Petrol Engine vs.

Diesel Engine
Introduction
Petrol Engine

A petrol engine (known as a gasoline engine in North America) is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol (gasoline) and similar volatile fuels. It was invented in 1876 in Germany by German inventor Nicolaus August Otto. In most petrol engines, the fuel and air are usually pre-mixed before compression (although some modern petrol engines now use cylinder-direct petrol injection). The pre-mixing was formerly done in a carburetor, but now it is done by electronically controlled fuel injection, except in small engines where the cost/complication of electronics does not justify the added engine efficiency. The process differs from a diesel engine in the method of mixing the fuel and air, and in using spark plugs to initiate the combustion process. In a diesel engine, only air is compressed (and therefore heated), and the fuel is injected into very hot air at the end of the compression stroke, and self-ignites.
Diesel Engine

The diesel engine has the highest thermal efficiency of any standard internal or external combustion engine due to its very high compression ratio. Low-speed diesel engines (as used in ships and other applications where overall engine weight is relatively unimportant) can have a thermal efficiency that exceeds 50%. Diesel engines are manufactured in two-stroke and four-stroke versions. They were originally used as a more efficient replacement for stationary steam engines. Since the 1910s they have been used in submarines and ships. Use in locomotives, trucks, heavy equipment and electric generating plants followed later. In the 1930s, they slowly began to be

used in a few automobiles. Since the 1970s, the use of diesel engines in larger on-road and off-road vehicles in the USA increased. According to the British Society of Motor Manufacturing and Traders, the EU average for diesel cars account for 50% of the total sold, including 70% in France and 38% in the UK. A diesel engine (also known as a compression-ignition engine) is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel that has been injected into the combustion chamber. As opposed to spark-ignition engines such as a petrol engine (gasoline engine) or gas engine (using a gaseous fuel as opposed to gasoline), which uses a spark plug to ignite an air-fuel mixture. The engine was developed by German inventor Rudolf Diesel in 1893.

Comparison of Petrol Engine and Diesel Engine.

In mechanical or automobile field petrol engine or diesel engine is used for any particular job. So, it is most important to know which type of engine is most suitable for selection. For the proper selection of engine,we must compare these engines with each other. By this way we come to know the advantages and disadvantages of particular engine. Here comparing petrol engine and diesel engine which is widely used in one or another purpose.

In petrol engine a charge of petrol and air is taken inside the cylinder during suction stroke which is further compressed during compression stroke. Pre-ignition can be achieved in petrol engine as there is increase in temperature due to compression above the ignition point of petrol.

In diesel engine, only air is compressed during compression stroke and fuel is injected afterwards. Thats why no pre-ignition achieved in diesel engine. The diesel engine is more difficult to start due to greater cranking efforts required to overcome the higher compression ratio. Petrol engines has more chances of fire hazards as compared to diesel engine. A carburetor is used in petrol engine, which supplies the mixture of air and petrol in the proper portion according to requirement but in diesel engine, an injector or auto miser is used to inject the fuel at the end of compression stroke. No external source of heat is required to burn the fuel in diesel engine as it burns by the heat of compressed air. In petrol engine, a spark plug is required to ignite the charge with an electric spark. The diesel engine is heavier and stronger than petrol engine. As a result, diesel engine is more expensive in initial cost and repairing cost. A higher grade of material and workmanship is required in diesel engine due to high compression ratio. Though initial cost of diesel engine is more but it will run almost double than petrol engine for same quantity of fuel. The cost of diesel is less than petrol, hence running cost is lower than petrol engine. For all sort of heavy work diesel engine gets more preference than petrol engine. On reduced load, the petrol engine is superior to the diesel engine because of better mixing of fuel and air. The thermal efficiency of diesel engine is higher than petrol engine because of high compression ratio used.

 The petrol engine works on Otto cycle where as diesel engine works on Diesel cycle.

Petrol Engine Car Vs. Diesel Engine Car

Petrol Engines fire with the help of a spark plug (produces a spark to ignite petrol) while Diesel engines do not need a spark plug to ignite. Diesel engines have a self ignition property. As the air compresses inside, the diesel which is injected gets burnt due to the high compression and temperature. So the next time you see a spark plug ad from MICO, remember that these are only used for petrol engines. Petrol Engines are less fuel efficient than Diesel Engines as a matter of fact. Although we find that a Maruti 800 has a very high fuel efficiency of around 17-20kmpl,in reality Diesel produces more energy per given unit of fuel .This means Diesel engines are more efficient than petrol Engines for a given power rating. Thats one reason why Diesel is the most common fuel used for higher rated engines, such as trucks and buses. Diesels thermal efficiency makes it better suited for heavier vehicles than petrol. Another important point of difference between the Diesel and petrol Engines is their reaction to the accelerator pedal. While modern petrol engines usually inject fuel proportional to the

accelerator pedal. That means, the more you accelerate, the throttle directly releases more percentage of petrol and air to burn for the power. While in Modern Diesel engine, the accelerator pedal and other pressure conditions are also taken into picture to release the diesel for burning. This is one main reason why we see that petrol cars virtually listen to your accelerator demand , while Diesel cars (without a turbo) do have a slight lag. However, with the improved Common rail diesel Engine and turbo chargers, Diesel cars are almost neck to neck with the petrol cars. Diesel cars have a higher torque (turning power) when compared to petrol cars. So when you are driving uphill on a lower gear, you might be surprised that a Diesel car will take lesser effort to drive up because of the Diesels higher thermal efficiency and higher generation of torque. Thats another reason why heavy vehicles tend towards Diesel engines because they need higher torque to even get the vehicle moving.

