Work Output and Efficiency Measurement of Diesel Engines

Saka Oluwadamilola
110404085

Mechanical Engineering
University Of Lagos

An Industrial Visit to:

Mantrac Nigeria Limited.
2, Billings Way, Oregun Industrial Estate
Oregun, Lagos

I.

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the diesel engine as a reciprocating compression-ignition internal combustion engine. It
examines the principles of operation of the diesel engine, and the thermodynamic principle of the diesel cycle. It
discusses the components of the diesel engine and how they work together to convert chemical energy in fuel to
useful work. The operational characteristics of the diesel engine are also considered. Finally, it accesses the
advantages and applications of the diesel engine over gasoline engines.

II.

INTRODUCTION

Over the years, engineers have developed on knowledge derived from scientific research and experiments. One
principal aim of engineers is to seek how to efficiently and safely harness all sources of energy, using tools and
machines to provide meaningful work. The application of such knowledge for manufacturing and productive
processes is known as technology. Technology is therefore an essential ingredient in industrialization and
civilization. One key element in evaluating development in nations is the level of technological advancement. This
cannot be determined until the method and quality of work done is measured.
For example, lifting barrels off ships by pulling ropes on pulley with hand implies a very low level of
technology, compared to automatically actuated weight lifting machines controlled from a desk in a control room.
Such mechanical devices that make work done easier and faster are commonly called machines. Machines are
mechanical devices with moving parts, used to perform a task, especially one that would otherwise be done by hand.
Machines are usually powered by an engine, or even engines in larger-scale machines. Engines are machines
built for converting energy into motion or doing useful mechanical work. The energy is usually supplied in the form
of a chemical fuel, such as oil or gasoline, steam, or electricity, and the mechanical work is most commonly
delivered in the form of rotary motion of a shaft. When energy is supplied in the form of a chemical fuel to an
engine, such an engine is called a combustion engine. Combustion refers to the chemical reaction of burning fuel
with an oxidizer, to supply the heat that drives the engine.
Depending on the type of engine employed, different performance characteristics including rates of efficiency
are attained. This report focuses on the diesel engine, its performance characteristics and industrial applications.

III.

THEORY

A. ENGINES
Engines are machines for converting energy into motion or mechanical work. The energy is usually supplied in the
form of a chemical fuel, such as oil or gasoline.
Engines can be classified in so many ways, according to the form of energy they utilize, the type of motion of
their principal parts, the place where the exchange from chemical to heat energy takes place, the method by which
the engine is cooled, the position of the cylinders of the engine, the number of strokes of the piston for a complete
cycle, the type of cycle, and the use for which the engine is intended. When engines are classified according to the
place where the exchange from chemical to heat energy takes place, they are divided into two:
(i) External combustion engines
(ii) Internal combustion engines

1. EXTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

An external combustion engines is a heat engine where an internal working fluid is heated by combustion of an
external source, through the engine wall or a heat exchanger. The fluid then, by expanding and acting on the
mechanism of the engine produces motion and usable work. The fluid is then cooled, compressed and reused or
dumped, and cool fluid pulled in.
In external combustion engines (such as steam power plants), heat is supplied to the working fluid from an
external source such as a furnace, a geothermal wall, a nuclear reactor, or even the sun. That is, the fuel in these
engines is burned outside the cylinder. External combustion offers several advantages. FIrst: a variety of fuels can be
used as a source of thermal energy. Second, there is more time for combustion, and thus the combustion process is
more complete, which means less air pollution and more energy extraction from the fuel. Third, these engines
operate on closed cycles, and thus a working fluid that has the most desirable characteristics (stable, chemically
inert, high thermal conductivity) can be utilized as the working fluid.

2. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

These are engines where the energy is provided by burning a fuel within the system boundaries. The internalcombustion engine is also known as the piston engine. The concept of the piston engine is that a supply of air-and-

fuel mixture is fed to the inside of the cylinder where it is compressed and then burnt. This internal combustion
releases heat energy which is then converted into useful mechanical work as the high gas pressures generated force
the piston to move along its stroke in the cylinder. It can be said, therefore, that a heat-engine is merely an energy
transformer.
To enable the piston movement to be harnessed, the driving thrust on the piston is transmitted by means of a
connecting-rod to a crankshaft whose function is to convert the linear piston motion in the cylinder to a rotary
crankshaft movement. The piston can thus be made to repeat its movement to and fro, due to the constraints of the
crankshaft crankpin's circular path and the guiding cylinder.
Internal combustion engine can be categorized into two based on the method of ignition of the fuel supplied.
They can be (i) Spark Ignition engines, or (ii) Compression Ignition engines. Spark Ignition engines use spark plugs
to generate little sparks that ignite the air-fuel mixture. However in compression ignition engines, the air mixture is
compressed till its temperature reaches its ignition temperature. That is, the heat of compression is sufficient to heat
the fuel.

