RudolfChri

sti
anKar
lDi
esel
isamechani
cal
engi
neerf
rom Ger
manyandi
sthei
nvent
oroft
he
DieselEngi
ne.

DieselwasborninPari
s,Francein1858toGer manparent
swhoi mmi grat
edtoFrance.Partof
Diesel
'
schil
dhoodwasspenti nFranceunti
ltheoutbr
eakoftheFranco-Prussi
anwarin1870.
Hisfamil
ywasforcedtofleetoLondon,Engl
and.Andt owardstheendoft hewar,hi
smot her
sent12-y
ear
-ol
dRudolfDiesel t
oli
veinAugsburgwithhisuncl
eandauntsohecoul dspeak
GermanandattendtheRoy alCount
yTradeSchool,wherehisuncl
etaughtmat hemati
csthere.

Att heageof14, RudolfDieselsentalett

ertohisparent
scontai
ninghisdr
eam ofbecomi ngan
engineer,andaft
ercompl eti
nghispr i
maryeducati
onandbei ngt
hebeststudentinhi scl
assin
1873, heconti
nuedhisstudiesatt heSchoolofAugsburg.Thenin1875,herecei
v eda
scholarshipf
rom theRoyal Bavari
anPolytechni
cinMunich,atwhi
chtimeRudolfDi eselwas
forcedtogoagainstthewi shesofhi spar
entswhower ehavingfi
nanci
aldi
ffi
cult
iesandhoped
thatRudolfwouldstartworkingtoear nmoney .

Whi l
eincoll
ege,
RudolfDi
eselworkedinafactor
yandgai
nedalotofexper
iencefrom wher
ehe
worked.In1880,Di
eselgr
aduatedfrom uni
ver
sit
yandwashonoredasthestudentwit
hthe
bestacademicgr
ades.

Rudol fDi
eselconduct edr esearchonhowt omaket heuseoff uelinamachi nemor eeffi
cient
.
Heknewt hatthest eam engi nesofhi sti
meonl yhadanef f
ici
encyl evelof10-
15%.Het hen
designedanengi newithf uelthatwasspr ayedintothecompr essi
onchamberwher ethef uel
wouldbebur nedduet ot heheatgener at
edbyt hecompr ession.Thi smachineiswhatweknow
todayastheDi eselEngine.OnFebr uary23,
1893Di esel '
sdream ofcr eati
ngahigh-eff
ici
ency
enginewasachi eved,becauset hef uelsour
cef ordieselenginesthatar eusedtodayandwe
knowbyt hename' di
esel'isresidualoilf
rom theresultsofgasol i
nefilt
eri
ng.

Af t
erthedeat hofRudol fDiesel,
thedi eselenginerepl
acedt hesteam engine.Di eselengines
areheav ymachi nesandhav eamor eri
gidandst urdi
ershapet hangasolineenginessot hat
dieselenginesar enotusedf orair
craftengines,butdieselenginesaregrowi ngwi del
ysot hey
arewidelyusedbyf actories,shi
ps, submar i
nes, l
ocomot i
vesandmoder ncar s.Dieselengines
havetheadv antageofbei ngmor ef ueleffi
cientthangasolineengines.Rudol fDieselwas
especiall
yinterestedinusi ngcoal ashorv egetableoilasfuel,
andi nfact
, t
heengi nehe
designedcoul dr unonv egetableoil.