On Road Petrol vs. Diesel Performance

Petrol and diesel engine performances have been talked and researched a lot. Earlier diesel engines offered poor performance compared to the petrol engines. Especially in acceleration, diesel engines were found lacking. But since the advent of the turbo-chargers a lot of things have changed on the diesel side of the fence. Direct Inject and common rail engines have been the latest kids on the block. Direct inject engines have taken care of the noise problems to a large extent. They also give better mileage over the older indirect injection models. Common rail diesels use the latest technology of direct injection and are the most recent ones offering more fuel economy and better performance. However, not all auto manufacturers have developed and adapted this technology in their cars in India. Petrol models give more horsepower which enables them to attain higher top speed and better figures of 0-60 kmph acceleration. The refined driving experience offered by the petrol engines still remains unparalleled. However, please note that the new age Turbo diesel engines, such as the Volkswagen engine, give excellent power and acceleration. For example, the Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI top of the range car (not available) in India, delivers whopping 167 BHP, 8 seconds acceleration to 100 km/h and a mileage of 1:20 on highways! Lastly, the account servicing costs of diesel cars is definitely more any day, though the frequency will be less. However, with the latest technology these costs have been curbed by the manufacturers but it eventually depends which brand you are opting for.

Diesel or Petrol Engines? (While Buying a Car)

Are you thinking about purchasing a new car, if you are then it is important you make the right decision about which type of fuel suits your motoring needs. Diesel engines have clearly advanced over the last

decade making them more appealing to non business users and this has meant a huge increase in their market share. Petrol engines are fighting back though with more efficient smaller engines, here are a few key points about each fuel which might help you make the right decision.

Maintenance
Purchasing a car, is a start of a long relationship. Besides normal running costs, the car will also require regular maintenance, and this differs per fuel type. Maintenance is mainly of two types - periodic (or scheduled) maintenance and breakdown maintenance. Periodic maintenance requires the replacing of all oils, worn-out parts, as per the expected good life of the same. Breakdown maintenance is the replacement of damaged or failed parts or any other type of problems that arise suddenly. The fact that petrol engine parts are cheaper than diesel engine parts make petrol engines cheaper for regular maintenance. Comparatively, diesel engines maintenance are costlier.

Advantage & Disadvantages of Petrol Engine Vs. Diesel Engine

Advantages The main advantage of diesel engine is the inexpensive fuel. Then the cost difference between diesel fuel and AI-98 petrol reaches the 20% level even the owners of expensive cars start to save. The fuel efficiency of diesel engines is 36% and higher. The efficiency of petrol-powered engine is only 25% that means that the diesel engine wastes less fuel than the petrol-powered engine. The diesel engine as compared to the petrol-powered engine of the equal volume of combustion chamber has advantage of higher torque. It is critically important for minivans and station wagons. No alternative engines are mounted now on trucks. High torque helps in the city traffic; it allows moving on minimal engine turnover in traffic jams. Disadvantages The basic disadvantage of diesel engine is that it is expensive. It expensive both in manufacturing (due to high work load) and also in maintenance. The fuel in diesel engine is ignited by the heat of the compressed air. It results in that fact that fuel had no time to fully mix with the air and it produces CH, NOX and carbon black during the combustion process. The carbon black is particularly visible then it colors the exhaust in black. The exhaust filter is warming up in the flow of exhaust gas that results in carbon black afterburning. Periodically the residual carbon black should be burned up and on the command block instruction the gas temperature is raised at the end of the combustion stroke due to burning of an additional quantity of fuel.

Applications & Uses for Diesel Engines and Petrol Engine

Diesel engines are commonly used as mechanical engines, power generators and in mobile drives. They find wide spread use in locomotives, construction equipment, automobiles, and countless industrial applications. Their realm extends to almost all industries and can be observed on a daily basis if you were to look under the hood of everything you pass by. Industrial diesel engines and diesel powered generators have construction, marine, mining, hospital, forestry, telecommunications, underground, and agricultural applications, just to name a few. Power generation for prime or standby backup power is the major application of today's diesel generators. Petrol Engine are used in Motor Cycle, Generators, construction, marine, mining, hospital, forestry, telecommunications, underground, and agricultural applications and Aircrafts etc.

Conclusion
It is clear that once the car is bought, the running costs of a diesel car will be far less than a petrol car. Possible less attractive performance is not that relevant in our busy Indian cities, where noise too is a daily issue to put up with. Hence, the only serious disadvantage of the diesel car in India is the higher purchase price and hence the only factor to consider for Indians is the daily run rate.

Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Petrol Engine ................................................................................................. 1 Diesel Engine ................................................................................................. 1 Comparison of Petrol Engine and Diesel Engine. ................................................ 2 Petrol Engine Car Vs. Diesel Engine Car .............................................................. 4 On Road Petrol vs. Diesel Performance ............................................................ 7 Diesel or Petrol Engines? (While Buying a Car) ................................................... 8 Maintenance ........................................................................................................ 8 Advantage & Disadvantages of Petrol Engine Vs. Diesel Engine ........................ 9 Advantages ....................................................................................................... 9 Disadvantages .................................................................................................. 9 Applications & Uses for Diesel Engines and Petrol Engine ............................... 10 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 11