B. THE DIESEL ENGINE

The Diesel Engine is a high-efficiency compression-ignition engine invented by Rudolf Diesel in Germany in 1893.
It was born out of Diesel desire to conserve the amount of energy wasted by the dominant heat engine compared to
the Carnot ideal energy conversion cycle. Diesel's first engine ran on coal dust and used a compression pressure of
1500 psi to increase its theoretical efficiency. Just like gasoline engines, diesel engines are, in principle, energy
converters that convert chemically bound fuel energy into mechanical energy (effective work) by supplying the heat
released by combustion in an engine to a thermodynamic cycle.
A diesel engine is similar to the gasoline engine used in most cars. Both engines are internal combustion engines,
meaning they burn the fuel-air mixture within the cylinders. Both are reciprocating engines, being driven by pistons
moving laterally in two directions. The majority of their parts are similar. Although a diesel engine and gasoline
engine operate with similar components, a diesel engine, when compared to a gasoline engine of equal horsepower,
is heavier due to stronger, heavier materials used to withstand the greater dynamic forces from the higher
combustion pressures present in the diesel engine.

The greater combustion pressure is the result of the higher compression ratio used by diesel engines. The

compression ratio is a measure of how much the engine compresses the gasses in the engine's cylinder. In a gasoline
engine the compression ratio (which controls the compression temperature) is limited by the air-fuel mixture
entering the cylinders. The lower ignition temperature of gasoline will cause it to ignite (burn) at a compression ratio
of less than 10:1. The average car has a 7:1 compression ratio. In a diesel engine, compression ratios ranging from
14:1 to as high as 24:1 are commonly used. The higher compression ratios are possible because only air is
compressed, and then the fuel is injected. This is one of the factors that allow the diesel engine to be so efficient.
Another difference between a gasoline engine and a diesel engine is the manner in which engine speed is
controlled. In any engine, speed (or power) is a direct function of the amount of fuel burned in the cylinders.
Gasoline engines are self-speed-limiting, due to the method the engine uses to control the amount of air entering the
engine. Engine speed is indirectly controlled by the butterfly valve in the carburetor. The butterfly valve in a
carburetor limits the amount of air entering the engine. In a carburetor, the rate of air flow dictates the amount of
gasoline that will be mixed with the air. Limiting the amount of air entering the engine limits the amount of fuel
entering the engine, and, therefore, limits the speed of the engine. By limiting the amount of air entering the engine,
adding more fuel does not increase engine speed beyond the point where the fuel burns 100% of the available air
(oxygen). Diesel engines are not self-speed-limiting because the air (oxygen) entering the engine is always the
maximum amount. Therefore, the engine speed is limited solely by the amount of fuel injected into the engine
cylinders. Therefore, the engine always has sufficient oxygen to burn and the engine will attempt to accelerate to
meet the new fuel injection rate. Because of this, a manual fuel control is not possible because these engines, in an
unloaded condition, can accelerate at a rate of more than 2000 revolutions per second. Diesel engines require a
speed limiter, commonly called the governor, to control the amount of fuel being injected into the engine.
Unlike a gasoline engine, a diesel engine does not require an ignition system because in a diesel engine the fuel is
injected into the cylinder as the piston comes to the top of its compression stroke. When fuel is injected, it vaporizes
and ignites due to the heat created by the compression of the air in the cylinder.
1.

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE DIESEL ENGINE

Diesel engines are similar in appearance to, and have many of the same components as, spark-ignition engines.
Diesels have one or more cylinders (usually four, six, or eight). Pistons inside the cylinders are connected by rods to
a crankshaft. As the pistons move up and down in their cylinders, they cause the crankshaft to rotate. The
crankshafts rotational force is carried by a transmission to a drive shaft, which turns axles, causing the wheels to

rotate. Because a diesel engine compresses air inside the cylinders with greater force, the engine block, pistons,
connecting rods, crankshaft, and other components must be stronger than those of a gasoline engine with the same
power output. As a result, diesel engines tend to be heavier and more expensive to manufacture. A diesel engine also
needs a more powerful starter motor, which turns the crankshaft to initiate ignition. It often has an extra battery to
provide power to the starter motor. To properly understand the operation of a diesel engine, it is important to
describe the operation of the major components of a diesel engine.
THE CYLINDER BLOCK
The cylinder block is a single unit made from cast iron. The engine block is the lower part of the engine that houses
the cylinders, pistons, and crankshaft. The components of other engine systems are in a way bolted or attached to the
engine block. In a liquid-cooled diesel engine, the block also provides the structure and rigid frame for the engine's
cylinders, water coolant and oil passages, and support for the crankshaft and camshaft bearings. The cylinder block
is as a skeleton in the body in of the diesel engine. It provides rigidity for the engine as a whole and, connectivity for
the engine components.

