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).
Tests conducted on a leading edge condenser.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\3\ img393 | |
| Date | 28th March 1933 guessed | |
| TESTS ON LEADING EDGE CONDENSER. CONDENSER. The double skin condenser made of stainless steel (D.T.D.39 - 30 S.W.G.) occupies all the leading edge profile and part of the wing surface on the top side. The section tested was 10.5 sq.ft. In plan view the condenser extends 22" back from the main spar where the leading edge begins and 7" on the top and bottom side of the leading edge. A gap of .125" between the skins was allowed for steam space. The condenser 3ft. 6ins. long, was mounted for test on the Installation Hangar as per attached sketch. TEST CONDITIONS It was necessary to introduce a radiator in the circuit owing to the small section of condenser to be tested. The radiator was blanked sufficiently to keep the wing condenser just full of steam. A second separator tank was introduced in the steam line to condenser because on the preliminary tests it was found that a certain amount of water was being carried to the condenser with the steam thereby giving a false reading in quantity of condensate. The engine (No.93 M.S.) was run at full throttle developing 585 BHP. at 2250 R.P.M. All temperatures were allowed to become stable before condensate flows were checked. Other leading particulars given in the appendix. The airspeed was measured, at different points along a line 6" in front of the leading edge, (the airspeed indicator being previously calibrated against a water u-tube and afterwards checked in the wind tunnel.) The airspeed was also checked at different points over the condenser surface using a small movable pitot head. The speeds corresponded approximately to streamline flow over an aerofoil section. TEST RESULTS. As it was thought that the figures obtained for the cooling by measuring the condensate were rather high a 6" section was made up and tested in an air jet using super-heated steam (105°C). This section was made up in two parts, a nose of 7" chord (plan view) and a separate surface behind the nose of 22" chord. The cooling per unit area of the rear portion was measured both with the nose hot and with the nose cold, the results were 75% and 83% respectively of the cooling per unit area over the nose. The total cooling per unit area | ||