Rudolf Diesel. Portrait of Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913), German engineer. Diesel was a brilliant student, graduating with the highest- ever marks from the Munich Technical University. In the 1890s he experimented with internal combustion engines. His design used the heat generated in compressing air in a cylinder to ignite a fuel mixture without needing a spark. The engine was heavy, but safe and efficient. The engine was first exhibited at the Munich Exhibition of 1898. It found uses in ships and locomotives, making Diesel a millionaire. He probably committed suicide, disappearing overboard from a ship. Photographed in 1895.