Determination of wear in internal combustion engine valves using the finite element method and experimental tests

•A finite element model of flexible/flexible contact with wear is implemented.•The model is applied to the computation of wear in internal combustion engine valves.•Validation is made by comparison with a wear testing rig for internal combustion engine valves.•Wear parameters for internal combustion engine valve conditions are obtained.

A methodology for the analysis of wear in internal combustion engine valves is proposed, which is the result of the combined use of numerical and experimental techniques. The numerical solutions are obtained using a specialized Finite Element Method, where a mortar contact algorithm is used to model a flexible–flexible contact along with an adhesive wear law. The experimental results are obtained in a wear testing rig specifically designed to evaluate wear parameters in valve operating conditions. A good agreement was found between the experimental worn profiles and the numerical computations of wear at the contact surfaces.

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