Matthew Hancock

Project Title 

Degradation in working historical Engines 

Background & Summary of Project

This project will focus on the science behind long-term care of industrial historic objects that have exceeded their anticipated service life, established during the engineering design process. These working objects exist but need to be kept running to ensure the full functionality of the object is conserved and the object can be displayed in context. This creates a dichotomy between this and pure preservation, where the object is saved as a reference shell for display, or is of historical importance where running the object would become unethical or impractical. The project does not intend to explore the ethics of running verses static in detail, but instead will examine the failure mechanisms and ways in which these objects do go wrong and are damaged; attempting to quantify the science behind this damage and degradation.  This project will cover moving machinery, vehicles used infrequently, thus focusing on engines. In particular, the corrosion mechanisms present within the engine created by the contamination and the long-term effect of additives in protective coatings, such as lubricants and oils, as these mechanisms appear to be complex and presently poorly investigated. 

Partners

• The Tank Museum
• Royal Armouries

Contact

Email: matthew.hancock@ucl.ac.uk