From: SFPhysics@aol.com
Date: Tue Jan 25 2000 - 01:49:03 PST
From: SFPhysics@aol.com Message-ID: <8.6d4d50.25becb8f@aol.com> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 04:49:03 EST Subject: Re: Diesel's advantage = force/time
> 1. Diesel engines have better fuel efficiency than gasoline engines. Yet I
> thought that 1 L of gas had a higher energy content than a liter of diesel.
> So why then would diesel be more efficient? Is it because gas engines
> create more power, but do so very inefficiently?
Hello Geoff:
The piston on of the average Diesel compresses the air on a 12 to 1 ratio
before the fuel is introduced. The distance the piston travels while the
fuel is burning is therefore greater than the distance an average gasoline
piston travels with a 6.5 to 1 ratio. The burning and expanding Diesel fuel
is in contact with the piston for a great amount of time and thus more of the
energy in the Diesel is transmitted into motion. The gas engine has less
expanding gas time in contact with the piston. The exhaust temperatures for
the Diesel and the gas engine show that more energy is sent out as waste heat
from the gas engine than the lower temperature Diesel. Efficiency is the
bottom line with force applied over length of time being the advantage of the
Diesel engine.
Al Sefl
p.s.: On your second question, I don't do Biology.............
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