Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site terak.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!noao!terak!doug
From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Diesel efficiency
Message-ID: <436@terak.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 10-Mar-85 18:40:41 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.436
Posted: Sun Mar 10 18:40:41 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Mar-85 21:09:30 EST
References: <216@cmu-ri-leg.ARPA>
Organization: Terak Corporation, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 13

> Why does a diesel give better m.p.g. than a gasoline car.  Is it because the
> effieciency is greater because of the higher compression ratio or because
> diesel fuel gives out more energy when burnt?

My (admittedly unknowledgable) beliefs are:
1)  The Diesel cycle is slightly more efficient than the Otto cycle
    in "normal" designs;
2)  Most Diesel engines are lower-powered than the gasoline engines
    they're compared to;
3)  Gasoline engines are hampered by emission regulations from which
    Diesels are exempt.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug