|
|
| Fig. 1: Portrait of Rudolf Diesel. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
Diesel, a term commonly associated in modern day society with a type of engine that powers many machines, is also the surname of a renowned scientist and inventor, Rudolf Diesel (see Fig. 1). Rudolf Diesel, a French-German engineer and inventor, is responsible for the creation of the Diesel engine, which is where this invention draws its name. Rudolf Diesel is an interesting example of a brilliant scientist who was never quite fully appreciated for his work in his lifetime. Although Diesel received recognition, attention, and funding from the scientific community and a small following in the general public for his early versions of the Diesel engine that we know and utilize today, the broad reaching impact of his technology did not fully become realized until years after his death in 1913.
Rudolf Diesel began his research into combustion and engines after his graduation in 1880 from the Technische Hochschule (Technical School) in Munich. [1] At this school, Diesel achieved impressive grades and upon graduation began to work for one of his former professors, Carl Von Linde, on engineering a machine designed to liquefy air. [1] During this time and in throughout his undergraduate years, Diesel became fascinated with the Carnot cycle of the steam engine. The Carnot cycle is the driving mechanism behind the steam engine that consists of four distinct processes of gas expansion and compression. [2] During this time period, the steam engine was the notable invention of the time, however Diesel believed in creating an alternative for the steam engine that addressed the most evident downsides of the steam engine. [1] Most notably, due to ideas about efficiency as well as theories on improving societal issues such as poverty with industrial decentralization, Diesel sought to address the issue of the steam engine, being that it was primarily only economically viable in large-scale engines. [3]
Thus, in 1893 Diesel constructed his first diesel engine, utilizing the same four-stroke Carnot cycle, designed after the steam engine. The new diesel engine was a single cylinder machine with an external crosshead. [2] Although the engine combusted, it exploded and was ultimately a failure of a working engine. However, the first version of Diesel's engine proved much promise. Diesel continued to iterate and create new versions of his engine, until 1898, when his fourth version succeeded in sustaining a combustion reaction sufficient to power a machine. [1] This engine is cited as developing 20-25 h.p., a solid accomplishment considering it was a single cylinder machine. [1] From here, Diesel engines became widespread around the world, being constructed under Rudolf Diesel's patents. Diesel became a wealthy man and his engine was implemented in many different types of machines, including submarines, automobiles, power plants, and more. Unfortunately, a few mishaps with Diesel machines at the turn of the twentieth century created doubt in the machines' capability as well as creating financial issues and embarrassment for Rudolf Diesel. [1] Diesel continued to experiment with new versions of the engine, which ultimately led to the invention of a new and improved Diesel engine: which comprised both airless injection and a two-stroke cycle. [1] This new and improved engine did not have the full impact that it ultimately would during Diesel's lifetime. Potentially due to competition with the electric motor, Diesel's engine was not fully appreciated until years later. Diesel died in 1913, in a mysterious death while onboard a ship. [1]
While Rudolf Diesel's engine ultimately did not experience the fame and success that the steam engine nor the electric motor achieved throughout the twentieth century, the impact of the Diesel engine is still with us today in modern society. Rudolf Diesel's engine has transformed the ways in which modern society has been able to develop and transform, helping to revolutionize economies by making train, water, and road transport much more efficient. Unfortunately, the public perception of the technological advancement due to the Diesel engine is often largely overlooked. [3] Rudolf Diesel's ability to apply theoretical knowledge of internal combustion to create a novel engine achieving greater efficiency is a feat of science that ought to be remembered and appreciated.
© Serena Harber. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] E. J. Holmgren, "Rudolf Diesel, 1858-1913," Nature 181, 737 (1958).
[2] K. Sherwin and M. Horsley, Thermofluids (Chapman and Hall, 1996), p. 363.
[3] V. Smil, Prime Movers of Globalization: The History and Impact of Diesel Engines and Gas Turbines (MIT Press, 2013), Chs. 3, 45, 51.
