Gasoline and diesel engines are the two most commonly used internal combustion engines. Even though their operation seems similar, they have some interesting differences, and each has advantages over the other. This video is aimed at exploring these differences and advantages from a scientific point of view.
Both engines have the basic 4 strokes: intake, compression, power, and exhaust.
There are differences between the two engines due to the difference between the way fuels burn. gasoline readily evaporates, so it gets mixed with the air efficiently. As a result, just a spark is sufficient to produce smooth combustion in a well pre-mixed gasoline engine.
On the other hand, diesel does not properly mix with air. However, if atomized diesel is sprayed into high-temperature air, spontaneous combustion will occur.
This means that in gasoline engines, the fuel and air should be pre-mixed, while in diesel engines, mixing happens only during the combustion.
This is why diesel engines use a fuel injector while gasoline engines use a spark plug.
You might have noticed that gasoline engines are less noisy and vibrate less compared to diesel engines. This is because the combustion process in a pre-mixed mixture is smooth and propagates well. But in a diesel engine, the combustion could begin anywhere in the combustion chamber, and it turns out to be an uncontrolled process.
Both engines have the basic 4 strokes: intake, compression, power, and exhaust.
There are differences between the two engines due to the difference between the way fuels burn. gasoline readily evaporates, so it gets mixed with the air efficiently. As a result, just a spark is sufficient to produce smooth combustion in a well pre-mixed gasoline engine.
On the other hand, diesel does not properly mix with air. However, if atomized diesel is sprayed into high-temperature air, spontaneous combustion will occur.
This means that in gasoline engines, the fuel and air should be pre-mixed, while in diesel engines, mixing happens only during the combustion.
This is why diesel engines use a fuel injector while gasoline engines use a spark plug.
You might have noticed that gasoline engines are less noisy and vibrate less compared to diesel engines. This is because the combustion process in a pre-mixed mixture is smooth and propagates well. But in a diesel engine, the combustion could begin anywhere in the combustion chamber, and it turns out to be an uncontrolled process.
For this reason, to reduce the excessive vibration and noise problem, diesel engines require a more rugged structural design than gasoline engines. This is why gasoline engines are always preferable for light-weight applications.
Since the diesel engine is compressing only the air, it can achieve a good compression ratio without risk of self-ignition. But, in a pre-mixed gasoline engine, such a high compression ratio is not possible. The higher the compression ratio, the better is the efficiency of the cycle. This is the reason why diesel engines have better fuel economy as compared to gasoline engines.
An interesting question many people wonder is: What if I put gasoline into a diesel engine or vice-versa?
Diesel in a gasoline engine will not even cause firing. The reason is simple. Diesel is less volatile and will not mix with the air properly, and the sparking will not initiate any combustion.
On the other hand, if you put gasoline in a diesel engine, you are spraying a highly volatile fuel into a chamber of highly compressed and hot air. This will lead to detonations rather than smooth combustion. Eventually, the engine components will get damaged, so that’s a big no for gasoline in a diesel engine.
Thank you for watching the video.
Since the diesel engine is compressing only the air, it can achieve a good compression ratio without risk of self-ignition. But, in a pre-mixed gasoline engine, such a high compression ratio is not possible. The higher the compression ratio, the better is the efficiency of the cycle. This is the reason why diesel engines have better fuel economy as compared to gasoline engines.
An interesting question many people wonder is: What if I put gasoline into a diesel engine or vice-versa?
Diesel in a gasoline engine will not even cause firing. The reason is simple. Diesel is less volatile and will not mix with the air properly, and the sparking will not initiate any combustion.
On the other hand, if you put gasoline in a diesel engine, you are spraying a highly volatile fuel into a chamber of highly compressed and hot air. This will lead to detonations rather than smooth combustion. Eventually, the engine components will get damaged, so that’s a big no for gasoline in a diesel engine.
Thank you for watching the video.
