What year did Rudolf Diesel invent the diesel engine?

Answer 1

In 1892 the German engineer Rudolf Diesel got a patent for his invention of the technology for a compression ignition engine.

From that time onwards it was called a "Diesel Engine".

Another opinion

Actually the date was 1891 that Diesel invented his engine, which became the "diesel" engine as we know it.

However an earlier heavy fuel oil engine, called the "hot bulb" or "heavy oil" engine, was invented by Herbert Akroyd Stuart. It was working in 1886, much earlier than the Diesel's engine, but, unlike the "diesel", it had a low compression-ratio so that the fuel could not self-ignite, so it and was not actually a "compression ignition" engine.

Wrongly Rudolf Diesel was accredited with being the designer of the heavy oil fuel engine which was named after him although documented history will show that Stuart, was the true inventor of the heavy oil fuel engine.

Comment

This question is asking specifically about the inventor of the diesel engine, which is a compression-ignition engine. It is not asking about heavy fuel engines in general.

For more information about Rudolf Diesel and Herbert Akroyd Stuart go to the Related Links shown below.