| One of the most reliable internal combustion | | | | linear |
| engines around | | | | movement of a piston to a rotating movement |
| is the diesel engine. In many industrial installations, | | | | of a crankshaft.The outward movement of the |
| diesel | | | | piston turns the crankshaft. However, |
| engines are used as prime movers for the | | | | the momentum of the turning crankshaft forces |
| generation of | | | | the piston back |
| electricity and for emergency air compressors.It's | | | | again towards the engine combustion space in a |
| true that they are rugged, but one of the most | | | | reciprocating |
| important | | | | movement.Once the piston moves away from |
| advantages of these engines is the fact that | | | | the combustion space, the |
| they can be | | | | pressure drops. The next stage of operation |
| started by manual cranking. In remote areas, | | | | depends on the |
| diesel engines | | | | design of the engine. These can be either |
| can be counted upon for starting up from | | | | 2-stroke or 4-stroke |
| scratch.Once a small diesel engine is started, it can | | | | designs.Regardless of the type of design, the |
| be used to drive | | | | spent exhaust gas is |
| a small electrical generator that can then be used | | | | first driven out, and then new fresh air is drawn |
| to produce | | | | back into |
| electrical supply for driving other machines like | | | | the combustion chamber.After this, the rotating |
| pumps, | | | | crankshaft drives the piston to |
| compressors, and for lighting.How does a diesel | | | | compress the fresh air inside the combustion |
| engine work?First there must be combustion of | | | | chamber. The |
| fuel. As we have discussed | | | | piston acts as a reciprocating compressor at this |
| in our previous articles, combustion or burning of | | | | stage.The compression of the air causes the |
| fuel occurs | | | | latter to become hot - hot |
| whenever there is sufficient heat, fuel and | | | | enough to ignite finely distributed fuel particles.At |
| oxygen. When | | | | this moment, fuel is sprayed in at high pressure. |
| conditions are just right, combustion can be very | | | | The tiny |
| rapid. Rapid | | | | sprayed fuel particles form a mist inside the |
| combustion causes an explosion in an enclosed | | | | combustion chamber.What do think will happen |
| area. This is | | | | when you have heat, fuel and oxygen? |
| because of the rapid built-up of hot gases during | | | | A fire! Each tiny particle of the fuel burns rapidly, |
| the process.In an internal combustion engine like a | | | | and an |
| diesel engine, this | | | | explosion occurs.The cycle starts again, and the |
| rapid combustion, and built-up of hot gas | | | | crankshaft turns continuously, |
| pressure is used to | | | | the pistons move continuously, and the engine |
| push a piston away from the enclosed | | | | runs.How does the engine know when to spray |
| combustion space.The piston is attached to a | | | | fuel, let in air, compress |
| crankshaft through a connecting rod. | | | | the air, and exhaust the spent combustion |
| Because of this, the engine is able to convert the | | | | product?Well folks, start your engines. |