Difference between Diesel Engine and Other Fuel Engines

The main difference between the diesel engines and the other fuel engines is the way in which the ignition is achieved. In a petrol engine, both the fuel and the air are compressed together. The ignition is then achieved with an ancillary unit like the spark plug. In diesel generators, only the air is compressed and diesel is introduced at the end of the compression leading to self-ignition without the necessity of spark plug or external igniters. The self-ignition stabilizes the engine-knock which was not possible to be achieved by the petrol engines. Also, diesel turned out to be a cheaper alternative to petrol and with a lesser risk of causing explosions. Thus his diesel engines finally made its way into the submarines in France.

In 1897, he also tried his hands in engines where fuel was derived from peanut oil and amazingly these had 75% efficiency. From 1898 till his death in 1913, Diesel was able to sell off his engines to manufacturing and transportation industries. Since the diesel engines were heavy, they were stationed in factories and large ships and replaced the less efficient steam engines.

Death of Rudolf Diesel and its Subsequent Repercussions on Diesel Engine

Rudolf Diesel died under mysterious circumstances on-board a steamer on his business trip to London. It was only after his death and after the expiry of his patents that other companies started improvising on the diesel engines. Even though the exact cause of Rudolf Diesel’s death in the steamer will never be known, his invented diesel engine powers massive ships today. From automobiles to oil rigs, from generators to manufacturing industries, diesel engines form the core of industrial and transportation businesses in the present generation.

The history of alternators:

Michael Faraday, an English scientist was the person responsible for the invention of electromagnetic induction. The foundation of electric motor technology was based on his findings of electromagnetic rotary devices and led to the practical applications of electricity in technologies.

Michael Faraday’s Experiments

The breakthrough in Faraday’s experiments came when he discovered the phenomenon of mutual induction. In his later experiments, he found that electric current flowed in a wire if a magnet was made to move around the loop of wire. Also, he was able to prove that current flows even when the magnet is kept stationary and the wire loop is moved. So he was able to establish that the changing magnetic field produces an electric field. This principle of his was put to use in the electric dynamo which was the ancestor of modern power generators.