines are: 1. Sealing the combustion chamber so that there is minimal loss of gases to the crank case. 2. Improving heat transfer from the piston to the cylinder wall. 3. Maintaining the proper quantity of the oil between the piston and the cylinder wall 4. Regulating engine oil consumption by scraping oil from the cylinder walls back to the sump. 5. Piston ring packages are as carefully engineered as any high-performance part, but the “middle child” might be the most misunderstood. Here’s a look at the science that goes into second ring design. Since the invention of the metal piston ring at the start of the industrial revolution (which, you could argue, finally made steam power impractical), there’s been constant innovation and improvement in cylinder sealing technology for these seemingly simple part