MODERN DIESEL ENGINES

CONSTRUCTION
● The new generation of diesel engines is made up of an integrated three-part system: a
highly efficient engine, ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel and an advanced emissions control
system.
● The advanced electronic engine management system is the ‘brain’ of a modern engine
which controls, among others, emission levels, as it collects and processes signals and
data from on-board sensors and then coordinates the DPF and SCR exhaust
aftertreatment systems.
● The ultra-low level (less than ten parts per million) of sulphur in the fuel allows the use
of improved emission control devices. This enables the engine to utilise the particulate
filter to trap the soot particles, reduce its emissions and thus improve air quality.
● Additionally, the common rail high pressure diesel injection systems contribute to the
high efficiency of diesel engines. These systems increase the pressure in the injectors
and provide better fuel atomisation, which in turn improves the ignition and combustion
processes. This ensures that only the necessary amount of fuel required by the injectors
is supplied to the common rail. It also enables the filter to be regularly ‘regenerated’ by
burning off the collected soot.
● The latest generation of diesel engines uses catalytic converters, adsorbers and particle
filters that convert up to 99% of combustion engine exhaust pollutants (HC, CO, NOx
and particulates). The catalytic converter plays an important role in controlling
emissions: carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (HC) are oxidised into CO2
and H2O while NOx, i.e. NO and NO2 is reduced into inert N2, thus virtually eliminating
toxic gases and reducing air pollution.

OPERATION
Diesel engines are up to twice as efficient as gasoline engines—around 40–45 percent efficient
at best. [2] In simple terms, that means you can go much further on the same amount of fuel
(or get more miles for your money). There are several reasons for this. First, they compress
more and operate at higher temperatures. A fundamental theory of how heat engines work,
known as Carnot's rule, tells us that the efficiency of an engine depends on the high and low
temperatures between which it operates. A Diesel engine that cycles through a bigger
temperature difference (a higher hottest temperature or a lowest colder temperature) is more
efficient. Second, the lack of a sparking-plug ignition system makes for a simpler design that
can easily compress the air much more—and this makes the fuel burn hotter and more
completely, releasing more energy. There's another efficiency saving too. In a gasoline engine
that's not working at full power, you need to supply more fuel (or less air) to the cylinder to
keep it working; diesel engines don't have that problem so they need less fuel when they're
working at lower power.