Compressor Piston Rings &
Riders
Imagination at work
Objectives
Piston rings
Rider rings
Rider bands
Materials
Configuration
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Compressor
Piston Rings
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Imagination at work
Standard Joint Types
Step-cut
Butt-cut
Angle-cut
Seal-joint
Single piece step-cut piston ring with a flat expander
End gaps not
aligned
Acts like a seal-joint
Step-cut joint
Checking end gap
BUTT CUT RINGS
(Teflon) Be sure to
.0195 per inch of bore diameter position rings in
(PEEK) the cylinder bore
.0064 per inch of bore diameter
Tolerance = +.020/-.000
Angled Cut Rings
Butt Cut x .707 + Tolerance
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Piston with conventional rings
Cylinder bore Counterbore
Seal
= gas pressure
Piston
Piston movement
Seal
Metallic piston ring materials
CAST IRON
• Dirty or corrosive gases
BRONZE
• High pressure
• High temperature
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Non-metallic piston ring materials
PTFE - TEFLON
• Carbon filled - Non-lube and lubricated
• Glass and Moly filled - Lubricated
• Bronze filled - Non-lube and lubricated (mostly
air service) High temperature, non-corrosive
• Ryton
THERMOPLASTICS - (Lubricated)
• Combination rings
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Compressor Piston Rings
Any Questions?
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Rider Rings
&
Rider Bands
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Using rider rings or rider bands
to support the piston off of the bore
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How they work…
• Rider rings are not meant to seal
• Their sole purpose is to support the weight of the
piston/rod assembly and keep the piston from riding
directly against the cylinder
• The notches in the side faces are paths for the gas to get
by the ring
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Calculating bearing pressure
on existing rider rings / bands
piston weight + 1/2 rod weight
Bearing pressure = groove width x cylinder dia. x .866 x no. of rings
Bearing pressure limits 7 psi non-lube
12 psi lubricated
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Calculating required width of
rider rings / bands
Total width piston weight + 1/2 rod weight
=
of all riders
bearing pressure x cylinder diameter x .866
Bearing pressure limits 7 psi non-lube
12 psi lubricated
Side Clearance = .012” per inch of ring width
Rider End Gap
Normally twice that
of the piston ring gap.
Standard Types
• Single piece rider ring
Standard Types
• Two segment rider ring
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Standard Types
• Uncut rider band
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Most common materials
for Rider rings & bands
Filled PTFE
Filled PEEK
Bronze
Cast Iron
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Typical application for rider rings
Typical application for rider bands
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Effective length of rider =
.866 x cylinder diameter
o
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Determining rider thickness
Bore diameter Rider thickness
up to 12” .250”
12” to 16” .312”
16” to 21” .375”
21” to 26” .438”
26” and larger .500”
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Rider O.D. = Bore size - running clearance
Running clearance
Running clearance:
Cast iron = .0015 + .010” per inch bore dia.
Aluminum = .003 + .010” per inch bore dia.
Rider O.D.
Ex:
10” cyl., alum. piston = .040” run. clrnce.
10” - .040” =
9.960” rider O.D.
Determining rider O.D.
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Bottom groove diameter = rider O.D. - (2 x rider thickness)
Ex:
10” cyl., alum. piston = rider O.D. of 9.970
10” cyl., alum piston = .250”rider thcknss
9.970” - (2 x .250”) =
9.470” bottom groove diameter
Determining piston bottom groove
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diameter
Piston O.D. = rider O.D. - (2 x rider projection)
Ex:
Piston O.D.
10” cyl., alum. piston = 9.970” rider O.D.
Typical rider projection = .060”
9.970” - (2 x .060”) =
9.850” piston O.D.
Rider projection
.060” typical
Determining piston O.D.
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Groove depth = rider ring thickness - rider ring projection
Groove depth
Ex:
10” cyl., alum. piston = .250” ring thcknss
Typical ring projection = .060”
.250” - .060” =
.190” rider ring groove depth
Determining rider ring groove
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depth
Piston with combination rings
Cylinder bore Counterbore
Seal
= gas pressure
Piston
Piston movement
Piston weight makes
bottom half of the ring
seal against cylinder bore.
Seal
Rider Rings & Rider Bands
Any Questions?
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