Primary Engineer
RUDOLPH DIESEL: A MAN AHEAD OF HIS TIME Did you know that Rudolph Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine originally intended for it to run on vegetable oil? The original idea behind his invention was for farmers to be able to grow their own fuel and was environmentally friendly many, many years before climate change became an issue.
MIHIKA SHARMA – ANOTHER ENGINEER AHEAD OF HER TIME? Can you remember that in 2016, we played a video at the AMPS Conference featuring five-year-old Mihika and her elder brother Arnav Sharma, who were both finalists of the Leaders Award organised by Primary Engineer? Mihika is now nine years old and is a 2019 finalist in the young pioneer category of the Tech4GoodAwards. In sharing Mihika’s story we hope you feel inspired and can feel confident that the future of engineering is assured thanks to the help of organisations such as Primary Engineer, who create enthusiasm and interest in the subject from a very early age.
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www.amps.org.uk
Franco-German engineer Rudolf Diesel started by designing fridges. In 1892, he patented a revolutionary compression ignition engine, better known as the diesel engine. It worked by compressing air inside a cylinder making it hot enough to ignite the fuel and create a powerful explosion. This simple and economic system was engineered to run on a variety of fuels including coal dust and vegetable oils. An early device running on peanut oil won a Grand Prix at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900.