Page "Diesel engine" Paragraph 10

At Augsburg, on August 10, 1893, Rudolf Diesel's prime model, a single iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time.

Diesel spent two more years making improvements and in 1896 demonstrated another model with a theoretical efficiency of 75 percent, in contrast to the 10 percent efficiency of the steam engine.

By 1898, Diesel had become a millionaire.

His engines were used to power pipelines, electric and water plants, automobiles and trucks, and marine craft.

They were soon to be used in mines, oil fields, factories, and transoceanic shipping.