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The History of Diesels: Forgotten Treasures

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Diesel Technology revolution is bringing reliability and increases in the fuel economy. There are many people internationally that are enjoying the fruits of the diesel labor. Diesels have had a rich history with the United States economy. The 1980′s brought General Motors some success with the modification of the V8 engine to run on diesel fuel. The V8 modifications didn’t go as expected and ran slow. They were not reliable but did offer better fuel economy.

The Mercedes Benz had success in the 80′s with a selection of vehicles they made with diesel engines. The vehicles were very durable however they brought the customer numbers down a bit with the smelly smoke and noise of the average diesel engine. When Volkswagen took their chance on the diesel vehicle it spit out blue smoke and maintained the tell tale smell of the diesel.

With several tweaks and perks, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen continued improving and manufacturing the diesel engines and offered them to the United States in the 1990′s. With each passing year they grew better and more efficient then the year before. The engines were cleaner and more powerful then their last version. The lack of horsepower made them hard to sell though they continued to make them.

Mercedes, Volkswagen and many other manufacturers have continued to make the diesel engine powered vehicles still today. They sell these vehicles all over the world today. However these new and improved engines offer much more in the way of accelerations…then gasoline parts. Improving the rate in which the car gets to a set distance.

The new diesel engines get anywhere from 0-60 in anywhere from 6-8seconds! The Mercedes Benz C320 CDI SE offers over 360lb/ft of torque and offer a little under 48 miles per gallon on the highway! With current gas prices this can do wonders for your pockets!

North American diesel is a cheaper grade of diesel fuel and it omits more sulfur then the diesel overseas. This will cause havoc on the vehicles overseas. They are currently working on what is called ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. This will soon be available here by the refiners and will reduce the level of sulfur in the fuel dramatically. Now the sulfur is at 500ppm’s and with use of the new fuel it will be down to 15ppm. This is a will make a large difference in the type of havoc our diesel can play on the vehicles engine.

Overall diesel engines have come a long way and though there is a lot of work still to do it will improve the reliability and the mileage we get out of fuel. The Manufacturers Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, and many others will continue to refine our little treasures: Diesel Engines and make them more road efficient. The years are only giving them more ideas and ways to improve them. If you haven’t driven one maybe you should give it a whirl you never know what lies under the hood until you feel the power in your hands!

 

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The Use of Industrial Diesel Engines

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Industrial Diesel engine is known for its power however that is not all it is. The Industrial Diesel engine is used in a large number of machinery it is the engine that powers machines used for industrial purposes such as bulldozers, motorbikes, trucks and even forklifts. They are run with diesel engines and can vary in weight up to a few tons! To some organizations it is mandated to use diesel engines. One of these organizations is NATO all the machinery it uses must be ran on diesel or kerosene. Diesel is one of the most convenient ways to supply power to its equipment and is used to power even generators!

Industrial engines use water or air to cool down and can cost up to a few thousand USD just for a small engine which provides only 10kw and is used for residential purposes. Smaller engines can power many things even things we see everyday like farm equipment and trucks. Medium scale Industrial engines power larger things like mining equipment , oil rigs, even the trains we use for transport! They provide anywhere from 200kw- 2000kw of power and cost in the thousands of dollars to purchase.

Industrial diesel engines can become very massive though they are not seen as often as the other sizes they can get up to 80,000kW and cost upwards to the millions of dollars! These types of industrial diesel engines are utilized more in places like china where the demand is great for other types of power sources. These size industrial diesel engines are also used to power the largest ships and can get up to 49 feet long how that for is large!

Industrial diesel engines are used depending on their size and RPM’s. The RPM’s or (Rotations per Minute) will also tell you the size of the engine. The smaller engines have a higher speed RPM which is used for most land equipment. These industrial engines are used for farm equipment and other land machinery such as trucks. The RPM’s on the Medium size engines are slower and have a higher torque. They are used for bigger equipment like submarines and other larger machinery.

Overall Industrial Diesel Engines have been around for a long time. They are used every day and 9 times out of 10 you have seen and maybe even used them in your lifetime. The Industrial diesel equipment is on the more expensive side but it pays itself off in the long term of it. You want reliability and durability in a job and a more cost effective piece of machinery then industrial diesel engines are the way to go to get the job done!

The truth is Industrial diesel engines have been working around you each and every day. Providing you with the reliability you have come to depend on. Looking back at it the use of diesel probably has already saved you loads of money…remember if you want power, durability, and torque you need diesel!

 

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Use of Diesel Engines vs. Spark Engine Ignitions

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Diesel vs. Gas has been a big debate in recent years as to which is more efficient and which has more power. The efficiency of the diesel engine has been described as better simply because it has a lower usage rate in the area of fuel. The efficient turbo diesel engine gives the driver 40% more miles than gas. Diesel fuel also gives a 15% energy raise per unit then gas.

The overall sizes of the diesel engines are much larger than that of the gas engine simply because it takes more capacity to produce the same power as gas. The diesel engine is slower and can’t operate quite as fast as the gas. The diesel engine also has a slower rev time because it is a more complex process getting the same fuel to air ratio as gas in as little time. Another reason is strength. The diesel engine needs to be stronger to with stand the combustion pressure it needs for its ignition.

Diesel engines overall will produce less carbon then the gas engine, except if the vehicle is at full capacity. This causes more fuel to be injected per cycle and creates black soot. The soot will contain reminisces of carbon compounds out of its exhaust system.

Many times the soot is caused by worn out injectors or Faulty management systems. This will allow the fuel to be pushed out and burned with the air that is available. Diesel engines torque is widely used commercially for towing and so forth. The torque on the diesel engine occurs at a lower speed giving the operators more control of the vehicle and a smoother ride.

The diesel engines do not have an electrical ignition and this creates more reliability then a gas engine. The diesel engines also have more durability then the gas engines because of their heavy parts and combustion cycle which gives them a less violent pressure change then the spark ignition on the gas engine. The diesel engines get 250,000 miles before needing to be re-built compared to the gas engine because they lubricate better then gas engines.

Diesel engines are better than the spark engine ignition in several ways. It provides the driver with a lot more assurances and gives them a better sense of security then the spark engine ignition. The diesel engine offers more torque and reliability though they are more expensive then sparks engine ignitions they are well worth their price.

The differences in the two is quite visible and if you have not owned one you should take your chances on a bit more expensive engine and get a diesel vehicle. It will give you more reliability and security then you can even imagine. The diesel engine merely lasts longer and needs less work as soon. Significantly lowering the overall cost of repairs and increasing the quality of use. The fuel is cheaper then gas and will give you a much better experience!

 

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