The exceptional talent of this inventor, the son of German parents born in 1858 in Paris, was clearly evident from an early age: he graduated from the Technische Hochschule in Munich in 1880 with the best grades achieved by any student up to this point. Despite his obvious ability, he experienced some difficulties in starting his "rational thermal engine".Rudolf Diesel presented his idea for the first time in March 1892, and initially had to rework important technical details. MAN Director Heinrich von Buz was the only person who saw (and correctly, as it turns out) the potential in Diesel's ideas that were initially turned down by other companies such as Mannesmann and Deutz. From 1893 to 1897 the engineers at MAN developed the "Diesel thermal engine patent" with Rudolf Diesel in the laboratory of the machine factory in Augsburg. The breakthrough came soon with improved versions.
Unfortunately Rudolf Diesel would not enjoy the worldwide triumph of his invention for long: in 1913 he disappeared during a sea voyage on the way to London and the circumstances of his death remain unclear to this day.
The diesel engine changes the world
For the employees at the machine factory in Augsburg, the 10th of August 1893 was a day they would never forget. This was the day when Rudolf Diesel set the engine cylinder he invented in motion for the first time. The petroleum inside the hot piston exploded with a deafening bang. Windows rattled. Parts of the measuring equipment flew through the air. But the machine remained intact. It was going to take another four years to get the diesel engine working properly. Its output was a full 20 HP and, with an efficiency of 26 percent, was roughly twice as efficient as the steam engine. Moreover, it was also able to run on inexpensive fuels such as heavy oil and heating oil. News of this development spread like wildfire across the globe: Diesel's idea turned was the spark that changed the world.
