An oldtimer that’s needed for the future
A really “prehistoric” diesel engine – could it help solve the energy crisis?
That’s the belief of the Dutch company Gemjo, which exhibited something that most closely resembles a museum object at the Elmia Wood international forestry fair.
The company imports this ancient diesel engine and claims it has an important role to fill in modern society. The engine is namely a fuel omnivore and functions splendidly on vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil or recycled deep-frying oil.
The engine comes in six sizes, with one or two cylinders and produces from six to twenty horsepower. The smallest version consumes a mere 1.4 litres of fuel per hour and thanks to its heavy flywheel it has a substantial torque.
The engine is for stationary use and chugs along at a modest 650 revs a minute. Every piston stroke is audible.
So what can it be used for? Some examples are pumping water or operating small sawmills and planing machines via a driving belt, just as in times gone by.
Once upon a time, Rudolf Diesel created an engine that could run on vegetable oils and that in many ways resembles its newly manufactured successor now on show at Elmia Wood. Old technology has come into favour again, and can make valuable contributions in a world that runs on bioenergy.