Experimental study of wear interaction between piston ring and piston groove in a radial piston hydraulic motor

The wear interaction between piston ring and piston groove in a radial piston hydraulic motor was studied in regard to mass loss and changes in form and surface roughness. A specially developed test rig that simulates the tilting movements of pistons at the end of strokes was used in the test. The results show that wear on the piston ring groove can be up to 10 times greater than the wear on the piston ring. For both interacting surfaces, the dominant wear mechanism was mild wear. The results from a factorial design show that the form of the piston groove significantly influences the amount of wear.