Project 074

Description: The standard method of measuring engine wear is to weigh a piston ring before and after a long period of running. A far less laborious procedure makes use of a radio-active piston ring; radiating particles worn from the ring circulate in the lubricating oil, and their abundance, which can be accurately measured, gives a practically instantaneous indication of engine wear. All this is explained in this film, and views of the Harwell atomic pile are also shown.