Different Cylinder blocks in Diesel engines

THE PISTON AND PISTON RINGS

A piston is a solid cylinder or disk that fits tightly inside a hollow cylinder and slides back and forth. The fit is loose
enough to allow the piston to move, but tight enough that virtually no air or fluid in the cylinder can leak past it. The
piston transforms the energy of the expanding gases into mechanical energy. The piston rides in the cylinder sleeve.
Pistons are commonly made of aluminum or cast iron alloys. To prevent the combustion gases from bypassing the
piston and to keep friction to a minimum, each piston has several rings around it.

A piston cylinder cut to show its internal structure

CONNECTING ROD
The connecting rod connects the piston to the crankshaft. The rods are made from drop-forged, heat-treated steel to
provide the required strength. Each end of the rod is bored, and the large bore end of the rod is split in half and
bolted to allow the rod to be attached to the crankshaft. It is a very principal component of the engine as it is
responsible for transmitting motion from the piston in the different cylinders to the crankshaft.

Different connecting rod arrangements

CRANKSHAFT
The crankshaft transforms the linear motion of the pistons into a rotational motion that is transmitted to the load.
Crankshafts are made of forged steel. The forged crankshaft is machined to produce the crankshaft bearing and
connecting rod bearing surfaces. The crankshaft is drilled with oil passages for lubrication that allow the engine to
feed oil to each of the crankshaft bearings and connection rod bearings and up into the conditioning rod itself.

A Crankshaft Design

The crankshaft transforms the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion. In multi-cylindered engines the
crankshaft has one offset portion, called a crankpin, for each connecting rod, so that the power from each cylinder is
applied to the crankshaft at the appropriate point in its rotation. This offset converts the reciprocating motion of the
piston into the rotary motion of the crankshaft. The amount of offset determines the stroke (distance the piston
travels) of the engine. Crankshafts have heavy flywheels and counterweights, which by their inertia minimize
irregularity in the motion of the shaft. An engine may have from 1 to as many as 28 cylinders. The connecting rods
also have bearings inserted between the crankshaft and the connecting rods. The bearing material is a soft alloy of
metals that provides a replaceable wear surface and prevents galling between the crankshaft and connecting rod.

An assembly showing the arrangement of the piston, connecting rod and crankshaft

FLYWHEEL
The flywheel is located on one end of the crankshaft and serves three purposes. First, through its inertia, it reduces
vibration by smoothing out the power stroke as each cylinder fires. Second, it is the mounting surface used to bolt
the engine up to its load. Third, on some diesel engines, the flywheel has gear teeth around its perimeter that allow
the starting motors to engage and crank the diesel engine.

CYLINDER HEADS
A diesel engine's cylinder heads perform several functions. First, they provide the top seal for the cylinder bore or
sleeve. Second, they provide the structure holding exhaust valves (and intake valves where applicable), the fuel
injector, and necessary linkages. A diesel engine's heads are manufactured in one of two ways. In one method, each
cylinder has its own head casting, which is bolted to the block. This method is used primarily on the larger diesel
engines. In the second method, which is used on smaller engines, the engine's head is cast as one piece (multicylinder head).

VALVES
Diesel engines have two methods of admitting and exhausting gasses from the cylinder. They can use either ports or
valves or a combination of both. Ports are slots in the cylinder walls located in the lower 1/3 of the bore. When the
piston travels below the level of the ports, the ports are "opened" and fresh air or exhaust gasses are able to enter or
leave, depending on the type of port. The ports are then "closed" when the piston travels back above the level of the
ports. Valves are mechanically opened and closed to admit or exhaust the gasses as needed. The valves are located
in the head casting of the engine. The point at which the valve seals against the head is called the valve seat. Most
medium-sized diesels have either intake ports or exhaust valves or both intake and exhaust valves.

TIMING GEARS, CAMSHAFT, AND VALVE MECHANISM

In order for a diesel engine to operate, all of its components must perform their functions at very precise intervals in
relation to the motion of the piston. To accomplish this, a component called a camshaft is used. A camshaft is a long
bar with egg-shaped eccentric lobes, one lobe for each valve and fuel injector. Each lobe has a follower, and as the
camshaft is rotated, the follower is forced up and down as it follows the profile of the cam lobe. The followers are
connected to the engine's valves and fuel injectors through various types of linkages called pushrods and rocker
arms. The pushrods and rocker arms transfer the reciprocating motion generated by the camshaft lobes to the valves
and injectors, opening and closing them as needed. The valves are maintained closed by springs. As the valve is
opened by the camshaft, it compresses the valve spring. The energy stored in the valve spring is then used to close
the valve as the camshaft lobe rotates out from under the follower. Because an engine experiences fairly large

changes in temperature (e.g., ambient to a normal running temperature of about 190F), its components must be
designed to allow for thermal expansion. Therefore, the valves, valve pushrods, and rocker arms must have some
method of allowing for the expansion. This is accomplished by the use of valve lash. Valve lash is the term given to
the "slop" or "give" in the valve train before the cam actually starts to open the valve.

