Is there an ICE that can use either gasoline or diesel?

[CostasV]

It is just a discussion that I have with a friend.

Can it be an internal combustion engine that, perhaps with some minor modifications like turning on or off swithces, burns gasoline or diesel?

I guess not. At least I don't know of any engine that is widely used.

But could it be possible to built such an engine? Or the way that each fuel burns (pressure and temperature for ignition) makes it immpossible?

Regards,
Costas

 

[TheBlacksmith]

Several manufacturers offer bi-fuel diesel and natural gas. They usually start on diesel then transition to mostly natural gas, using about 5% diesel as an ignition source for the natural gas. Check out the Fairbanks Morse Engine website, they have a good article on one of these.

 

[Rob45]

All that is required for an SI engine to also run fairly ell on diesel fuel, kerosene, heating oil,and other such low-octane fuels is that the compression ratio be fairly low, around 7:1 or perhaps a bit less.
Then spark knock won't be a problem.

Not only tractors, but during WWII, there were conversion kits around for automobiles.
Diesel fuel being readily available to farmers.

 

[karlbamforth]

A couple of years ago I saw Mid-West demonstrate a rotary engine that ran on either diesel or Avgas.
The engine origionally ran on gasoline but with the current enthusiasm for diesel powered aircraft engines they were trying to convert it.
The only way to get it started was using gasoline then changing over to diesel, so although it would run on either I guess it was by default rather than design.

Karl