Diesel engine principles are pretty straight forward for the experienced mechanic but what about regular everyday people who have never taken the time to find out more about a diesel engine and how it works?
I am going to explain in layman’s terms the basic principles of a diesel engine.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GASOLINE ENGINE AND A DIESEL ENGINE?…a quick overview.
The first thing you should know is a gasoline engine and a diesel engine are totally different. A gasoline engine is constructed much lighter than the heavier built diesel engine and runs on an air/fuel mixture combined with a high energy spark that is timed to ignite the air/fuel mixture inside each engine cylinder at the precise time creating power and torque [turning force] which drives your vehicle.
A diesel engine uses high compression [intake air that is compressed / squished] into a very small space inside each cylinder causing extreme heat! This is called ‘Heat Of Compression’ which ignites a very fine high pressure mist of diesel fuel that is injected into the cylinder at the exact time.
So you now know that a gasoline engine needs a high energy spark to run while a diesel uses ‘Heat Of Compression’