Katerina Swanson
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil or heavy oil, was first developed in the 1890s by German inventor Rudolf Diesel for his compression-ignition engine. Initially, Diesel experimented with various fuels, including vegetable oil and coal dust, before settling on a petroleum-based fuel similar to kerosene. Diesel fuel gained popularity following World War II due to its fuel efficiency and lower flammability compared to petrol, and it is now commonly used in agriculture, transportation, construction, and the military, particularly in heavy-duty vehicles and equipment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | German scientist and inventor Rudolf Diesel experimented with various fuels for his compression-ignition engine, invented around 1892. |
| Standardisation | Diesel fuel was standardised internationally following WWII |
| Usage | Diesel fuel is widely used in agriculture, transportation, construction, and the military, especially in heavy equipment and vehicles requiring high performance and fuel efficiency. |
| Advantages | Diesel fuel is more stable, less flammable, and less explosive than other fuels. Diesel engines are also less likely to stall and have better torque output. |
| Disadvantages | Diesel exhaust is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen and is associated with an increased risk of lung and bladder cancer. |
| Additives | Diesel fuel often contains additives to improve performance and lubricity, especially in colder climates. |
| Sulfur Content | In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated a reduction in the sulfur content of diesel fuel due to air pollution concerns. |
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What You'll Learn
Rudolf Diesel's early experiments
Rudolf Diesel was a German inventor and mechanical engineer who invented the diesel engine in the 1890s. Diesel was born in Paris, France, in 1858, to Bavarian immigrants. At the age of 12, due to the Franco-Prussian War, Diesel and his family were deported to England, eventually settling in London. Before the war ended, Diesel's mother sent him to Augsburg, Germany, to live with his aunt and uncle and become fluent in German.
Diesel's early experiments with the diesel engine began around 1892. He initially tested his engine using crude oil from Pechelbronn, but this proved too viscous, so he switched to using kerosene (paraffin) as the main testing fuel. Diesel also experimented with various types of lamp oil, petrol, and ligroin, all of which worked well as fuels for his engine. He later tested other fuels, including coal tar creosote, paraffin oil, gasoline, and fuel oil, with success.
One of the fuels that Diesel originally considered for his engine was vegetable seed oil, which contributed to the development of biodiesel. In his book, "Diesel Engines for Land and Marine Work," Diesel wrote about the successful use of peanut oil to power a small engine exhibited by the Otto company in 1900. Diesel repeated these experiments on a larger scale and confirmed the positive results.
Diesel's early experiments with his engine design faced some challenges. During one test, an engine exploded, nearly killing him. However, this test also proved that fuel could be ignited without a spark, a key principle of his engine design. Diesel worked diligently to improve his engine model, and in 1897, he ran his first successful test. His engine had a theoretical efficiency of 75%, far surpassing the 10% efficiency of traditional steam engines.
Diesel's engine was an immediate commercial success and was soon employed to power various vehicles and machines, including cars, trucks, boats, pipelines, electric and water plants, and equipment in mining, factories, and oil fields. The high efficiency and simple design of Diesel's engine made it a popular choice, and it has continued to form the basis for today's diesel engines.
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Diesel engines in military vehicles
Diesel fuel was invented by German scientist Rudolf Diesel around 1892 for his compression-ignition engine. Diesel fuel is any liquid fuel designed for diesel engines, which are a type of internal combustion engine where fuel ignition occurs without a spark due to the compression of inlet air and subsequent fuel injection.
Diesel engines have been used in military vehicles for decades, with the US Army setting requirements for custom-built tactical trucks in the late 1930s. During World War II, the demand for trucks increased, and standardised designs were built by various manufacturers. Most trucks during this period had gasoline (G) engines, but multifuel (M) and diesel (D) engines began to be introduced in the early 1960s. The last gasoline engine vehicles were built in 1985, and since then, diesel fuel has been predominantly used.
Diesel engines are favoured in military vehicles due to their fuel efficiency and lower risk of catching fire. Notable examples of diesel-powered military vehicles include the Leopard 1, MAN 630, and the Oshkosh M1070, which is used to transport heavy armoured vehicles and tanks. The M109, a self-propelled gun, is also powered by a Detroit Diesel engine.
In the mid-20th century, NATO military planners sought to develop engines that could run on various fuels, leading to the creation of multifuel engines. This was particularly important during the Cold War, as it ensured that vehicles could operate using whatever fuel was available on the battlefield. The US military, in particular, desired this flexibility for its truck fleet, and Continental engines provided the capability to run on gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and kerosene.
Today, diesel fuel remains a crucial aspect of military operations, powering a range of vehicles and equipment. The use of diesel engines in military vehicles offers advantages in terms of performance, fuel efficiency, and reliability, contributing to their continued utilisation in defence forces worldwide.
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Diesel fuel's standardisation
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil, heavy oil, or simply diesel, is a liquid fuel designed for use in diesel engines. Diesel engines are multifuel and can run on a wide range of fuels, but the development of high-performance, high-speed diesel engines in the 1930s led to the need for a specific fuel designed for these engines: diesel fuel.
The first diesel engines in the 1890s ran on crude oil from Pechelbronn, but this was soon replaced with petrol and kerosene, as crude oil was too viscous. Diesel engines also ran on shale oil, coal-tar creosote oil, paraffin oil, gasoline, and fuel oil. In the United States, diesel fuel was distilled from petroleum, whereas in Europe, coal-tar creosote oil was used. Some diesel engines used a mixture of fuels, including petrol, kerosene, rapeseed oil, or lubricating oil.
