In article ,
"Roger Long" wrote:

My outlook is probably effected somewhat by watching the motorcycle
size battery in my plane start the 160 HP, high compression, engine
briskly on even below zero days.

BTW the 1,2 Both switch is an anachronism that I'll be ditching as
soon as I can get the boat back to Maine and overhaul the whole
system. There are very inexpensive battery management and charging
systems now that charge the batteries while leaving them isolated from
each other for normal loads.

--

Roger Long

There is a BIG difference between a DIESEL engine and a Gasoline engine,
when starting in cold weather. Comparing the two is "Apples and Oranges"
A diesel has a higher Compression Ratio than a Gas engine. Gas
volitilizes at a much lower temp than diesel fuel. Gas engines have
Spark Plugs that ignite the fuel/air mixture, and provides the required
heat of ignition. In a diesel with no glowplugs the only heat generated
is the Heat of Compression, which takes a while to build in the cyl.
That's why they invented Glow Plugs, and Intake Air Manifold Heaters,
to heat the fuel/air past the ignition temp.

Me

Glowplugs, etc are a feature of indirect injected engines. Many
smaller diesels are direct injected and do not require glowplugs. My
Perkins 85HP will start almost instantly even with temps below freezing.

Doug
s/v CAllista

"Me" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Roger Long" wrote:

My outlook is probably effected somewhat by watching the motorcycle
size battery in my plane start the 160 HP, high compression, engine
briskly on even below zero days.

BTW the 1,2 Both switch is an anachronism that I'll be ditching as
soon as I can get the boat back to Maine and overhaul the whole
system. There are very inexpensive battery management and charging
systems now that charge the batteries while leaving them isolated from
each other for normal loads.

--

Roger Long

There is a BIG difference between a DIESEL engine and a Gasoline engine,
when starting in cold weather. Comparing the two is "Apples and Oranges"
A diesel has a higher Compression Ratio than a Gas engine. Gas
volitilizes at a much lower temp than diesel fuel. Gas engines have
Spark Plugs that ignite the fuel/air mixture, and provides the required
heat of ignition. In a diesel with no glowplugs the only heat generated
is the Heat of Compression, which takes a while to build in the cyl.
That's why they invented Glow Plugs, and Intake Air Manifold Heaters,
to heat the fuel/air past the ignition temp.

Me

There is a BIG difference between a DIESEL engine and a Gasoline
engine,
when starting in cold weather.

I don't plan on starting my sailboat engine in weather as cold as I
fly my plane in. That's for sure!

--

Roger Long

I assume you have to preheat your aircraft engine in cold temps. I had to
preheat mine in anything below 40F. I've never seen a diesel engine in
a plane either.

Doug
s/v Callista


"Roger Long" wrote in message
...

There is a BIG difference between a DIESEL engine and a Gasoline engine,
when starting in cold weather.

I don't plan on starting my sailboat engine in weather as cold as I fly my
plane in. That's for sure!

--

Roger Long

On Thursday 13 January 2005 12:29 am in rec.boats.cruising Doug Dotson
wrote:

I assume you have to preheat your aircraft engine in cold temps. I had to
preheat mine in anything below 40F. I've never seen a diesel engine in
a plane either.

They are available, at least in Europe.
The advantage is that they run on turbine fuel rather than
avgas which is often hard to find.

--
My real address is crn (at) netunix (dot) com
WARNING all messages containing attachments or html will be silently
deleted. Send only plain text.

Doug Dotson wrote:
I assume you have to preheat your aircraft engine in cold temps. I had to
preheat mine in anything below 40F. I've never seen a diesel engine in
a plane either.


Most of the dirigibles had diesel engines, and the German air force had
diesel powered planes including at least one fighter.

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevo...ther/ju86.html

Modern developments in metallurgy and turborcharging may bring the
diesel back into aero prominence

http://www.deltahawkengines.com/diesel00.htm

Just poking around finding interesting stuff on the wwweb. Beats working!

DSK