That 30:1 has got to be low power right?

Yes.  Diesels are really interesting animals.  Completely different theory than gas engines.  There is no air throttle . . . the engine operates "wide-open" all the time.  Power control is determined by how much fuel you inject into the cylinder, from just enough to keep the engine idling (30:1, 40:1 ... I'm really not sure how high they go before the engine stops) all the way to a little rich of stoichiometric for full power.  You don't have to worry about having a combustible mixture since the fuel ignites immediately upon injection.  This is due to the pressure and temperature of the air in the cylinder.  Wild stuff.  Since they flow so much air, you need very large air system components.

Their downfall for aircraft use has always been the weight of the structure needed to reliably generate the required compression.  Diesel blocks are STOUT!!
Rick Price

 
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