The first modern high-quality diesel fuels were standardised after World War II, with standards such as the DIN 51601, VTL 9140-001, and NATO F 54. Diesel fuel was standardised internationally to ensure consistent quality. A standard defines certain properties of the fuel, such as cetane number, density, flashpoint, sulphur content, or biodiesel content.
In 1993, the DIN 51601 standard was replaced by the EN 590 standard, which is currently used in the European Union. The EN 590 standard is the European diesel fuel specification for low sulphur content diesel, and it defines the properties that diesel fuel must meet to be used in automobiles. Diesel fuel with a sulphur content of 15 parts per million or less is known as ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD).
In the United Kingdom, diesel fuel for road use is known as diesel or white diesel, while diesel fuel with a reduced tax for agricultural use is called red diesel due to its identifying red dye. Grade A2 Gas Oil is low in sulphur content (10 ppm) and is the majority of red diesel supplied across the UK. Grade D Gas Oil, or red diesel, has a higher sulphur content of 1,000 ppm and is used in older machinery and boilers.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating diesel fuel sulphur levels in 1993. In 2006, the EPA issued requirements to reduce the sulphur content of diesel fuel sold in the United States, and diesel fuel sold for on-highway use is now ultra-low sulphur diesel. The EPA's diesel standards have reduced harmful emissions from both on-road and non-road diesel sources by more than 90%.
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Diesel fuel's use in aircraft
The use of diesel fuel in aircraft has evolved over the years, with various forms of diesel and aviation fuel being utilised.
Diesel fuel, or diesel oil, is a liquid fuel designed for diesel engines, which are internal combustion engines that ignite fuel through compression and fuel injection, without requiring a spark. Rudolf Diesel, a German scientist, invented the compression-ignition engine around 1892, experimenting with various fuels such as crude oil, kerosene, lamp oils, petrol, ligroin, and eventually, fuel oil. In the early days of aviation, diesel-powered aircraft engines were common, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. These engines offered advantages such as low fuel consumption, reliability, reduced fire risk, and minimal maintenance.
However, with the introduction of petrol direct injection in the 1930s, the use of diesel engines in aircraft declined. Today, diesel fuel is not commercially used as aviation fuel. Instead, aircraft typically use petrol (Avgas) or jet fuel, such as Jet A-1. Jet fuel is a kerosene-based fuel with a high flash point, making it less prone to ignition than gasoline-based fuels. It is important to note that jet fuel and diesel fuel have different compositions, applications, and broader uses, and using the wrong type of fuel can cause long-term engine wear or damage.
While diesel fuel is not the primary choice for aviation fuel, there are some successful examples of diesel fuel being used in gas-turbine engines, and jet fuel being used in diesel engines. Additionally, certain aircraft engines with diesel engines may use jet fuel (kerosene). With improvements in power-to-mass ratios, some on-road diesel engines have been converted and certified for aircraft use since the early 21st century, typically running on Jet A-1 aircraft fuel.
The aviation industry is also exploring alternative fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel, straight vegetable oils, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquified natural gas (LNG), and hydrogen-powered aircraft. These alternatives offer environmental benefits, such as reduced emissions, but face political, technological, and economic challenges, including higher costs.
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Diesel fuel's carcinogenicity
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil or simply diesel, is a liquid fuel designed for diesel engines. These engines are used in freight and delivery trucks, trains, buses, boats, farm and construction vehicles, generators, and some cars.
The carcinogenicity of diesel fuel has been a subject of study for several decades. Before 1990, experimental studies found that inhalation exposure to diesel exhaust was carcinogenic to the lungs of rats. Epidemiological data also indicated that occupational exposure to diesel exhaust was associated with an increased incidence of lung cancer in humans. In 1989, the International Agency for Research into Cancer designated diesel exhaust as "probably carcinogenic to humans," based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals and limited evidence in humans.
The carcinogenicity of diesel exhaust is attributed to the presence of polycyclic or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are known carcinogens. These PAHs are produced during the combustion of diesel fuel and other fossil fuels. They condense onto the surface of the soot expelled from diesel engines, contributing to the particulate emissions (soot) that make up 15-65% of diesel exhaust. The soot particles in diesel exhaust contain not only PAHs but also carbon and traces of metallic compounds.
While the focus has been on the carcinogenicity of diesel exhaust rather than the fuel itself, the two are intrinsically linked. Diesel fuel is a complex mixture of alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which, such as benzene, are known human carcinogens. The exhaust is a mixture of gases and soot, with the gas portion primarily comprising carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxides, and hydrocarbons, including PAHs.
Various organizations have classified diesel exhaust as carcinogenic to humans, particularly in relation to lung cancer. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a part of the CDC, have both concluded that diesel exhaust is a potential human carcinogen. The NTP's conclusion is based on limited evidence from human studies and supporting evidence from lab studies. NIOSH's determination is supported by documentation of health issues, including irritation of the eyes and reversible decrements in pulmonary function among workers exposed to diesel exhaust. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies diesel engine exhaust as "carcinogenic to humans," specifically linking it to an increased risk of lung cancer.
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Frequently asked questions
We have used diesel fuel since the early 1900s, when it was used in military transports.
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil, heavy oil, biodiesel, or simply diesel, is a liquid fuel used in diesel engines.
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that does not require a spark to ignite the fuel. Instead, it uses compression and high temperatures to ignite the dense diesel fuel.
Diesel fuel is typically made from a fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil, but it can also be made from biodiesel, biomass-to-liquid (BTL), or gas-to-liquid (GTL) diesel.
Diesel fuel is used in a variety of applications, including transportation, agriculture, construction, and military equipment. It is commonly used in trucks, trains, boats, and generators.
