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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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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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