How Diesel Engines Work
One of the most
popular articles is How car work, which explains the basic
principles behind internal combustion, discusses the four-stroke cycle and
talks about all of the subsystems that help your car's engine to do its job. For
a long time after we published that article, one of the most common questions
asked (and one of the most frequent suggestions made in the suggestion box)
was, "What is the difference between a gasoline and a diesel engine?"
Diesel's story actually begins with the
invention of the gasoline engine. Nikolaus August Otto had invented
and patented the gasoline engine by 1876. This invention used the
four-stroke combustion principle, also known as the "Otto Cycle," and
it's the basic premise for most car engines today. In its early stage, the
gasoline engine wasn't very efficient, and other major methods of
transportation such as the steam engine fared poorly as
well. Only about 10 percent of the fuel used in these types of engines actually
moved a vehicle. The rest of the fuel simply produced useless heat.
The 4.5-liter V-8
Duramax improves efficiency by 25 percent when compared with gasoline engines,
while reducing pollutants and emissions.
Rudolf Diesel,
inventor of the diesel engine.
In 1878, Rudolf Diesel was attending the
Polytechnic High School of Germany (the equivalent of an engineering college)
when he learned about the low efficiency of gasoline and steam engines. This
disturbing information inspired him to create an engine with a higher
efficiency, and he devoted much of his time to developing a
"Combustion Power Engine." By 1892 Diesel had obtained a patent
for what we now call the diesel engine.
If diesel engines are so efficient, why don't
we use them more often? You might see the words "diesel engine" and
think of big, hefty cargo trucks spewing out black, sooty smoke and creating a
loud clattering noise. This negative image of diesel trucks and engines has
made diesel less attractive to casual drivers in the United States -- although
diesel is great for hauling large shipments over long distances, it hasn't been
the best choice for everyday commuters. This is starting to change, however, as
people are improving the diesel engine to make it cleaner and less noisy.
If you haven't already done so, you'll
probably want to read How Car Engine Work first, to get a feel for
the basics of internal combustion. But hurry back -- in this article, we unlock
the secrets of the diesel engine and learn about some new advancements.
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