# Rudolf Diesel: the man who wanted an engine for everyone 2026-08-09T06:06:43+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his first working engine on August 10, 1893 in Augsburg. The prototype, a 10-foot iron cylinder with a flywheel, ran on its own power. Two years later, Diesel filed for a US patent, which was granted in 1898. His engine converted 26.8% of heat into power, far more efficient than the 10% of contemporary steam and petrol engines. Diesel’s motivation was not purely technical. He wanted to build an engine accessible to small businesses and ordinary people, not just the wealthy. His earlier experiments included an ammonia-fuelled engine that exploded, nearly killing him. Despite the setback, he continued refining the design, achieving a theoretical efficiency of 75.6%. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: diesel engine, efficiency, history of technology, internal combustion, invention, Rudolf Diesel Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/rudolf-diesel-the-man-who-wanted-an-engine-for-everyone/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/rudolf-diesel-the-man-who-wanted-an-engine-for-everyone/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.