Diesel cars fitted with modern turbocharged diesel engines
provide motorists with technology which is able to combine
both performance and economy. Where petrol fuelled cars
often falter is high fuel consumption and hence higher running
costs. Modern refined diesel engines not only save us money
and provide much improved performance, but they are also
significantly quieter and less imposing.
Modern Turbo Diesel Engines
Contrary to popular belief, modern diesel engines operate
using different principles to that of engines fuelled by
petrol. These differences account for many diverse applications
we see today. Diesel engines are not spark ignited, their
compression ratio is much higher than petrol engines and
operate at a much lower rpm. Some large diesel engines turn
at just 80rpm.
Invented in 1892 by the German engineer Rudolf Diesel,
the diesel cycle lies at the heart of this internal compression
engine. Diesel cars are well renowned for their fuel efficiency,
and reliability. Comparing equally powered diesel and petrol
engines, an increase of 30-50% in miles per gallon is common.
Modern systems use turbos to significantly improve performance,
providing a greater forced air intake into the engine. One
side effect of compressing air is that it generates heat
which reduces performance, for this reason intercoolers
are implemented to cool compression air before it enters
the engines cylinders.