Why diesel engine

In a gasoline engine, fuel injection can occur two ways: a port injection system or a carburetor. The port injection system injects air into the fuel right before the intake stroke. In contrast, a carburetor mixes the fuel and air together before sending it into the cylinder to compress.

In a diesel engine, the fuel is injected directly into the cylinder. Since this process is a crucial part of how diesel engines work, the diesel injectors can become a complicated part of the process.

In order to deliver the fine mist of fuel necessary for the process to work, the injectors must be able to withstand high temperatures and a large amount of pressure.

To this day, engineers are working to make this system more efficient. Examples of engine advancements include engine control modules and glow plugs. Engine control modules use numerous sensors to correctly time the injection, and a glow plug is a hot wire that can quickly raise the air temperature in a cold engine to help it start more efficiently.

Horsepower is a measurement of power, and torque is a measurement of the twisting force on the driveline in the engine.

If your vehicle has plenty of horsepower but little torque, it will be slow to get moving. Torque is what gets vehicles going. Diesel engines tend to have higher torque but less horsepower. This is why sports cars usually have gasoline engines and big trucks typically have diesel engines. Sports cars need the extra horsepower that gasoline offers, and big trucks need that extra torque from a diesel engine to move heavy loads.

In addition to differences in power, another difference between diesel and gasoline engines is efficiency. Diesel engines tend to have higher fuel economy numbers when compared to gasoline engines. These higher efficiency numbers are mainly due to how the engines operate. A gasoline engine has to make sure it never reaches the self-ignition temperature during the compression stroke since this could potentially ruin the engine. As a result, a gas engine has to keep a low compression ratio.

A higher compression ratio equals better fuel efficiency. Since gasoline and diesel engines operate differently, they require different types of fuel.

While both gasoline and diesel start as crude oil mined from the earth, the refining process then separates them into various types of fuels. Diesel fuel is thicker than gasoline, which means it evaporates slower. Diesel fuel also has more energy density. These features are another reason why diesel engines tend to have better fuel economy than gas engines. Among car and truck enthusiasts, there's an ongoing debate over gasoline and diesel engines.

For years, the gasoline engine was viewed as superior to the diesel, but that attitude is changing. Once only the domain of trains, semis, farm equipment, and heavy-duty pickup trucks, diesel engines are having a renaissance in the 21st century.

Environmental concerns are one of the driving factors of this, unbelievable as it sounds. Diesel engines burn cleaner and more efficiently than gasoline engines. Let's explore some of the other benefits of a diesel engine. Diesel engines have fewer moving parts in them than a gasoline engine. Fewer parts means fewer things that can wear down and break. Diesels don't have spark plugs in them or distributor caps like gas engines, meaning they won't ever have to be changed or repaired.

The diesel engine is inherently stronger, more durable, and will last much longer. A diesel engine is just getting broken in around , miles. Diesels have a compression-ignition system that is highly efficient. Most new and existing diesel vehicles and equipment are compatible with lower level biodiesel or renewable diesel fuel blends, between five percent and 20 percent depending on manufacturer warranties.

When powered with a blend of five percent biodiesel, or B5, the anticipated growth in the light-duty car fleet will save a further million gallons of gasoline and reduce CO 2 emissions by a further , tonnes by Privacy Policy and Cookies This site uses cookies to optimize your experience. Learn More. Featured What is SCR? Featured U. Vehicle Sales Dashboard Learn More. What is Clean Diesel? Diesel Drivers Why Diesel?