From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
C.I. engine experiments, opposed cylinder engines, and a proposed four-stroke bulb engine from Ricardo.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\4\ img068 | |
| Date | 20th April 1933 | |
| -2- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/W.1/MJ.20.4.33. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Effect of Temperature & Pressure of Induction Air on Output of C.I. Engines. The experiments on the Condor single Cylinder C.I. engine at various induction temperatures and pressures above and below atmosphere to determine the correction for air temperature and pressure in Type Tests of C.I. engines are now complete but it has been found impossible to formulate a correction and it is very doubtful whether an engine with a different type of combustion head would yield similar results. The reason may be that while changes in air temperature and pressure effect the volume of air drawn into the cylinder the power developed is not necessarily proportional to air quantity even when the ratio of fuel to air is maintained constant as is shown by supercharging experiments and will vary with the type of combustion chamber. Opposed Cylinder Engine. In discussing this form of engine Taylor mentioned that their experience at Farnborough on a four-stroke engine of this type showed that when the engine is used horizontally lubrication troubles became severe and he imagined that in two-stroke engines the difficulties would become even greater. VISIT TO RICARDO. Proposed Four-Stroke Bulb Engine. Ricardo is putting forward a proposal to the Air Ministry to build a single cylinder four stroke C.I. aero engine unit having a 'Comet' head. The engine design is not complete but it will probably have Kestrel bore and stroke and run at 2500 R.P.M. It is proposed to fit two inlet valves of the size at present used on the Kestrel and one exhaust valve having an area 1.6 times that of a single Kestrel exhaust valve. The throat plate lies within the liner circumference as in the H.R. two-stroke engine and the bulb is let into the cylinder head from the top. The estimated performance of the engine is 95 - 100 lbs/sq.in. B.M.E.P. at 2500 R.P.M. with specific consumption of about 0.40 lbs/BHP/Hr. The estimated specific weight is 2.2 lbs/BHP. It is probable that the engine will be supercharged. Ricardo now has twelve licensees of the 'Comet' head, three being British (Dorman, Crossly, and A.E.C.) and has a number of experimental engines running in his laboratory. | ||