Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
To Mr. Robotham with questions following a presentation by Mr. Taub on carburation and engine design.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 142\1\  scan0122
Date  14th March 1938
  
14.3.38.

Mr. Robotham.

I have seldom listened to a paper which has conveyed information in such a compact form. I think perhaps we are likely to feel resentful that Mr. Taub has been able to come over from America and throw so much light on carburation, but I do not think there is any justification for such feelings really - we ought to be grateful to him for doing a lot of very hard work on our behalf.

I believe when he first came over he had great difficulty in getting the right electrical equipment to cope with wide plug gaps, and as he has clearly pointed out this evening he has done an enormous amount of work on carburetters. I have learned a great deal.

There are one or two difficulties which we run into and points which I should like to raise.

When he has got his carburetter set for maximum fuel economy, how does he get on when the owner of the car tours ? Can he get a super economy setting which will not cause flat spots with Discol and other fuels which contain a large percentage of alcohol ? Has he any hopes of improving fuel consumption by improving the mechanical efficiency ? When you get down to very small throttle openings the amount of work required to turn the engine over is very nearly as great as that necessary to drive the car. We have measured appreciable differences in the H.P. absorbed by different types of piston, and there are other things such as bearings. Has he any hope for the future in this direction ? If so, to what extent ?

He has not talked a great deal about combustion chamber design, but I believe on this subject he is one of the three great authorities in the World. Does he really believe that the in-line push rod overhead valve
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