The camshaft is driven by the engine's crankshaft through a series of gears called idler gears and timing gears. The
gears allow the rotation of the camshaft to correspond or be in time with, the rotation of the crankshaft and thereby
allow the valve opening, valve closing, and injection of fuel to be timed to occur at precise intervals in the piston's
travel. To increase the flexibility in timing the valve opening, valve closing, and injection of fuel, and to increase
power or to reduce cost, an engine may have one or more camshafts.
Typically, in a medium to large V-type engine, each bank will have one or more camshafts per head. In the
larger engines the intake valves, exhaust valves, and fuel injectors may share a common camshaft or have
independent camshafts. Depending on the type and make of the engine, the location of the camshaft or shafts varies.
The camshaft(s) in an in-line engine is usually found either in the head of the engine or in the top of the block
running down one side of the cylinder bank. On small or mid-sized V-type engines, the camshaft is usually located
in the block at the center of the "V" between the two banks of cylinders. In larger or multi-camshafted V-type
engines, the camshafts are usually located in the heads.

2.

PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION OF THE DIESEL ENGINE

To convert the chemical energy of the fuel into useful mechanical energy all internal combustion engines must
go through four events: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. How these events are timed and how they occur
differentiates the various types of engines. All diesel engines fall into one of two categories, two-stroke or fourstroke cycle engines. The word cycle refers to any operation or series of events that repeats itself. In the case of a
four-stroke cycle engine, the engine requires four strokes of the piston (intake, compression, power, and exhaust) to
complete one full cycle. Therefore, it requires two rotations of the crankshaft, or 720 of crankshaft rotation (360 x
2) to complete one cycle. In a two-stroke cycle engine the events (intake, compression, power, and exhaust) occur in
only one rotation of the crankshaft, or 360.

The Four-Stroke Cycle

In a four-stroke engine the camshaft is geared so that it rotates at half the speed of the crankshaft (1:2). This
means that the crankshaft must make two complete revolutions before the camshaft will complete one revolution.
The following section will describe a four-stroke, normally aspirated, diesel engine having both intake and exhaust
valves with a 3.5-inch bore and 4-inch stroke with a 16:1 compression ratio, as it passes through one complete cycle.

Intake
As the piston moves upward and approaches 28 before top dead center (BTDC), as measured by crankshaft
rotation, the camshaft lobe starts to lift the cam follower. This causes the pushrod to move upward and pivots the
rocker arm on the rocker arm shaft. As the valve lash is taken up, the rocker arm pushes the intake valve downward
and the valve starts to open. The intake stroke now starts while the exhaust valve is still open. The flow of the

exhaust gases will have created a low pressure condition within the cylinder and will help pull in the fresh air charge
as shown in Figure 1. The piston continues its upward travel through top dead
center (TDC) while fresh air enters and exhaust gasses leave. At about 12 after
top dead center (ATDC), the camshaft exhaust lobe rotates so that the exhaust
valve will start to close. The valve is fully closed at 23 ATDC. This is
accomplished through the valve spring, which was compressed when the valve
was opened, forcing the rocker arm and cam follower back against the cam lobe
as it rotates. The time frame during which both the intake and exhaust valves are
open is called valve overlap (51 of overlap in this example) and is necessary to
allow the fresh air to help scavenge (remove) the spent exhaust gasses and cool
the cylinder. In most engines, 30 to 50 times cylinder volume is scavenged

Figure 1

through the cylinder during overlap. This excess cool air also provides the necessary cooling effect on the engine
parts. As the piston passes TDC and begins to travel down the cylinder bore, the movement of the piston creates
suction and continues to draw fresh air into the cylinder.

Compression
At 35 after bottom dead center (ABDC), the intake valve starts to close. At 43 ABDC (or 137 BTDC), the
intake valve is on its seat and is fully closed. At this point the air charge is at
normal pressure (14.7 psia) and ambient air temperature (~80F), as illustrated in
Figure 2. At about 70 BTDC, the piston has traveled about 2.125 inches, or
about half of its stroke, thus reducing the volume in the cylinder by half. The
temperature has now doubled to ~160F and pressure is ~34 psia. At about 43
BTDC the piston has traveled upward 3.062 inches of its stroke and the volume
is once again halved. Consequently, the temperature again doubles to about
320F and pressure is ~85 psia. When the piston has traveled to 3.530 inches of
its stroke the volume is again halved and temperature reaches ~640F and
pressure 277 psia. When the piston has traveled to 3.757 inches of its stroke, or
Figure 2
the volume is again halved, the temperature climbs to 1280F and pressure

reaches 742 psia. With a piston area of 9.616 in2 the pressure in the cylinder is exerting a force of approximately
7135 lb. or 3-1/2 tons of force.

