Effects of Piston Scuffing Fault on the Performance and Vibro-Acoustic Characteristics of a Diesel Engine: An Experimental Study

A piston is the key component of the diesel engine, which is subjected to higher pressure and temperature inside the combustion chamber. The wear propagation on piston leads to an increase in engine vibrations, acoustic emissions, exhaust emissions, lubricant degradation, reduction in the total power output and thermal efficiency of the engine. Hence, it is necessary to consider fault diagnostic techniques to detect the faults developed in the piston during the in-service condition. In this experimental work, efforts were made to detect the piston scuffing fault using vibration and acoustic emission analyses. The fault-related features were extracted from vibro-acoustic signals using signal processing tools viz. fast Fourier transform and continuous wavelet transform. The performance parameters such as brake power, brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, fuel consumption and in-cylinder combustion pressure, emission parameters viz. carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide, and lubricant degradation analyses were also considered to analyze the effects of piston scuffing fault on these parameters. The results provide a good correlation between vibration and acoustic signals, performance, and lubricant parameters to detect and diagnose the scuffing fault that appeared on the piston of the diesel engine.