DIESEL ENGINE

The diesel engine is an engine which incorporates internal combustion in which ignition is produced by highly compressed air. Rudolf Diesel, a German engineer developed the idea and obtained the German patent for it in 1892. His goal was to create an engine with high efficiency. Diesel engines have been installed in production automobiles in Europe since 1936. However, their acceptance in the United States was limited until after the oil shortages of 1973 and 1979. To fully comprehend the diesel engine we must examine the following criteria. Methods of Expansion Comparison The diesel engine can be compared to the popping of popcorn. When popcorn is introduced to heat, the moisture inside causes an explosion, which results in expansion. These results are the same functions that occur in a diesel engine. When numerous kernels have been popped, they cause movement within the bag. This can be compared to the diesel being introduced to compressed gas. Even though these two comparisons are completely different, when viewing the objects, they both have the same concept. Contrast There are many similarities between the gasoline engine and the diesel engine but they are in fact quite different. A gasoline engine intakes a mixture of gas and air, compresses it and ignites the mixture with a spark. A diesel engine takes in just air, compresses it and then injects fuel into the compressed air, the heat of the compressed air lights the fuel. One big difference is in the injection process. Gasoline engines generally either use a carburetor in which air and fuel is mixed long before the air enters the cylinder, or port fuel injection which is when the fuel is injected just prior to the intake (outside the cylinder) Diesel engines use direct fuel injection. The diesel fuel is then injected directly into the cylinder.