Injection and Power

Fuel in a liquid state is injected into the cylinder at a precise time and rate to
ensure that the combustion pressure is forced on the piston neither too early nor
too late, as shown in Figure 3. The fuel enters the cylinder where the heated
compressed air is present; however, it will only burn when it is in a vaporized
state (attained through the addition of heat to cause vaporization) and intimately
mixed with a supply of oxygen. The first minute droplets of fuel enter the
combustion chamber and are quickly vaporized. The vaporization of the fuel
causes the air surrounding the fuel to cool and it requires time for the air to
reheat sufficiently to ignite the vaporized fuel. But once ignition has started, the
additional heat from combustion helps to
Figure 4
further vaporize the new fuel entering the
chamber, as long as oxygen is present. Fuel injection starts at 28 BTDC and ends
at 3 ATDC; therefore, fuel is injected for a duration of 31. Both valves are
closed, and the fresh air charge has been compressed. The fuel has been injected
and is starting to burn. After the piston passes TDC, heat is rapidly released by the
ignition of the fuel, causing a rise in cylinder pressure. Combustion temperatures
are around 2336F. This rise in pressure forces the piston downward and increases

the force on the crankshaft for the power stroke as illustrated in Figure 3b. The
Figure 3b
energy generated by the combustion process is not all harnessed. In a two stroke
diesel engine, only about 38% of the generated power is harnessed to do work, about 30% is wasted in the form of
heat rejected to the cooling system, and about 32% in the form of heat is rejected out the exhaust. In comparison, the
four-stroke diesel engine has a thermal distribution of 42% converted

Exhaust
As the piston approaches 48 BBDC, the cam of the exhaust lobe starts to
force the follower upward, causing the exhaust valve to lift off its seat. As shown
in Figure 5, the exhaust gasses start to flow out the exhaust valve due to cylinder
pressure and into the exhaust manifold. After passing BDC, the piston moves
upward and accelerates to its maximum speed at 63 BTDC. From this point on
the piston is decelerating. As the piston speed slows down, the velocity of the
gasses flowing out of the cylinder creates a pressure slightly lower than
atmospheric pressure. At 28 BTDC, the intake valve opens and the cycle starts
again.
Figure 5
The Two-Stroke Cycle
Like the four-stroke engine, the two-stroke engine must go through the same four events: intake, compression,
power, and exhaust. But a two-stroke engine requires only two strokes of the piston to complete one full cycle.
Therefore, it requires only one rotation of the crankshaft to complete a cycle. This means several events must occur
during each stroke for all four events to be completed in two strokes, as opposed to the four-stroke engine
where each stroke basically contains one event. In a two-stroke engine the camshaft is geared so that it rotates at the
same speed as the crankshaft (1:1). The following section will describe a two-stroke, supercharged, diesel engine
having intake ports and exhaust valves with a 3.5-inch bore and 4-inch stroke with a 16:1 compression ratio, as it
passes through one complete cycle. We will start on the exhaust stroke. All the timing marks given are generic and
will vary from engine to engine.

Exhaust and Intake

At 82 ATDC, with the piston near the end of its power stroke, the exhaust cam
begins to lift the exhaust valves follower. The valve lash is taken up, and 9 later
(91 ATDC), the rocker arm forces the exhaust valve off its seat. The exhaust
gasses start to escape into the exhaust manifold, as shown in Figure 6. Cylinder
pressure starts to decrease. After the piston travels three-quarters of its (down)
stroke, or 132 ATDC of crankshaft rotation, the piston starts to uncover the inlet
ports. As the exhaust valve is still open, the uncovering of the inlet ports lets the
Figure 6

compressed fresh air enter the cylinder and helps cool the cylinder and scavenge the
cylinder of the remaining exhaust gasses (Figure 7). Commonly, intake and exhaust
occur over approximately 96 of crankshaft rotation. At 43 ABDC, the camshaft
starts to close the exhaust valve. At 53 ABDC (117 BTDC), the camshaft has
rotated sufficiently to allow the spring pressure to close the exhaust valve. Also, as
the piston travels past 48ABDC (5 after the exhaust valve starts closing), the intake
ports are closed off by the piston.

Figure 7

Compression
After the exhaust valve is on its seat (53 ATDC),
the temperature and pressure begin to rise in
nearly the same fashion as in the four-stroke
engine. Figure 8 illustrates the compression in a 2stroke engine. At 23 BTDC the injector cam
begins to lift the injector follower and pushrod.
Fuel injection continues until 6 BTDC (17 total

degrees of injection), as illustrated in Figure 8b.

Figure 9

Figure 8b

Power
The power stroke starts after the piston passes TDC. Figure 25 illustrates the power stroke which continues until the
piston reaches 91 ATDC, at which point the exhaust valves start to open and a new cycle begins.

3.

