| It has been 114 years since Rudolph Diesel applied for | | | | top of its' upward stroke, diesel fuel is then injected, |
| a patent for his new improved engine. It was hoped to | | | | combustion occurs, pressure increases and pushes the |
| replace the gasoline engine but as we can all see that | | | | cylinder downwards. This motion is transmitted by |
| this has not happened. The gasoline engine having just | | | | means of the connecting rods to the crankshaft which |
| been invented in 1876 was still considered inefficient in | | | | itself turns thus transmitting rotating power to a drive |
| fuel consumption and power. An evaluation of each | | | | shaft which powers ships, cars, generators, aircraft |
| engine's performance tells a story that is difficult to | | | | and even motorcycles. |
| reconcile with the way things have shaken out in the | | | | During cold weather, diesel fuel thickens when the wax |
| beginning of the 21st Century. The invention of the | | | | crystallizes. It becomes a gel and the fuel injection will |
| Diesel offered the world a far more efficient and | | | | not easily work. Technological advances have made |
| effective fuel based engine. It actually provides more | | | | this a problem of the past. The fuel lines and fuel filter |
| horsepower per gallon or liter than a gasoline. This is | | | | can be pre-warmed, others use a glow plug in the |
| why diesel engines power our large earth moving | | | | combustion chamber to pre-heat its' walls, some use |
| equipment, trucks, marine engines, low mileage cars | | | | resistive heaters in the intake manifold to warm air |
| and now aircraft. | | | | taken into the combustion chambers and engine block |
| The diesel is a combustion injection engine. Unlike the | | | | heaters are used in areas like Kansas or Nebraska |
| gasoline engine, air is compressed first and then the | | | | when automobiles are left in the cold overnight. |
| fuel is injected into it. The compressed air is hot | | | | Diesel engine speed used to be controlled by |
| enough to ignite the diesel fuel without the use of a | | | | governing the rate of fuel through a gear system. |
| sparkplug. Diesel engines developed out of the earlier | | | | Today the use of electronically controlled engines ECM |
| work surrounding two engines; the original diesel design | | | | (electronic control module) allows diesel engines to |
| and the solid injection system of Herbert Akroyd | | | | adjust their timing to start according to the |
| Stuart created in his hot bulb engine. This means that | | | | environmental conditions of heat and cold, regulate the |
| the upward stroke of the diesel engine compresses | | | | engine speed in terms of RPM (revolutions per minute) |
| the air to where its' temperature is between | | | | and maintain fuel economy. |
| 1300-1650° F. When the piston has reached the | | | | |