DieselHouse
Encyclopedia
DieselHouse is an interactive exhibition on diesel technology
located on the grounds of the still operating H. C. Ørsted Power Station
in the South Docklands
of Copenhagen
, Denmark
. The exhibition is centred on a gigantic decommissioned Burmeister & Wain
disel engine which was the world's largest for more than 30 years.
and supplied Copenhagen with electricity. It remained in use during peak demand until the 1970s. During World War II
a resistance group
consisting of workers at the power station used the engine for hiding weapons. It is started up the first and third Sunday every month at 11 am and runs for 5 to 10 minutes. The museum also exhibits Burmeister & Wain's first diesel engine from 1904 with a modest 40 HP and a single cylinder. It is started up every Thursday at 2 pm.
The exhibition also offers a range of interactive activities.
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
located on the grounds of the still operating H. C. Ørsted Power Station
H. C. Ørsted Power Station
H. C. Ørsted Power Station is a natural gas fired combined heat and power station located at Enghave Brygge in the South Docklands of Copenhagen, Denmark...
in the South Docklands
Kongens Enghave
Kongens Enghave , also known as Sydhavnen , is a district in southern Copenhagen. The area has historically been one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Copenhagen, dissected by major transport corridors and characterized by social problems as well as industry along the harbour-front.Since the turn...
of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The exhibition is centred on a gigantic decommissioned Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it grew successfully into a strong company through the end...
disel engine which was the world's largest for more than 30 years.
History and premises
The result of a collaboration between Museum of Copenhagen and MAN Diesel, DieselHouse opened in a former machine hall at H. C. Ørsted Power Station in June 2006. The conversion of the building was undertaken by Gottlieb & Paludan Architects and has retained the machine hall’s basic structures but inserted three new storeys with exhibition space and a gallery that flanks the large diesel engine. The exhibition space and gallery have a terse modern design which contrasts with the industrial surroundings.Exhibition
The exhibition displays several diesel engines of different sizes. The largest of the engines, which was built in 1932 and remained the world's largest for more than 30 years, stands 12.5 meters tall and 24.5 meters wide and weighs 1,400 tons. It produces 22,500 HPHorsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
and supplied Copenhagen with electricity. It remained in use during peak demand until the 1970s. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a resistance group
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
consisting of workers at the power station used the engine for hiding weapons. It is started up the first and third Sunday every month at 11 am and runs for 5 to 10 minutes. The museum also exhibits Burmeister & Wain's first diesel engine from 1904 with a modest 40 HP and a single cylinder. It is started up every Thursday at 2 pm.
The exhibition also offers a range of interactive activities.