THE DIESEL CYCLE

The diesel cycle is the ideal cycle for Combustion Ignition (CI) reciprocating engines. The CI engine was first
proposed by Rudolf Diesel in the 1890s. In CI engines (also known as diesel engines), the air is compressed to a
temperature that is above the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel, and combustion stars on contact as the fuel is
injected into this hot air. Therefore, the spark plug and carburetor which are used in gasoline engines are not needed
and are replaced by a fuel injector in diesel engines as shown below.

Gasoline engine

Diesel engine

In gasoline engines, a mixture of air and fuel is compressed during the compression stroke, and the compression
ratios are limited by the onset of auto-ignition or engine knock. In diesel engines, only air is compressed during the
compression stroke, eliminating the possibility of auto-ignition. Therefore, diesel engines can be designed to operate
at much higher compression ratios, typically between 12 and 24.
The fuel injection process in diesel engines starts when the piston approached TDC and continues during the first
part

of

the

power

stroke.

Therefore,

the

combustion

process in these engines takes place over a longer

interval.

Because of this longer duration, the combustion

the ideal Diesel cycle is approximated as a
pressure heat addition

process

in

constant-

Process a-b isentropic compression

Process b-c constant-pressure heat addition
Process c-d isentropic expansion
Process d-a constant-volume heat rejection

Noting that the diesel cycle is executed in a piston-cylinder device, which forms a closed system, the amount of heat
transferred to the working fluid at constant pressure and rejected from it at constant volume can be expressed as:

qin wout = u 3 u 2 qin = P2 (v3 v 2 ) + (u 3 u 2 )

= h3 h2
= c p (T3 T2 )

And

qout = u1 u 4 qout = U 4 U1
= cV (T4 T1 )

Then the thermal efficiency of the ideal Diesel cycle under the cold-air-standard assumption becomes

th , Diesel =

wnet
q
= 1 out
qin
qin

T1 4 1
T
T T1

= 1 4
= 1 1
k (T3 T2 )
T

kT2 3 1
T2

Let rc be the cutoff ratio i.e. the ratio of the cylinder volumes after and before the combustion process:

rc =
Therefore, the thermal efficiency is given as:

th , Diesel = 1
Where r is the compression ratio:

v3
v2

k
1 rc 1

r k 1 k (rc 1)

r=

v1
v2

k=

cp

And

cv

4.

THE DIESEL ENGINE FUEL AND FUEL CONSUMPTION

Modern diesel engines burn a petroleum product similar to kerosene, jet fuel, and home heating oil. Diesel fuel is
less expensive to produce than gasoline since it does not require much refining. Gasoline must be refined and
reformed to high quality, low molecular weight and viscosity. It is also safer to handle. Due to lower volatility
(tendency to vaporize) and a higher flash point (the temperature at which diesel fuel ignites), it is less likely to catch
fire during an accident.
There are three grades of diesel fuel. They are classified according to the ease with which they ignite, the lowest
temperature at which the fuel will flow, and viscosity (resistance to flow). Individual grades of fuel are better suited
for certain engines and operating conditions.
For convenience, diesel fuels can be divided into two extreme categories. Light diesel fual has a molecular
weight of about 170, while heavy diesel fuel has a molecular weight of about 200. Most diesel fuel used in engines
will fit in this range.
Essentially, diesel is a lower-grade, less-refined product of petroleum made from heavier hydrocarbons
(molecules built from more carbon and hydrogen atoms). Crude diesel engines that lack sophisticated fuel injection
systems can, in theory, run on almost any hydrocarbon fuelhence the popularity of biodiesel (a type of biofuel
made from, among other things, waste vegetable oil). The inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolf Diesel, successfully
ran his early engines on peanut oil and thought his engine would do people a favor by freeing them from a
dependency on fuels like coal and gasoline.
Considering the geometrically increasing number of automobiles and combustion engines, and the scarcity and
cost of production of crude oil and petroleum products, an alternate fuel technology must be adopted to meet the
great demand in coming decades. Another motivating factor for development of alternate fuels for diesel engines is
the concern over the emission problems of the engines.
Alcohols are an attractive alternate fuel because they can be obtained from a number of sources, both natural and
manufactured. They deliver fuel with higher quality and lesser emissions. They even have low sulfur content in the
fuel. They have not only be put into full-fledged production because of setbacks like low power content, high
tendency to corrode engine materials and their marketability. Some diesel engines which use dual fuel are starting to
appear on the market. They use methanol and a small amount of diesel fuel that is injected at the proper time to
ignite both fuels.

