Rudolf Diesel

Rudolf Diesel (March 18, 1858 - September 30, 1913) was a German inventor, famous for the invention of the Diesel engine. He was born in Paris and died on the English Channel.

Related Topics:
March 18 - 1858 - September 30 - 1913 - German - Inventor - Diesel engine - Paris - English Channel

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Rudolf Diesel developed the idea of the compression ignition engine during the last decade of the 19th century, receiving a patent for the device on February 23, 1892 and building a functional prototype in early 1897 while working at the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg (from 1906 on the MAN) plant at Augsburg. This 'Diesel engine' was named after him. Originally it was known as the "oil engine", and had many similarities with Akroyd-Stuart's engine, invented earlier in 1890.

Related Topics:
19th century - February 23 - 1892 - 1897 - MAN - Augsburg - Diesel engine - Akroyd-Stuart

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Between 1911 and 1912 he stated:

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"The diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries which use it"

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He also predicted that:

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"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time."

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While in Ghent, Belgium, Rudolf Diesel received a business message from England.

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On 29 September 1913, Diesel boarded the SS Dresden, in Antwerp, and crossed the English Channel, for a short trip to attend the opening of a new Carels factory in Ipswich, England. (Carels was a Belgian Diesel licensee.)

Related Topics:
29 September - 1913 - Antwerp - English Channel - Carels - Ipswich - England

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However, Diesel never showed up in England. After lunch on board, Diesel went to his cabin, saying he'd go to sleep. The next morning, a steward found the cabin empty-- Diesel had disappeared. Two days later, Diesel's body was found in the Schelde river in Rupelmonde, by local fishermen. Following the usual practice at that time, the seamen only took his belongings (identified later by Diesel's sons) and threw Diesel's body back into the sea.

Related Topics:
England - Schelde river - Rupelmonde

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It's been alleged that Rudolf Diesel was about to meet with representatives of Rover. At that time, Diesel was allowing anyone to purchase a license for his engine patents. This included companies in France, Britain and other nations which Imperial Germany was enemies with. It's possible that Diesel was murdered by German agents in order to prevent him from further licensing his patents to other foreign companies; after all, World War I was about to begin.

Related Topics:
Rover - Imperial Germany - World War I

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Some believe that Diesel committed suicide, because he was broke.

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Diesel's family believe he was thrown off the ship, and that his invention ideas were stolen.

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Some believe that because one version of Diesel's engine ran well on bio-oil, and because this decreased petroleum monopoly profits, the oil companies contracted his murder.

Related Topics:
Bio-oil - Petroleum - Monopoly

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After Diesel's death, the Diesel engine was re-engineered to only run on diesel fuel derived from petroleum. In fact even by that time, due to the rapid development of the petroleum industry, petroleum-derived diesel fuel was cheaper than diesel fuel derived from vegetable sources.

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