Biography of Rudolf Diesel

Inventions and engines, joys and sorrows

18 March 1858
September 30, 1913
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel was born on 18 March of 1858 in Paris, the son of German parents: his mother was a housekeeper and tutor who teaches German and her father is a rather famous leather craftsman.

Education and vocation

After completing elementary school, with excellent results

Rudolf Diesel

at the age of twelve he entered the Ecole Primaire Supérieure, considered one of the best middle schools in the French capital. With the explosion of the franco-Prussian war in 1870, however, Diesel's family is considered an enemy, and then takes refuge in Britain, in London, so to find asylum in a neutral nation. Later, with the help of a cousin, Diesel-a war still going on-he goes to Augusta, the hometown of his family, and here comes the Real trade school of the County: excellent student, at the age of fourteen he writes a letter to his parents informing them of his intention to become an engineer. After you have completed the required studies in 1873, enters the newly founded industrial school of Habsburg, and two years later obtained a scholarship at the Technische Hochschule of Munich, in Bavaria, which accepts despite the contrary opinion of parents who would like that started to work; During this period, becomes a pupil of Carl von Linde. In 1880 Rudolf Diesel obtained a degree: it is since that time that engages looking for a replacement of the steam (more effective) for heat engines. Meanwhile works in Winterthur, Switzerland, as a technician and designer for two years, before returning to Paris to be hired at refrigeration industries Linde, acting as engineer.

The obsession and the search result

In 1883 he married, and two years later founded his first workshop, which also works as a laboratory. Relying on a considerable preparation both in physics and in mathematics, is dedicated to designing an engine featuring a higher return than either that of the steam engine, and the engine recently invented by Nikolaus Otto. The idea of Rudolf Diesel is to an engine that uses only high temperature which is produced in the combustion chamber by air compression for ignition of the fuel. The project is not yet completed when Rudolf moved to Berlin, at the request of Linde; in 1892 (23 February) he is granted a patent for his engine in Germany, so as to be able to get funding and support it needs to complete the project: until 1897, however, does not create a specimen able to function properly and completely satisfying. Meanwhile, Diesel published an essay titledTheory and construction of a rational thermal engine to replace the steam engine and the other cars so far known combustion", dating back to 1893, in which he explains the working principle of his intuition; in February 1894, instead, he completed an engine featured a single piston, which during a public demonstration is done turn for a minute and fueled with pulverized fuel, introduced by compressed air.

The invention finally sees the light

It was only in 1897, as mentioned, that the invention of Rudolf Diesel is fully defined: while he is at work at the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg, constructs a fully functioning prototype, although similar, in many respects, to that proposed by Herbert Akroyd Stuart two years earlier (for this reason there will, in later years, many disputes about the authorship of the patent). Diesel officially presents its engine during the universal exhibition in Paris in 1900, after three years of studies: an engine that works with peanut oil as fuel and produced almost immediately. Within a very short time, Diesel gets a million dollar annuity, guaranteed by approved patents in all European countries to the engine, and becomes very rich. From 1904, he embarks on a series of conferences in the United States, at which he was able to explain in detail his plan.

The mysterious death

Rudolf Diesel died suddenly on 30 September 1913 in the English channel, falling into the sea while travelling by ship headed to England, France towards Harwich. The circumstances of the episode, however, are never clarified: according to some, that would be suicide, as is shown by a cross drawn on the track log found on the empty boat; According to others, the cause of death of Diesel would be even the German Navy, which at that time was starting to use new engines on submarines, despite the contrary opinion of their inventor. According to this theory, the Diesel's trip would take him to Britain in the Royal Navy, which would have been proposed the use of motors in contrast to using German, therefore the German Empire would have to delete it. What is certain is that, in his will left, Diesel claims that his wife Martha receives a suitcase in which are present a modest amount of money and a very voluminous dossier of documents testifying to debts incurred by Rudolf with several banks: the reason of debts would support then the theory of suicide. The corpse of Rudolf Diesel, once found by sailors, is returned to the sea, according to the custom of the time.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.