SPECIFIC FUEL CONSUMPTION

Specific fuel consumption can be defined as the ratio of the rate of fuel flow into engine to the power delivered
by the engine. It can be expressed mathematically as follows:

sfc =

mf

Brake power gives brake specific fuel consumption,

bsfc =

mf

Wb
indicated power gives indicated specific fuel consumption.

isfc =

mf

Wi
Other examples of specific fuel consumption parameters can be defined as follows: friction specific fuel
consumption (fsfc), indicated gross specific fuel consumption (igsfc), and indicated net specific fuel consumption
(insfc).

mf

W b W i (isfc )
m = =
=

W i m f (bsfc )

Where m = mechanical efficiency of engine
W b

Brake specific fuel consumption decreases as engine speed increases, reaches a minimum, and then increases at
high speeds. Fuel consumption increases at high speeds because of greater friction losses. At low engine speed, the
longer time per cycle allows more heat loss and fuel consumption goes up. THe brake specific fuel consumption
decreases with higher compression ratio due to higher thermal efficiency. It is lowest when combustion occurs in a
mixture with fuel equivalence ratio near one. Brake specific fuel consumption generally decreases with engine size,
being lowest for very large engines.
5.

PERFORMANCE OF DIESEL ENGINES

The operating characteristics of internal combustion engines like the Diesel engine determine their suitability in
different environments and conditions. The characteristics include the mechanical output parameters of work,

torque, and power; the input requirements of air, fuel, and combustion; efficiencies; and emission measurements of
engine exhaust.

TDC

BDC

Displacement Volume
This is the volume displaced by the piston as it moves from the Botton Dead Center (BDC) to the Top Dead Center
(TDC) of the cylinder.

VD = VBDC VTDC

= B2S
4
Work
Work is the output of the diesel engine generated by the gases in the combustion chamber of the cylinder. Work is
the result of force acting through a distance. The force due to gas pressure on the moving piston generates the work
in a diesel engine cycle.

where:
P = pressure in combustion chamber
Ap = area against which the pressure acts

F dx
= PA dx

W =

x = distance the piston moves

Ap dx = dV

And

dV is the differential volume displaced by the piston, so work done can be written:

W = PdV
Mean Effective Pressure
As it can be seen that the pressure inside the pressure inside the cylinder of an engine is continuously changing
during the cycle, an average or mean effective pressure (mep) is defined by:

w = (mep )v
or

mep =

w W
=
v Vd

v = vBDC vTDC
where:
W = work of one cycle
w = specific work of one cycle
Vd = displacement volume
Compression Ratio
This is the ratio of compression of the engine piston. It is expressed as the ratio of the volume at the Top Dead
Center (TDC) to the volume at the Bottom Dead Center (BDC). An increase in compression ratio increases the
engine power output.

Cylinder Volume at BDC

Cylinder Volume at TDC
(Cylinder Volume + Cylinder Clearance Volume)
r=
Cylinder Clearance Volume
V + Vc
V
r= s
= 1+ s
Vc
Vc

r=

Engine Volumetric Efficiency

This is the ratio of volume of air taken into the cylinder to the maximum possible volume that can be taken into the
cylinder.

volume of air taken in the cylinder

Maximum possible volume in the cylinder
V
V = air
Vc

V =

Where v = volumetric efficiency

Vair= volume of air taken in the cylinder
Vc = cylinder swept volume
Engine Indicated Torque
This is the ratio of work done to the angle for every revolution of the crank shaft.

work per one revolution

angle of one revolution
imep Vc
Ti =
2 z

Ti =

Engine Specific Fuel Consumption

This is the ratio of mass of fuel consumption to engine brake power.

mass of fuel comsumption

engine brake power
FC
SFC =
Pb

SFC =

where:
FC = fuel consumption
Pb = brake power

Engine Thermal Efficiency

This can be defined as the ratio of brake power to fuel power.

brake power
fuel power
3600 Pb
th =
FC CV

th =

where:
CV = calorific value of kilogram fuel

6.

APPLICATION OF DIESEL ENGINES

The characteristics of diesel engines have different advantages for different applications. They can be applied in
engine sizes from small to large. Diesel engines are widely used as stationary power sources for electrical generation
units, pumping stations, refrigeration facilities, and factories. Heavy construction equipment, ships, locomotives,
commercial trucks, and some large pickups are powered by diesels. They are preferably utilized in engines or
machines that require greater torque than speed.
(i)

Automobiles: Diesel engines have long been popular in bigger cars and have been used in smaller cars
such as super minis like the Peugeot 205, in Europe since the 1980s. Diesel engines tend to be more
economical at regular driving speeds and are much better at city speeds. Their reliability and life-span
tend to be better. Some 40% or more of all cars sold in Europe are diesel-powered where they are
considered as a low CO2 option. Mercedes-Benz in conjunction with Rober Bosch GmbH produced
diesel-powered passenger cars starting in 1936 and very large numbers are used all over the world.

(ii)

Diesel Generators: A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator
(often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. Diesel generators are used in places without
connection to the power grid, as emergency power-supply if the grid fails. Ships also employ diesel
generators, sometimes not only to provide auxiliary power for lights, fans, winches etc., but also
indirectly for main propulsion.

