Diesel Engine

"Continued Development of the Diesel EngineIn America, interest in the diesel engine was spear-headed by such men as Clessie Cummins, owner of theCummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana. In 1930,Cummins outfitted a Packard automobile with a modifieddiesel marine engine and drove it from Indianapolis to NewYork City—over 800 miles at a cost of $1.38. Cummins alsodrove the only diesel-powered vehicle ever entered in theIndianapolis 500, completing the race without a fuel stop.Several companies, including General Motors (DetroitDiesel), Caterpillar, Allis-Chalmers, and Worthington werebuilding and marketing diesel engines by the late 1930s.The diesel proved its worth in World War II so well thatDetroit Diesel’s Gray Marine earned the nickname “theengine that won the war of the seas.” Land-based dieselsproved their reliability in thousands of installations.Diesel-Electric locomotives rapidly replaced less effi-cient steam engines in railroad applications, Figure 1-10.By 1941, almost 1400 diesel locomotives were operatingon American rail systems, and by the 1950s, the transitionto diesel locomotives was complete.Diesels on the RoadBy the 1950s, diesel engines had also become domi-nant in heavy duty trucks and construction equipment. Thedevelopment of the compact Roosa Master fuel distributorpaved the way for diesel-powered farm tractors and agri-cultural equipment. Buses and other public transportationvehicles were converted to fuel-efficient, durable dieselengines. Electric power generation, mining, and irrigationare all areas that came to rely heavily on diesel power.High-pressure common rail diesel injection systemshave made high performance, fuel-efficient passenger carsa reality. In Europe, nearly 50% of new passenger cars arediesel powered. With the introduction of tighter emissionstandards and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, lightweight,responsive diesel-powered cars and light trucks willbecome more common on American highways. If 30% ofthe American passenger car fleet had diesel engines, oilimports could be reduced by 350,000 barrels per day"