Science & Tech
diesel engine
Also known as: compression-ignition engine
diesel engine and precombustion chamber
Category:
Science & Tech
- Key People:
- Rudolf Diesel
- Related Topics:
- medium-speed engine
- diesel
- low-speed engine
- semidiesel
- high-speed engine
Recent News
Mar. 29, 2024, 7:54 AM ET (MSN)
Volvo Kills the Diesel Engine Forever
diesel engine, any internal-combustion engine in which air is compressed to a sufficiently high temperature to ignite diesel fuel injected into the cylinder, where combustion and expansion actuate a piston. It converts the chemical energy stored in the fuel into mechanical energy, which can be used to power freight trucks, large tractors, locomotives, and marine vessels. A limited number of automobiles also are diesel-powered, as are some electric-power generator sets. The diesel engine is an intermittent-combustion piston-cylinder device. It operates on either a two-stroke or four-stroke cycle (see figure); however, unlike the spark-ignition gasoline engine, the diesel engine induces only ...(100 of 2887 words)