Engineering
Rudolf Diesel
Engineer, inventor of the diesel engine
Born 1858 · Died 1913
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
Rudolf Diesel invented an engine that ignites fuel by compression alone, far more efficient than the petrol engines of his day. Diesel engines still move most of the world's ships, lorries and trains.
Key achievements
- Invented the diesel engine, patented in 1893
- Graduated with the best marks in the institution's history
Universities
Munich
Graduated in 1880 with the best marks the institution had recorded, studying under the refrigeration pioneer Carl von Linde.
Facts
- He demonstrated an early engine running on peanut oil and argued that farmers could one day grow their own fuel.
- An early prototype exploded and nearly killed him, proving in the process that compression ignition worked.
- He disappeared from a ferry crossing the English Channel in 1913 and his death has never been explained.
Photographs
Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are shown on each image.