The Diesel cycle is the combustion process of a reciprocating internal combustion engine in which fuel is ignited by the heat generated during the compression of air in the combustion chamber, with fuel injected into that already compressed and heated air. This contrasts with igniting a fuel-air mixture with a spark plug, as in the Otto cycle used by four-stroke petrol engines. Engines running on this cycle are used in aircraft, automobiles, power generation, diesel-electric locomotives, and both surface ships and submarines.
Facts
Technology TypeFour-stroke compression-ignition heat engine cycle 2 Invented Year1892 is when Rudolf Diesel received his founding patents for the compression-ignition engine, per the cited source; the first working engine built to this cycle was not tested successfully until 1897. Classification
MaturityTRL 9: Actual System Proven in Operational Environment 1 Sources
1. Wikipedia: Diesel engine
History sectionQuote, History section
In 1892, Diesel received patents in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States for "Method of and Apparatus for Converting Heat into Work".
2. Wikipedia: Diesel cycle
WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead section
The Diesel cycle is a combustion process of a reciprocal internal combustion engine.
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