Modeling Gas Leakage and Contact Pressure in Oil-Free Compressor Piston Rings

Modeling Gas Leakage and Contact Pressure in Oil-Free Compressor Piston Rings | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Modeling Gas Leakage and Contact Pressure in Oil-Free Compressor Piston Rings Mehmet Samancıoğlu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8573452/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Piston rings in oil-free reciprocating compressors must provide effective sealing with minimal leakage and friction under fully dry-running conditions. This paper presents a unified, engineering-oriented analytical framework for predicting gas leakage, contact pressure, and wear in non-lubricated piston-ring packs. Gas leakage is modeled through three dominant paths: (a) ring–cylinder micro-clearance, (b) ring–groove clearance, and (c) the piston-ring end gap. Micro-scale clearance flows are described using Navier–Stokes-based relations, while end-gap leakage is treated as compressible throttling flow following the classical formulation of Eweis (1935). The flow model determines the inter-ring pressure distribution and the applied gas load acting on each ring. These pressures are then used as boundary conditions for an independent contact-mechanics analysis based on Greenwood–Tripp asperity theory, Bhushan’s deformation-based micro-gap model, and Wang’s mean-effective-pressure approach. Results show that, for typical industrial ring-pack geometries, the first ring sustains approximately 30–72% of the total pressure differential, while end-gap flow accounts for up to about 90% of total leakage in new rings. Wear predictions evaluated against PV limits for filled PTFE and filled PEEK demonstrate strong sensitivity to contact pressure and piston speed. The proposed framework provides a practical basis for piston-ring material selection, geometry optimization, wear-based ring-count determination, and long-term sealing performance assessment in oil-free reciprocating compressors. Oil-free compressors piston rings gas leakage contact pressure wear modeling Greenwood–Tripp theory Bhushan micro-gap model Eweis compressible flow PV limits dry-running sealing Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8573452","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":591771369,"identity":"fd531486-166f-4a7d-a9ca-cf518b44e812","order_by":0,"name":"Mehmet Samancıoğlu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA40lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHghl3958AEhJyBCpJYGBwYDnWAJICw8JWiR8DJAsxQN023uPbvj4o07eXILn86sbNRY8DOyHj27Ap8XszLm0mzMSDhvunN27zTrnGNBhPGlpN/BquZFjdpsn4QBjw52z24xz2IBaJHjM8Gu5/8bs9p+EOvuGGznPjHP+EaPlBo/ZbYYE5sQNN3KYH+e2EaPlTI7ZzZ60w8kze46ZMef2SfCwEfTL8TNmN37Y1Nn2szc//pzzrU6On/3wMbxakAGbBJgkVjkIMH8gRfUoGAWjYBSMHAAAtQdN0Y2tfAkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mehmet","middleName":"","lastName":"Samancıoğlu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-11 12:23:28","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8573452/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8573452/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105886350,"identity":"72a1228d-d268-4ad8-b950-1da78242f560","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-01 07:29:12","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":578169,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Article9.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8573452/v1_covered_8310cd9a-127d-41a2-893b-5379c48e2d6f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Modeling Gas Leakage and Contact Pressure in Oil-Free Compressor Piston Rings","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Oil-free compressors, piston rings, gas leakage, contact pressure, wear modeling, Greenwood–Tripp theory, Bhushan micro-gap model, Eweis compressible flow, PV limits, dry-running sealing","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8573452/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8573452/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Piston rings in oil-free reciprocating compressors must provide effective sealing with minimal leakage and friction under fully dry-running conditions. This paper presents a unified, engineering-oriented analytical framework for predicting gas leakage, contact pressure, and wear in non-lubricated piston-ring packs. Gas leakage is modeled through three dominant paths: (a) ring–cylinder micro-clearance, (b) ring–groove clearance, and (c) the piston-ring end gap. Micro-scale clearance flows are described using Navier–Stokes-based relations, while end-gap leakage is treated as compressible throttling flow following the classical formulation of Eweis (1935).\nThe flow model determines the inter-ring pressure distribution and the applied gas load acting on each ring. These pressures are then used as boundary conditions for an independent contact-mechanics analysis based on Greenwood–Tripp asperity theory, Bhushan’s deformation-based micro-gap model, and Wang’s mean-effective-pressure approach. Results show that, for typical industrial ring-pack geometries, the first ring sustains approximately 30–72% of the total pressure differential, while end-gap flow accounts for up to about 90% of total leakage in new rings. Wear predictions evaluated against PV limits for filled PTFE and filled PEEK demonstrate strong sensitivity to contact pressure and piston speed.\nThe proposed framework provides a practical basis for piston-ring material selection, geometry optimization, wear-based ring-count determination, and long-term sealing performance assessment in oil-free reciprocating compressors.","manuscriptTitle":"Modeling Gas Leakage and Contact Pressure in Oil-Free Compressor Piston Rings","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-17 10:49:44","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8573452/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d532bee9-467f-480b-aa0c-23474231a40a","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 17th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-01T07:26:43+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-17 10:49:44","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8573452","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8573452","identity":"rs-8573452","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}