Practical Hand Book of Gas, Oil and Steam Engines / Stationary, Marine, Traction; Gas Burners, Oil Burners, Etc.; Farm, Traction, Automobile, Locomotive; A simple, practical and comprehensive book on the construction, operation and repair of all kinds of engines. Dealing with the various parts in detail and the various types of engines and also the use of different kinds of fuel.

by John B. Rathbun

(39) Diagram of Diesel Engine.

A diagram of the Diesel engine is different in many particulars from that of an ordinary gas engine, as will be seen from the diagram in Fig. 14. The pressures rise in an even, gradual line from the end of the compression curve, and instead of having a sharp peak at the end of the combustion, as in a gas engine, the top of the curve is broad and greatly resembles the indicator diagram of a steam engine. The compression curve constitutes a greater proportion of the pressure line than that of a steam engine, the rise of pressure due to the ignition being very slight in comparison to the height of the compression curve. There is no explosion in the usual sense of the word, only a slight increase in pressure as distinguished from the rapid combustion in the gas engine.

Starting at the beginning of the compression stroke at H, the pressure of the pure air charge increases to about 500 pounds to the square inch at I, the point at which the fuel is injected. From I to C is the increase of pressure due to the combustion. The pressure stays at a constant height from C to D as the fuel supply is continued between these points, and is cut off when the piston reaches the position D. It will be seen that the admission of the fuel through the distance A covers a considerable proportion of the working stroke, and that the points of fuel injection and ignition are coincident.

From the point of fuel cut-off at D expansion begins and is continued in the usual manner to F, the point of release.

When the load is increased, the period of oil injection is also increased, the other events remaining constant. Should the light load require an oil injection period as shown by A, the greater load would require injection for the period B. In the latter case, the expansion line would be EG, which would produce a diagram having a greater area than the line DF, and there would be a great increase in the release pressure GH as well.

It will be seen from the diagram that the quantity of air taken into the cylinder and the compression pressure remain constant with any load, and that for this reason it is possible to have a constant point of ignition, or rather point of fuel injection. As there is no mixture compressed, there are no difficulties encountered at light loads due to attenuated mixtures. An excess of air over that required to burn the fuel is also present at every load within the range of the engine. For the sake of simplicity, the suction and scavenging lines on the Diesel engine have been omitted, but they are the same in all respects as the corresponding lines shown in the diagram, Fig. 14.