Did the diesel technology came from the Gobek Api of the Malays?
Diesel engines with their more compact, rugged mechanical components capable of delivering more torque make them a suitable choice for heavy vehicles.
This technology was designed by the German designer and mechanical engineer Rudolf Diesel, after conducting extensive thermodynamic research and testing to achieve greater efficiency compared to petrol engines.
Diesel engines use compressed air to ignite the fuel, unlike petrol engines that use a spark or ignition system. The story and development of this are recorded in history books, yet the original inspiration for Diesel to conceive this technology remains unknown.
In a discovery reported by the New Straits Times, Diesel seemingly may have drawn inspiration from the blowpipe, a primitive tool used in the Southeast Asian region.
It consists of a closed cylinder or tube on one side and open on the other, with a piston attached that can be pressed into the cylinder.
The portion of the piston that enters the cylinder must be rounded and airtight to create a vacuum with pressure when the piston is pushed in or pulled out.
At the “face” of the piston, there is a small recess to accommodate a flame that will not be extinguished when the piston is pushed in. Initially made from wood, animal horns, or bamboo, the blowpipe was small in size – 7cm to 15cm – to fit into pockets.
The rapid compression of air when the piston is pressed into the cylinder causes a sudden increase in the internal temperature to 260 degrees Celsius, enough for the flame to ignite with a spark. This flame can then be transferred before being blown to ignite a larger fire.
So, what is the relevance of the traditional blowpipe’s operating principle to the modern diesel engines we know today?
A History from the 19th Century
Moving back a bit, in the late 19th century, Carl von Linde, an engineer, returned to his homeland in Germany after traveling extensively.
He had visited various places, including the Malay Peninsula. As a renowned faculty member at Munich Technical University, he was supposed to present his findings to the entire faculty and students.
During the lecture, he paused for a moment and took out this small wooden tool from his pocket to light a cigarette. He called it “ein Feuerkoben” and it was a gift from someone he met in Penang.
He pressed the piston and the inner flame ignited. He took the ember and lit his cigarette. For most students there, it was merely a matter of lighting a fire from a wooden tool.
But for Diesel, who was present and was one of the top students in Linde’s class, the concept made him wonder if the same thermodynamic principles could be applied to ignite fuel in combustion engines.
The chemical equation involving pressure, volume, and temperature states that when pressure increases in the same volume, the temperature will also rise.
This same reaction became the operating principle of Diesel engines when air is compressed to ignite the fuel, hence eliminating the need for spark plugs like in petrol engines.
From 1983 to 1987, Diesel continued to develop his idea at Maschinenfabrik-Augsburg AG (later known as Maschinenfabrik-Augsburg-Nürnberg or MAN). He began testing prototypes and successfully demonstrated a diesel engine with an efficiency of 26.2 percent.
So, did the blowpipe truly serve as inspiration for MAN trucks and buses as well as other diesel engines we recognize today? It remains vague, but what is clear is that Diesel was the one responsible for connecting the blowpipe concept with heavy machinery engines.
