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).
Use of electrical petrol pumps versus mechanical ones, citing fire risk and reliability concerns.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\2\ Scan060 | |
Date | 9th November 1931 | |
HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} x2677. R3/M9.11.31. X2677. C. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} ELECTRICAL PETROL PUMPS. You will remember that I did not encourage the use of these as I considered they were quite unnecessary, and undesirable from many points of view, because we can get mechanical motion directly, and more reliably, from the engine. We think the risk of fire on a car is so great that we have always endeavoured to keep electrical apparatus clear of the petrol, but in this particular scheme the inventors seem to go out of their way to mix up the two, and increase not only the fire risk but also reduce the reliability. For many reasons we should be pleased to depart from the autovac with its bulk and especially its effect on the induction system, but we do not think that the electrical pump is the way to do so. We are not quite sure what the objection to the mechanical pump is, and think we ought to persevere with this until we have proved that it has failings which cannot be overcome. We do think it is worth while testing a substantial air chamber both on the suction and delivery sides close to the pump as in our latest designs, and also the positive mechanical motion instead of the spring to make the mechanism follow the cam. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||