คำตอบที่ 2058
Diesel was something of an unstable character, having several nervous breakdowns, and was somewhat paranoid at times.
He defended his priority of invention tenaciously. Diesel toured the United States as a lecturer in 1904, and he self-published
a two volume work on his social philosophy. He died under suspicious circumstances during a crossing of the English Channel
to Harwich on September 29, 1913, possibly by suicide. A cross in his journal on the date he died was an indicator of suicide.
A briefcase containing a very small sum of money and a large amount of bank statements showing debts, was left to his wife,
Martha. Another theory revolves around the German Military, which was beginning to use his engines on their submarines
something which Mr. Diesel opposed and perhaps feared his potentially providing the technology to the British Royal Navy
for use in their own submarines. His body was found in the Channel a few days later. As was usual at the time, the seamen
only took his belongings (identified later by Diesels younger son Eugen) and then threw the body back into the sea.
After Diesels death, the diesel engine underwent much further development, and became a very important replacement for
the steam engine in many applications. This engine required a heavier, more robust construction than the gasoline engine,
making it unsuitable for certain applications (such as aviation), but allowed the use of cheaper fuels. Diesel was especially
interested in using coal dust or vegetable oil as fuel for the engine, but this never materialized in any major way, at least until
recent rises in fuel prices and concerns about oil reserves lead to more widespread use of vegetable oil and biodieselmost
Diesel engines will function just as well using either. But the primary source of fuel has been what became known as diesel
fuel, an oil byproduct derived from the refining of petroleum. The Diesel engine became widespread in many other applications,
such as stationary engines, submarines, ships, and much later, locomotives.
Recently, Diesel engines have been designed, certified and flown that have overcome the weight penalty in light aircraft.
These engines are designed to run on either diesel fuel or more commonly Jet fuel.
