Hi Mr. Tarver,

Diesel engines cannot "detonate". The term "detonation" applies
to
preignition of part of the charge before ignition or before the
flamefront has reached that portion of the charge.

Detonation refers to more energy being imparted to the fuel air
mixture by
compression heating than can be absorbed without igniting the
fuel.

On a diesel, the fuel is not there until the very moment when it is
supposed to ignite. You cannot ignite pure air, no matter how much
energy you impart on it.

In a turbine engine what you write is true, but you are going to have
to
educate me as to the process further to make me believe.

What exactly is it you don't understand? You surely are aware, that a
diesel engine will intake pure air, compress it (much further than a
gasoline engine compresses the mixture - temperatures get really hot
just from the adiabatic compression), and then injects the fuel into
the compressed (and hot!) air, where it immediately ignites due to the
high temperature of the compressed air. Thus my comment, that the fuel
cannot preignite, as it is not there prior to the time it is supposed
to ignite. No preignition - no detonation.

Note that not all
diesels are the same and I believe I have heard detonation in diesel
engines
on starting fluid.

Now that's a different question, of course. As starting fluid is mixed
with the intake air, it will (on a diesel) ignite at a time of it's
choosing, when the compressed air is just hot enough.

But this has nothing to do with the question of detonation during
regular operation of a diesel engine on jetfuel.

Detonation damages rod bearings and is a serious problem over the
long
term
in reciprocating engines.

Detonation can do much more than that, serious detonation can kill
an
engine within seconds. I have personally seen melted pistons after
such
an event. But still detonation is only possible in spark ignition
engines, or to be more precise, in engines with external mixture
building.

I don't buy it.

You do now?

regards,
Friedrich

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