FUELS & LUBES INTERNATIONAL
Quarter Three 2014
30
从4月8日至10日，SAE International在美国密歇根州底特律召开了世界大会。会议日程之一是低粘度发动机油
论坛。来自润滑油行业不同地区的五名发言人就低粘度油做了报告，各自从他们的角度谈了近期的开发趋势。
这些发言人包括：
SK润滑油美国的技术副总裁Mike
Brown；
雅富顿化工的技术顾问Greg Guinther；
底特律柴油的液体工程师John Cruz；
本田研发公司的首席工程师Masashi
Maruyama；及
John Deere 的工程师Ken Chao。
Brown首先发言，谈了SAE J300标
准。然后，他又讲了一个新的发动机油粘度
等级，SAE 16。SAE 16在2013年4月推向
市场，主要针对国际润滑油标准化和审批委
员会（ILSAC）对较SAE 20更低高温、高
剪切率粘度的新等级要求。SAE 16墨迹未
干之时，本田与SAE发动机油粘度分类工作
（EOVC）组联系，定义三个更低粘度的等
级，为即将到来的燃料效率汽车平台提供框
架。EOVC目前正在讨论动态粘度和高温、
高剪切率粘度的流变学限值。虽然还未确
定，但SAE提出的任何新的等级将包含在于
ILSAC GF-6B发动机油的性能类别中，这些
油将在不早于2017年1月上市。
Brown强调，J300确定了粘度等级的
标准。他强调OEM的任务是生产可以使用
更低粘度等级油品的发动机。随动滚柱、轴
承、活塞环和表面光洁度的发展需要服务于
开发出有效的低摩擦发动机。低粘度等级的
实现也需要有效的添加剂技术的支持。
添加剂一般在乘用车发动机油中占
15-20%，通常包括去垢阻化剂、粘度改进
剂、倾点下降剂。采用摩擦改进剂有助于降
低弹性液压动态摩擦（EHL）和边际摩擦区
的摩擦系数。“将J300延伸到更低的粘度这
项工作实际上是一个液压动态润滑项目，”
Brown说。“但它确定影响了这些区域内的
问题，”他说，这是指混合润滑、EHL和边
际摩擦。
Guinther讲了雅富顿化工对0W-16油
所开展的耐用性和燃油经济性的测试。这
些API测试包括针对耐用性的程序IIIG、针
作者
Alison Gaines
对积碳的程序VG、针对发动机磨损的程
序IVA。最终发现，低粘度对这些测试结
果没有影响。“这都是好消息，” Guinther
说。但他指出，程序测试只是一个起点，
并不能完全反映发动机和机油每天的情
况。Guinther又讨论他参与开发的雅富顿
连续老化燃料经济性（A-CAFE）测试。测
试在2012 Chevy Malibu上进行，配用LY7
V6发动机，测试了三种油：5W-30、5W-
20和0W-16。结果表明发动机对这三种油
无区分，没有耐用性问题。测试中还发现了
燃油经济性的指标性改进：5W-20油的燃
油经济性比5W-30油好1.3%， 0W-16油比
5W-20油好0.3%。
雅富顿化工在2012 本田雅阁上进行了
同样的测试，期望找到低粘度导致燃油消耗
增加的折点。测试用油包括一种类似于SAE
5W-20的参考油，三种测试油，其动力学
粘度和HTHS粘度逐步下降。测试包括欧洲
ARTEMIS行车周期，平均速度为美国一般
超低粘度发动机油之路
and 3.2 MPs, touching the J300 lower limit
for XW-30.
As of 2014, the New Category Develop-
ment Team (NCDT) is deciding which tests
will be conducted. Caterpillar has approved
a C13 aeration test. Volvo has approved a T13
oxidation test and Daimler is working on a
DD13 scuffing test.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is introducing new greenhouse
gas emission standards in 2017. These will
include lower CO2 standards. Cruz shared
that according to data from a certain OEM’s
laboratory, a 0.5% increase in fuel economy is
expected with PC-11 oils.
Maruyama spoke on the introduction of
an ultra-low-viscosity oil in six models of Honda
passenger cars in Japan. Engines have evolved
into a low-friction design and operate in the hy-
drodynamic lubrication regime. Maruyama said
that the present high-fuel-efficiency-designed
engine has the potential to operate with ultra-
low-viscosity oils, as well as even lower viscosity
oils. He also spoke of a test that proved this: A
mass-production Honda engine was tested with
high speed and high load. The ultra-low-viscos-
ity oil’s results were comparable to the results of
a 0W-20 in terms of durability. The ultra-low-
viscosity test oil also had no additives.
Maruyama emphasized that other OEMs
besides Honda have the potential to use
ultra-low-viscosity oils as well: “I think this
is not the potential which only the engine of
Honda has.” He also admitted, similar to the
other presenters, that engine designs need to
be modified to accommodate the oils. Large
displacement volume engines, as well as
complicated control engines, would need to
evolve before becoming suitable for ultra-
low-viscosity oils.
Maruyama noted that ILSAC should pay
special attention to anti-wear and volatil-
ity performance. In terms of additives, one
would be needed to improve performance in
boundary regions and OEMs would require
friction modifier and anti-wear additives.
Ultra-low viscosity grades have difficult
challenges for evaluation, and a new type of
test is necessary, he said. For this to happen,
ILSAC must clarify the performance speci-
fications of ultra-low-viscosity engine oils.
Maruyama ended his presentation by saying
that this would ultimately be proposed to the
industry.
Chao spoke from an off-road perspec-
tive. He touched on some of the challenges to
engine durability that off-road vehicles face,
such as heavy loads, chemicals from agri-
cultural work, moisture, dust, high altitude
and extreme temperatures. When reducing
oil viscosity, the main concerns according to
Chao are reduced oil film thickness to cope
with surface roughness and solid contami-
nants. However, in off-road applications, the
engine’s durability is the top priority. There
should be no trade-off between engine dura-
bility and fuel economy, he said.
Like Guinther, Chao pointed out that test
methods for fuel economy do not always
reflect the field applications of the vehicle.
One necessary modification is testing with
used oil as opposed to fresh oil, as fresh oil
only reflects performance for the first 100 or
200 hours after the oil is changed. Further-
more, testing with fresh oil disregards the
used oil residue carry-over effect during an
oil change, which could be significant.
Chao asserted that there must be a safety
cushion for when people abuse their vehicle
or disregard the manual. “When you reduce
viscosity,” he said, “you reduce the safety
cushion for shear down and fuel dilution…
When you formulate oil, you need to look at
the whole picture.” This big-picture message
was included in each of the presentations at
the open forum. Lowering engine oil viscos-
ity is about paying attention to the limits, to
the everyday life of the vehicle and designing
tests that can bring out the true potential of
the oil and the engine.
专题报道
