Draft:Museum of Engines and Mechanisms

Museum of Engines and Mechanisms

The Museum of Engines and Mechanisms
One of the exhibit areas of the Museum
Established	September 16, 2011 (2011-09-16)
Location	Italy, Palermo
Type	Science and technology museum
Collections	Engines and technical-scientific instrumentation
Founder	Dr. Giuseppe Genchi, with the contribution of the technician Beniamino Drago and Prof. Riccardo Monastero
Owner	University of Palermo
Website	www.museomotori.unipa.it

‘’’Museum of Engines and Mechanisms’’’ is an Italian academic museum that is part of the Museum Systemof the University of Palermo.

Inaugurated on 25th February 2011, it houses a vast collection of engines and industrial, scientific, and educational equipment, acquired and used in various research and teaching sectors starting from the second half of the 19th century.

In line with the recommendations of ICOM the Museum of Engines carries out research, restoration and dissemination activities through exhibitions, seminars, workshops and educational activities, also promoting numerous cultural initiatives in collaboration with other museums, institutions and associations within the development policy promoted by the University of Palermo.

On May 31, 2017, the museum received the prestigious international recognition "Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collection" awarded by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), for its historical, technical, and collecting significance.

The museum was conceived and created by the Dr.Giuseppe Genchi, with the support of technician Beniamino Drago and Prof. Riccardo Monastero. It is located within the academic campus of the University of Palermo, and it is part of the University Museum System, which has the task of promoting, the conversation, enrichment and enjoyment of the historical and scientific heritage of the University of Palermo.

The history of collection

One of the museum spaces in 2008, with some artifacts, before the restoration and musealization of the collection

The Museum houses a vast collection of engines and industrial, scientific, and educational equipment, acquired and used in various research and teaching sectors starting from the second half of the 19th century, with the establishment in 1866 of the Royal Application School for Engineers and Architects at the University of Palermo. Thanks to its numerous items, the museum’s collection showcases the evolution of fluid machinery, as well as the studies connected to it, in many fields of practical application, from steam engines up to turbojet engines, as well as modern hybrid system. The collection is continuously enhanced by means of donations and cooperation agreements with many institutions and companies, as well as through the restoration activities carried out at the laboratory of the Museum. Despite the technical subject and the academic environment in which it was created, the Museum exhibit is realised to make the collection available even by non-experts, offering different levels of detail, from the historical, economic and, in certain cases, even sporting context up to a wide illustration of original drawings and various technical information.

Stationary engines

The stationary engines exhibition area

Steam engines can be seen as the first modern machines used for energy transformation. From the second half of the 18th century onward, they played a crucial role in the First Industrial Revolution and the rapid scientific and technological advancements that defined the 19th century. Their application in the manufacturing of raw materials, consumer goods, and later in transportation and electricity generation, had profound and irreversible effects, marking the shift from a predominantly agricultural, artisanal, and commercial society to a modern industrial system. At the Royal Application School for Engineers and Architects in Palermo, the first studies on steam engines date back to the mid-1800s, as evidenced by the oldest stationary machines and scientific instruments preserved in the museum. The stationary engines exhibit also includes various hydraulic machines, such as Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton turbines, illustrating their importance on the evolution of fluid machinery technology throughout history.

Automotive engines

The automotive engines exhibition area

The Museum houses a collection of automotive engines of various types, designed for different applications. Most of these engines were acquired for research and educational purposes. Over the years, they have gradually been replaced by more modern units currently in use at the Engine Laboratory of the University of Palermo. The engines on display highlights significant advancements in many field of technology. For instance, the contrast between the 1929 Isotta Fraschini 8A—a 7.4-liter, 8-cylinder engine producing 115 hp—and the 2009 Ford EcoBoost, a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine delivering the same power, underscores the progress in engine design, efficiency and materials.The collection also includes rare and valuable engines, such as that of the FIAT 8V, FIAT-Ferrari Dinos, the modern Ferrari 430, and the Lamborghini Aventador. Additionally, it features motorcycle and truck engines, with notable examples like the Lancia-Junkers Tipo 89 and various experimental prototypes.

Aircraft engines

World War I aircraft engines

The museum houses a collection of aircraft engines that stands out for its rarity, historical significance, and collectible value. Some of these engines date back to the early days of aviation, including rotary radial engines.Some of the older engines come from Germany and were part of a batch of technical materials transferred to Italy for research purposes at the end of the First World War.Of the same period dates back a French "Le Rhône" 9Jby rotary engine and a rare Siemens-Halske Sh.IIIa counter-rotary engine, which represents the final evolution of rotary radial engines. The collection also includes various engines from the 1920s and 1930s, produced in Italy for training and general aviation aircraft, as well as large engines from World War II, such as the FIAT A.74, FIAT A.80, and Daimler-Benz DB 605, used in German and Italian fighter planes, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109, FIAT G.55, Reggiane Re.2005, and Macchi C.205V. Finally, the collection features an entire section dedicated to turbojet engines from 1940s up to 1980s, realized in cooperation with Italian Air Force.

