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May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
How Stuff Works: How diesel engines work
By
Marshall Brain
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Diesel engines are in the news more and more these days because they are doing something that surprises many people — some diesel cars are getting better gas mileage than hybrid cars. Scientists and engineers have been refining diesel engine technology for decades, and there are several advantages inherent in diesel engines that give them an edge.
Another thing that has helped diesel engines is the rise of the green fuel known as biodiesel. Made from vegetable oil, biodiesel fuel acts just like normal diesel fuel but comes from renewable sources. Even though some of the current sources have raised controversy, new techniques like algae may make diesel fuel very easy to grow in the near future.
These two developments — high efficiency and green fuels — shine a spotlight on diesel engine technology. Let's take a look at how these engines work.
Most cars on the road today use gasoline engines. A fuel injector squirts a precisely controlled amount of gasoline into the air stream entering the engine, and then the gasoline and air is compressed. A spark plug ignites the gasoline to create the engine's power.
A diesel engine is similar to a gasoline engine in that it uses the same kind of pistons, cylinders and valves. However, there is no spark plug in a diesel engine. Instead, the fuel is directly injected into the cylinder and it ignites spontaneously.
How can the fuel ignite spontaneously? This is the key difference between diesel and gasoline engines, and the thing that makes diesel engines so efficient. Instead of compressing a mixture of gasoline and air, a diesel engine compresses only air in the cylinder. Because there is no fuel mixed in with the air when it is compressed, a diesel engine can provide two to three times more compression to the air than a standard gasoline engine does. The extra compression improves efficiency.
When the air is compressed so dramatically, it heats up. A fuel injector then squirts exactly the right amount of diesel fuel into this very hot air. The compressed air is so hot that it immediately ignites the diesel fuel.
If you think about the difference between spark plug ignition and hot air ignition, you can understand another source of the diesel's efficiency. With a spark plug, you have a point source of ignition. The flame has to spread from that point to the rest of the gasoline. Sometimes not all of the gasoline gets burned, and sometimes it doesn't burn at exactly the right time — because it takes time for the flame to spread.
When hot air is igniting the fuel in a diesel engine, there is no point source of ignition. The source of ignition surrounds the fuel. So the diesel fuel burns more completely and quickly.
There is another thing that gives diesel engines an advantage when it comes to the miles per gallon rating. Diesel fuel is actually denser than gasoline. If you have two buckets, one containing a gallon of gasoline and the other containing a gallon of diesel fuel, the bucket of diesel fuel is actually heavier. A gallon of diesel fuel weighs about a pound more. Both gasoline and diesel fuel contain carbon and hydrogen atoms, but diesel fuel contains more of them per gallon. So we would naturally expect diesel fuel to do better when it comes to miles per gallon.
So what are the problems with diesel engines? In the past, diesel engines have had a reputation for being sootier, noisier and sluggish when it comes to acceleration. All three of these problems have been largely ironed out in the new engine designs. Another problem has been nitrogen oxide emissions. Nitrogen in the air gets combined with oxygen inside the hot cylinder, and the nitrogen oxides that come out cause smog. Many engine manufacturers are eliminating thesepollutants by injecting a tiny amount of urea into the exhaust stream when the engine is running.
With the advent of new fuel sources, like biodiesel from algae, diesel engines could see a new resurgence in the coming years. Extreme efficiency and a green fuel will give them the edge.
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Previously:
How calories work (and how many you need in a day)
How saving money on electricity works
How whiskey works
How IQ tests work
How a quartz watch works
How ice skating rinks work
How glass works
How blimps work
How space stations work
How toasters work
How a cell phone works
What went obsolete in the last decade?
How cholesterol works
How leather works
How vaccines work
How the smart grid works
How sea level works
How employee screening works
How to avoid catching a cold
How bread works
How a home energy audit works
How Omega-3 fatty acids work
Social networking
How trick birthday candles work
How electric cars like the Nissan Leaf work
How a manned mission to Mars works
How gold works
How bad breath works
How the ultimate sunglasses work
Any rocket is easily converted to a missile
How to have a great staycation
How a black box works
How a solar roof works
How nuclear bombs work
How the Hubble Space Telescope works
How hay fever works
How to know when to rent vs. buy
How swine flu works
How a kidney dialysis machine works
How children die in hot cars
How a trillion dollars works
How electronic cigarettes work
How chimpanzees work
How in vitro fertilization works
How supertankers work
How poisons work
How corn works
How dog ID chips work
How President Obama's limousine works
How emergency power works
How aircraft carriers work
How antibiotics and vaccines work
How mucus works
How iron and steel work
How aspirin works
How igloos work
How the Predator UAV works
How retention ponds work
How water absorbers work
How melamine works
How digital music works
How coal mining works
How an economic depression works
How the liver works
How 3D movies work
How oil pipelines work
How jet packs work
How seismographs work
How Olympic technology works
How Personal Rapid Transit works
How 3G works
How the Global Position System (GPS) works
How octane works
How cruise missiles work
How submarines work
How miles work
How octane works
How food preservation works
How beer works
How holding your breath works
How smoke detectors work
How heat pumps work
How your night vision works
How concentrating solar collectors work
How your key fob works
How the common cold works
How the Large Hadron Collider Works
How making a TV show works
How dry cleaning works
How exoskeletons work
How an oil refinery works
How landfills work
How the Orion spacecraft works
The cutting edge in HDTV
Redefining the CD
How the HDMI cable scam works
How glow-in-the-dark toys work
How the subprime mortgage crisis works
How gift cards work
How Tasers work
How giant TV screens work
How foreclosure works
How Air Force One works
How wildfire fighting works
How vitamins work
How ejection seats work
How reattaching limbs works
How hot air balloons work
How paparazzi work
How counterfeiting works
How CDs work
How the Edsel worked
How Stinger missiles work
How hybrid cars work
How sharks work
How mosquitoes work
How diesel engines work
How water towers work
How the Dawn mission works
How Kassam rockets work
How the North American Eagle works
Why aren't we flying to work?
How tofu and soy milk work
How Colony Collapse Disorder works
How airbags work
How the U.S. income tax works
How gum works
How caffeine works
How Daylight Saving Time works
How a cruise missile works
How snow making works
© 2007, How Stuff Works Inc. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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