Rudolph Diesel inventor of, yup, the Diesel Engine was an environmentalist, he was an avid proponent to vegetable oil (or Biodiesel as we know it) as a fuel source for his invention. This was in the early 1900′s. A man ahead of his time. Biodiesel is fuel made from renewable resources such as vegetable oils or animal fats. Called “Grease Cars“, here is a brief description on how a diesel engine works..
It is biodegradable and non-toxic, and hardly and
significant emissions compared to the petroleum/fossil-based diesel fuels when burned.
Biodiesel functions properly in current engines with some expensive modifications,
and is a possible candidate to
replace fossil fuels as the world’s primary transport energy source.
With a flash point of 150°C, Biodiesel is classified as a non-flammable
liquid by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This is one of the
properties that makes a vehicle fueled by pure biodiesel far safer in an
accident than one powered by petroleum diesel or the explosively
combustible gasoline.
Precautions should be taken in very cold
climates, where biodiesel may gel at higher temperatures than petroleum
diesel. This is where some of the expensive conversion parts come in.
Biodiesel can be distributed using a mildly modified version of today’s
infrastructure, and its use and production is increasing rapidly
(especially in Europe, the United States, and Asia).
Fuel stations are
beginning to make biodiesel available to consumers, and a growing
number of transport fleets use it as an additive in their fuel. I have personally seem the in Santee, South Carolina.
Biodiesel is generally more expensive to produce than petroleum diesel,
although this differential may equal out due to the economy and and
the rising cost of petroleum.
On today’s high performance diesel engines fuel passes through the injector at speeds of nearly 1500 miles per hour – as fast as a jet plane at top speed. Fuel is injected into the combustion chamber in less than 1.5 milliseconds, the same time it takes for a camera flash to go off.
The minimum amount of fuel injected into a diesel engine is one cubic millimetre – about the same volume as the head of a pin. Volkswagen has developed a 1 litre diesel powered car that got 100 kilometres out of .89 litres of fuel {60 miles on approximately 3/4 of a quart of fuel!} Dang efficient!!
* A Diesel Engine ignites the highly compressed air fuel mixture entering each cylinder by the Heat Of Compression compared to a high energy spark in a gas engine.
* Diesels are built much stronger than gas engines because of the high torque and heat it has to withstand. In turn the average life of a well maintained diesel engine can reach as high as 400,000 kilometers or 240,000 miles.
* You need special readers, laptops and software to diagnose and repair the Electronic/Emission controlled Diesel Engines of today.
There is much to learn about diesel engines and a ton of information online. If you have ever considered buying a vehicle with a diesel engine you have my good grace. I would drive one first for a while to make sure a diesel is right for you.
With all of this being said, Are biodiesel and biofuels the answer?
The extra cost will be to your benefit in the proper circumstances, so I recommend finding out more about diesel engines on our GotEngines.com Blog. While not under the “Diesel Engine” category yet, enjoy yourself finding them. If you find something you don’t understand, leave me a comment or call GotEngines.com @ 1-888-344-8044 for a personal consultation.
