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Diesel, Rudolf

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Diesel, Rudolf

Published: August 31, 2006, 9:34 pm
Updated: August 31, 2006, 9:34 pm
Lead Author: Cutler Cleveland
Topics: People Energy Energy People Environmental History Transportation
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This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Brian Black

Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913), German-born inventor of the diesel engine. In 1893, Diesel published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder, the internal combustion engine. In 1894, he filed for a patent for his new invention, dubbed the diesel engine. Diesel was the first to prove that fuel could be ignited without a spark, and operated his first successful engine in 1897. Diesel engines are now used to power pipelines, electric and water plants, automobiles and trucks, marine craft, and in applications ranging from mines, oil fields, factories, and transoceanic shipping. Good quality diesel fuel can be synthesized from vegetable oil and alcohol; in fact, Diesel demonstrated his engine at the 1900 World's Fair using peanut oil. Diesel was a distinguished thermal engineer who designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air engine.



Further Reading
Diesel Engine Basics (U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)
Inventor Profile: Rudolf Diesel (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
Rudolf Diesel's Engine (American Chemical Society)

Citation

Cutler Cleveland (Lead Author);Brian Black (Topic Editor) "Diesel, Rudolf". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 31, 2006; Last revised Date August 31, 2006; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Diesel%2C_Rudolf>

The Author

Cutler Cleveland Editor-in-Chief The Encyclopedia of Earth Cutler J. Cleveland is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Cleveland is currently a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Boston University, with joint appointments in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies and the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer Range Future. He also is a Senior Fellow at the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington D.C. Dr. Cleveland is als ... (Full Bio)

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