We all know that familiar whine of a powerful diesel engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the clank of the starter to the rumble down the highway, these amazing feats of engineering have been powering the nation for over a century. While gasoline engines have the punch to move light and small vehicles, those heavy trucks need a whole lot more power to make it up a steep grade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s a semi-truck, train, ship, or submarine \u2014 those huge machines need the power of diesel to get it done. Diesel is distilled from the same oil that gasoline comes from, but the process is completely different from the pump to the engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diesel engines — like gasoline powered cars \u2014 use the power of internal combustion to make those pistons move. Simply put, the fuel is ignited and burned, producing movement of the pistons and pushing those wheels forward. In a typical gasoline engine, fuel and air mix together in a perfect ratio and then are ignited by the engine\u2019s spark plug\u2014generating the power to press that cylinder and send it to the wheels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diesel engines are similar in a sense, but their engineering is much simpler. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a diesel engine, air is sent into the cylinder then a piston\nthen compresses that air at much higher pressure than your standard gas engine.\nCompressing that gas generates a great deal of heat. Diesel engines can\ncompress air up to 1000\u00b0F!\nAfter that air has been squeezed to its limit, a tiny mist of fuel sprays into\nthe cylinder, kind of like a can of spray paint. Now that the air is blazing\nhot from compression, the fuel ignites without any need for a spark plug. This\npowerful little explosion slams that piston back, producing the power the\ndriver needs to make it down the road. After the piston finds its way back into\nthe cylinder, the exhaust gases are released and head out through the valve and\ninto the sky. Now this might seem like a simple task for an engine, but these\ncompressions and exhaustions are happening upwards of one thousand times per\nminute! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re the in the market for efficiency, diesel should be your\nnumber one choice. Diesel engines are nearly 40% more efficient than a standard\ngasoline engine. With their higher compression ratios and temperatures, you\u2019re\ngetting more power for your money. Without the need for a spark plug, the fuel\ncompresses much more than gasoline and burns completely. This cuts down on\nwasted fuel and rich emissions. When you\u2019re dealing with a gasoline engine\nthat\u2019s not working at full power, fuel still needs to get to the engine or\nyou\u2019ll deal with a stall. Diesel engines don\u2019t have to worry about that\nproblem\u2014they need less fuel when working at lower power levels. Diesel fuel is\neven far more efficient than gasoline and runs with far less friction due to\nthe greasy nature of the fuel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diesel fuel and gasoline are actually quite different, even\nthough you can usually pump them both from the same spot. Diesel is a less\nrefined petroleum product, made from the heavier petroleum hydrocarbon molecules.\nDid you know that those very large engines in ships and submarines can run on\nalmost any hydrocarbon fuel? It\u2019s true! Most ships run on a type of diesel made\nfrom used motor oil and other super heavy petroleum products. When you compare\nthe advantages of diesel over gasoline, you\u2019ll find that they\u2019re just simple.\nDiesel is far more economical and better for the environment with greater\nefficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The great news is that diesel engine technology is evolving at a\nfaster pace each year. What used to be considered a dirty and inefficient fuel\nis now considered to be the main choice for any type of heavy or light\nmachinery. If you\u2019re looking to upgrade from gasoline or simply want to find\nsome greater power when you\u2019re rolling up those hills, diesel engines will give\nyou the ability to get any type of job done. \n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We all know that familiar whine of a powerful diesel engine. From the clank of the starter to the rumble down the highway, these amazing feats of engineering have been powering the nation for over a century. While gasoline engines have the punch to move light and small vehicles, those heavy trucks need a whole … <\/p>\n