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).
Request for engine performance data regarding the effect of fuel anti-knock values on b.m.e.p. for a paper.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan198 | |
| Date | 4th September 1933 | |
| CABLEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, LONDON. TELEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, CHURTON. ETHYL EXPORT CORPORATION incorporated in the State of Delaware, U.S.A. with limited liability. ABFORD HOUSE, VICTORIA LONDON, S.W.1 Telephone: VICTORIA 5520 Head Office: 135 EAST 42ND STREET NEW YORK, U.S.A PERSONAL. 4th September, 1933. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Esq., Rolls Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, I am writing a paper to be read before the Royal Aeronautical Society during the coming "silly season". This paper will be an endeavour to deal with the question of Ethyl fuels in a fairly comprehensive manner. If I can get agreement from my Corporation, I shall mention the general troubles and methods of effecting their cure when using "leaded" fuels on high output engines. I have also included general information on such subjects as Stelliting, etc. I wanted to know whether you had any curves you could let me have showing the effect of raising the anti-knock value on the b.m.e.p. of an aero engine. For instance, I think I am correct in assuming that a blown Kestrel engine (I cannot remember the particular type), will be rated at about 480-500 b.h.p. at 11,500 ft and in any case can only give this power when using D.T.D. 134 of 75.5-76 Octane. Now if a fuel of about 90 Octane is used, i.e. D.T.D. 134 plus about 4 or 5 c.c.'s of "lead" you can obtain full throttle operation and the engine will develop roughly 900 b.h.p. at 2150 What I really want is two other points between these two points mentioned to get some idea of the relationship between Octane number and b.m.e.p. I am enclosing herewith a small copy of a curve taken at the Wright Corporation's works in America, on, I believe, an air-cooled Cyclone engine. You will note that I have pencilled in the two points and connected them with a line which I think is a fair estimation of the results obtained on your engines, but I would like to be a little more definite before I put it in my paper. I was wondering whether you could get Lovesey to dig me up something. I would, naturally, make due acknowledgments in my paper to any "dope" received from you, or if you do not wish the firm mentioned, I would simply quote the curve as obtained from a "well-known British water cooled aero engine manufacturer" etc. [Handwritten note in centre] LOV{Mr Lovesey} See me Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} [Handwritten note next to b.h.p. figure] 720 | ||