Technology
Do diesel engines
have a future?
The diesel engine has become a highly efficient
power source — but how much further can it be
developed? In this article, Dr Staffan Lundgren
discusses whether the humble engine has a future,
and if so, what it looks like.
D
espite constantly being developed over the past century to
become a highly fuel-efficient power unit, the diesel engine
is now under threat like never before. So, what is the future
of the diesel engine?
Diffusion combustion — where the combustion is concentrated
around the ignition, and oxygen is diffused around the combustion
area — is very efficient. It has minimal energy losses to the walls of
the engine through radiation or convection — much lower than a
gasoline engine. The basic diesel engine is robust and can withstand
very high pressures.
There have been big improvements, though: jumping from around
35% efficiency in the 1980s to today’s 50% efficiency. That means
half of the fuel is now being put into useful mechanical work. For
Diesel trucks are still a common sight in most
of the opencast mines around Africa.
38 AFRICAN MINING MARCH - APRIL 2019
www.africanmining.co.za