Types Of Engines And The Lubricant Oils
The basic purpose of engine oil is to provide lubrication, then why are there so many types of them for all types of engines being sold in the market? This is based on the operating conditions of different kinds of engines. An engine for a car and a ship doesn’t have the same kind of conditions around them, the output expected out of each one is also different. For this reason, different kinds of oils are formed in different viscosity to cater to the specific needs of any engine.
Maintenance of engines is an important task to get the best output of machines and lubrication is an important step in this task. With the multitude of options being available in the market choosing what is right for an engine can be confusing. The first step to choosing the right lubrication for the engine is the understanding of what kind it is and its requirements. Options of lubricants can be narrowed down once the specifications and functions of each engine are clearly understood. Some of the commonly found engines are as follows:
1. Thermal Engines
Thermal engines convert a source of heat into motion energy. These engines can be further categorized based on the source of this heat: Internal combustion engines, External combustion engines, and Reaction engines.
- Internal combustion engines are one of the most common kinds of engines found today. They are used in lawnmowers, cars, ships and helicopters. These engines are differentiated by the strokes, that is the cycles each piston makes for a full rotation. The most common of these are four-stroke engines, which are used in cars and trucks. There is a specific lubrication oil available for this type of engine, called 4-Stroke engine oil. This is necessary since these engines are exposed to high temperatures. Another common type of engine is the 2 stroke engine used in bikes. They are lubricated using different oil since they are not exposed to comparatively high temperatures.
- External combustion engines are one of the oldest types of engines. These have separate chambers for burning the fuel required for heating the working fluid. The steam turbine engines of most naval ships and power plants fall into this category. For this kind of engine, hydraulic oils like ISO VG 46 are used.
- Reaction engines are also known as jet engines. Ramjet engines are one of the commonly used ones. They require oils that are specifically made for them since the power output required is high.
2. Physical Engines
Energy is generated converted from stored mechanical energy in these types of engines. They are usually harder to work with. Hydraulic engines and pneumatic engines are the most commonly used ones. Hydraulic engines work by converting the fluid pressure into motion energy. Hydraulic engine oils can be used to lubricate these. These are used in conveyors, mixers, and augers. The pneumatic engine uses energy from expanding compressed air. These engines can be lubricated using mineral oils. The market also has pneumatic oils that are specifically made for these types of engines.
3. Electrical Engines
Energy is converted from electrical energy by using these types of engines. There are three major subtypes: electrostatic, magnetic, and piezoelectric.
An electrostatic engine works on the principle of attraction and repulsion between charges. It is used to generate small amounts of power. They rarely require lubrication.
The magnetic engine is the most commonly used one. The magnetic field and electrical flow together create energy in this type of engine. Magnetic engine oil is used to lubricate these engines. These engines are used in automobiles and lawnmowers.
Piezoelectric engines utilize a material’s ability to create ultrasonic vibrations when subjected to electric flow. Engine oil or gear oils can be used to lubricate such engines.
Evaluate your options!
Selecting the right kind of product for your engine is important to ensure maximum efficiency out of using the lubricant and getting the desired output from the machine as well. Understanding the needs of specific engines and catering to those can help in prolonging the life of engines and machines. With a wide variety of options being available, making a conscious effort to choose the right brand of lubricant is important to avoid any compromise with quality.
At Lubigen, we offer products for all kinds of lubrication needs!
