Following the Industrial Revolution, steam emerged as the de facto power source for factories, ships, trains, and even some automobiles. However, German engineering student Rudolf Diesel believed that he could build a better mousetrap, leading to the invention of the engine that now bears his name. After several early missteps, testing in 1897 revealed that Diesel’s new engine enjoyed 26.2% efficiency compared to just 10% for the still-popular steam engine. But how exactly does a diesel powerplant work? In
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