Marine engines

Marine engines section of the museum

Thanks to the variety of its exhibits, the marine engine section offers visitors a glimpse into the evolutionary journey of marine engines, from steam engines to modern two-stroke diesel engines still in use on large ships. The oldest piece is a compound steam engine from the late 19th century, followed by some of the older FIAT's Grandi Motori division engines survived today: the 6-inline cylinder FIAT S6185 (1908) and the 2 C.116 engine. The latter was the FIAT’s first two-stroke diesel engine, built in 1909. The unit on display was used as the portside engine in the Regia Marina's submarine Medusa, which was sunk in 1915 during World War I. The collection also includes some scale models such as that of the FIAT 1060S (1968), which was the largest marine engine made by FIAT.

Historic aircraft FIAT G.59 4B

The historic Fiat G.59 4B aircraft displayed in a specially designed case

The museum's collection includes two significant aircraft: the Lockheed F-104S ASA-M, displayed at the academic campus of the University of Palermo, and one of the only five FIAT G.59 survived, which is displayed in a dedicated area of the museum. The FIAT G.59 was one of the last high-performance aircraft equipped with a piston engine and is considered a symbol of the post-war revival of the Italian aeronautical industry. Designed by renowned Italian aeronautical engineer Giuseppe Gabrielli, it was developed from the FIAT G.55 Centauro, one of the best Italian fighter aircraft of World War II. FIAT produced the G.59 in the early 1950s, manufacturing more than 180 units, primarily for use by the Italian Air Force as advanced trainer aircraft.Powered by a 1,660 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine (model 500-20), the aircraft could reach a top speed of 609 km/h at an altitude of 6,400 meters and a maximum ceiling of 12,100 meters. The museum's FIAT G.59 4B is a two-seater model (Figs. 4.1 and 4.2) that remained in service with the Italian Air Force until 1964. It was then acquired for educational purposes by the former Institute of Aeronautics at the University of Palermo. In 2013, the aircraft underwent an extensive restoration in the museum’s workshop.

Didactic mechanisms and technical equipment

Didactic mechanisms and technical equipment

The museum holds a valuable collection of educational mechanical models dating back to the second half of the 19th century. This collection features over one hundred metal and wooden models that represent elementary machines, mechanisms, and devices designed to illustrate the coupling profiles between mechanical elements. These models were originally part of the Applied Mechanics Cabinet of the Royal School of Engineering in Palermo, established in 1866. Today, some of these model are still used as effective teaching tools for demonstrating key principles of mechanics. Additionally, the museum houses a collection of historic scientific instruments used for studying engines, such as measuring devices and various type of engine test bench brakes.

ASME Landmark

The ASME Landmark plague of the Museum of Engines.

On May 31, 2017, for its historical, technical, and collectible significance the museum was the first Italian collection to be awarded "Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collection", the prestigious recognition assigned by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), within the framework of its History and Heritage Landmarks Program launched in 1971.

Bibliography

• Genchi, Giuseppe (2016). Il Museo Storico dei Motori e dei Meccanismi dell’Università di Palermo. “Scuola Officina”, N.1. pp. 16-21 (PDF)
• Sorge, Francesco; Genchi, Giuseppe (2016). Essays on the History of Mechanical Engineering. Springer, Dordrecht, 2016, Essays on the History of Mechanical Engineering
• ASME. (2017) The Collection of Engines at the Museum of Engines and Mechanisms University of Palermo. (PDF).
• Lawler, Andrew (2011). Genchi's Obsession - A grad student in Italy salvage Germany's rarest World War I airplane engines. AIR&SPACE Smithsonian.
• Chifari, Roberto (2017). Palermo, Il museo ingrana la quarta, in "Corriere del Mezzogiorno".(PDF)
• Giaramidaro, Nino (2011). I vecchi motori? Hanno un'anima, in "Giornale di Sicilia". (PDF)
• Monastero, Riccardo; Genchi, Giuseppe (2010). Macchine. Energia e Storia in Aldo Gerbino (a cura di). "Plumelia. Almanacco di cultura/e: Organismi – Il sistema Museale dell’Università di Palermo". Plumelia Edizioni, Bagheria. pp. 146-152.
• (a cura di) Gerbino, Aldo, "Plumelia. Almanacco di cultura/e: Organismi – Il sistema Museale dell’Università di Palermo", Plumelia Edizioni, Bagheria, 2012
• De Montis, Marco; Genchi, Giuseppe (2012). Cilindri nel vento - La strana e breve storia dei motori rotativi. "Autotecnica", N.377. pp. 80-90 (PDF)
• Genchi, Giuseppe; Sorge, Francesco (2012). The Rotary Aero Engine from 1908 to 1918 in Teun Koetsier. Marco Ceccarelli (Editors). "Explorations in the history of machines and mechanisms. Proceedings of HMM2012". Springer, Dordrecht. pp. 349-362
• von Gersdorff, Kyrill; Schubert, Helmut; Grasmann,Kurt (2007). Flugmotoren und Strahltriebwerke. Bernard und Graefe. Bonn.
• (a cura di) La Mantia, Francesco (2006).Contributi per una storia della Facoltà di Ingegneria di Palermo. Vol. 1 e 2. Edizioni Fotograf. Palermo.
• Filippi, Federico (1983). Dall’elica al getto. EDA. Torino.