(iii)

Railroad Locomotives: Diesel engines have eclipsed steam engines in the prime mover on all nonelectrified railroads in the industrialized world. The first diesel locomotives appeared in the early 20th
century, and diesel multiple units soon after. While electric locomotives have now replaced the diesel
locomotive almost completely on passenger traffic in Europe and Asia, diesel is still today very
popular for cargo-hauling freight trains and on tracks where electrification is not feasible. Most
modern diesel locomotives are actually diesel-electric locomotives, the diesel engine is used to power
an electric generator that in turn powers electric traction motors with no mechanical connection
between diesel engine and traction.

(iv)

Ships and Submarines: In merchant ships and boats, the same advantages apply with the relative safety
of diesel fuel an additional benefit. The German pocket battleships were the largest diesel warships,
but the German boats of the Second World War were also diesel craft. Conventional submarines have

used them since before World War I, relying on the almost total absence of carbon monoxide in the
exhaust. American World War TT diesel-electric submarines operated on two-stroke cycle.
(v)

Non-Road Diesel Engines: Diesel engines are also applied in the manufacture of mobile equipment and
vehicles that are not used as the public roadways such as construction equipment and agricultural
tractors. Diesel engines are used to power crawler tractors used for heavy pulling, pushing or adverse
terrain conditions. These tractors move on heavy, metal tracks that form a loop around large geared
wheels; the wheels drive the metal tracks, and the tracks distribute the weight over a wide area.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIESEL ENGINES

Diesels are the most versatile fuel-burning engines in common use today, found in everything from trains and
cranes to bulldozers and submarines. Compared to gasoline engines, they're simpler, more efficient, and more
economical. They're also safer, because diesel fuel is less volatile and its vapor less explosive than gasoline. Unlike
gasoline engines, they're particularly good for moving large loads at low speeds, so they're ideal for use in freighthauling ships, trucks, buses, and locomotives. Higher compression means the parts of a diesel engine have to
withstand far greater stresses and strains than those in a gasoline engine. That's why diesel engines need to be
stronger and heavier and why, for a long time, they were used only to power large vehicles and machines. While this
may seem a drawback, it means diesel engines are typically more robust and last a lot longer than gasoline engines.
Pollution is one of the biggest drawbacks of diesel engines: they're noisy and they produce a lot of unburned soot
particles, which are dirty and hazardous to health. But since diesels are more efficient, they typically use less fuel,
produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions, and contribute less to global warming. Diesel engines tend to cost more
initially than gasoline engines, though their lower running costs and longer operating life generally offsets that.

IV.

VISIT TO MANTRAC NIGERIA

Mantrac Nigeria Ltd. is the sole authorized dealer for Caterpillar Products in Nigeria. Mantrac Nigeria Ltd.
distributes and supports the full range of CAT high speed diesel engines, with ratings available from 54 to 13,600 hp
(40 to 10,000 kW). They also supply Caterpillar generator sets (10 kVA to 220 kVA) that provide electrical power
systems, giving both primary and standby power for a variety of uses. Mantrac Nigeria Ltd. provides ready-to-use
services to clients covering all stages of the power systems project including system design, engineering, testing,
installation, long term maintenance and repair.

It was a firsthand experience as I was opportune to see different sections in the factory where diesel engines and
generators are repaired, maintained and assembled. A section was responsible for repair and maintenance of the
cylinders and cylinder block, another section was responsible for the engine assembly, while the last section was
responsible for digital testing and simulation.
PICTURE SHOOTS FROM FIELD TRIP TO MANTRAC NIGERIA LIMITED.

V.

Conclusion

The higher efficiency of the diesel engine (due to higher compression ratios) over the gasoline engine earns
diesel engines a first choice wherever the disadvantages of diesel engines are of less importance. Diesel engines are
recommended for applications requiring large power or torque, since they burn fuel more completely as compression
ignition engines.
The Diesel engine would fare more in coming decades when crude oil and petroleum products would have
become very scarce. The demand for fuel for internal combustion engines would be met by diesel engines since they
can even run normally with vegetable oils, adding a little diesel oil for ignition.

References
[1] Gilbert Gedeon, P.E., Diesel Engine Fundamentals, Continuing Education and Development, Inc. New York
[2] Klaus M. and Helmut T., Handbook of Diesel Engines, ISBN 978-3-540-89082-9, Springer, Germany, 2010
[3] Yunus A. C., Michael A. B., Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 5th Edition, Mc-Graw Hill, New York, Page 500
& 501
[4]

Diesel

engine

Wikipedia,

the

free

encyclopedia

Diesel

Engine

[online

encyclopedia],

URL:

encyclopedia],

URL:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine [cited 21 April 2014].

[5]

Diesel

generator

Wikipedia,

the

free

encyclopedia

Diesel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_generator [cited 15 March 1998].

Generators

[online