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The diesel engine was invented by the German engineer Rudolf Diesel in 1893. Contrary to Nikolaus Otto’s engine (1876), the diesel engine does not take a spark plug or similarly to ignite the fuel. In a diesel engine, the combustion takes place by warming up air in the cylinder through compression.
The advantage of the diesel engine over other prime movers, for example steam engines, steam turbines and petrol engines, is the good fuel economy. The diesel engine consumes less fuel, and the fuel it does consume is the cheap diesel oil, which makes the diesel engine an attractive prime mover for business use for example for powering large ships, construction machinery, tractors, lorries and taxis.
Today, a large part of the further development of Rudolf Diesel’s invention is directed at reducing the emission of environmentally harmful substances.
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