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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 diesel engines work
By
Marshall Brain
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
You may have noticed recently that you are hearing more and more about diesel cars. That makes sense because diesel engines get better gas mileage than gasoline engines. With gas prices rising so much, people are very interested in any technology that cuts the amount of fuel that cars use.
But have you ever wondered why diesel engines get better mileage? By understanding how a diesel engine works, the mileage advantage makes a lot more sense.
Chances are that you own a car, and that your car is powered by a gasoline engine. So let's start with it. Your engine contains pistons that move up and down. When the piston moves down, it sucks in air and gasoline. Then the piston moves up and compresses the air and gasoline. Then the spark plug fires to ignite the gasoline. That produces a lot of heat, which expands the air, pushing the piston down. The expansion is where the power of your engine comes from.
One problem with the gasoline engine is the compression part. A gasoline engine mixes the air and gas together and THEN compresses it. That limits the amount of compression that the engine can use. You can only compress gasoline so far before it spontaneously explodes. Whenever you hear your engine knock, what you are hearing is these spontaneous explosions. Knocking is bad because it damages the engine.
More compression would make the gasoline engine more efficient. And more efficient engines get better mileage. But as you can see, there is a limit to how much compression you can apply in a gasoline engine.
A diesel engine solves the compression problem, and that is one thing that gives it better mileage than a gas engine. In a diesel engine, there is no spark plug. And the engine inhales nothing but air. The diesel engine compresses that air about twice as much as a gasoline engine would. Then the diesel engine injects diesel fuel straight into the compressed air. The air gets so hot from the compression that it ignites the diesel fuel without any need for a spark.
This is a pretty simple change in design, but it can really improve the efficiency of the engine. The best diesel engines might be up 50 percent more efficient than a gasoline engine of the same size.
Diesel engines have one other trick up their sleeves as well. It turns out that diesel fuel is different from gasoline. Both diesel fuel and gasoline are made up of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. But in diesel fuel, the chains are longer. What that means is that diesel fuel is actually heavier than gasoline. If you buy one gallon of gasoline and one gallon of diesel fuel, the diesel weighs more. So the gallon of diesel fuel contains more hydrogen and oxygen atoms than the same amount of gasoline. Meaning that there is about 17 percent more energy in a gallon of diesel fuel than there is in a gallon of gas.
When you add the improved efficiency of a diesel engine to the extra energy in diesel fuel, you have an engine that gets much better mileage than a gasoline engine.
Now this does not mean that diesel engines are perfect. For one thing, a diesel engine is heavier than the same gasoline engine because the diesel engine has to handle all of the extra compression pressure. Heavy engines tend to reduce mileage. Diesel engines tend to produce more soot, although this problem seems to be getting much better in the newer designs. And diesel engines prefer to turn slower than gas engines, meaning that a diesel car may not accelerate as fast as a gasoline car.
The thing that may make all of these problems with the diesel go away is the idea of a hybrid car. We all know that gasoline hybrids are efficient. A diesel hybrid could be even better. Because of hybrid technology, we may see the rebirth of the diesel engine, and you may soon have a diesel car in your garage that gets great mileage.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
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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