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).
Battery overcharging issues, vibrator regulators, and the development of a 6-volt auto switch unit.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\R\2December1927-February1928\ Scan162 | |
| Date | 9th February 1928 | |
| EFC2/T9.2.28. -7- Contd. (3) Although the unit obviously must be an advantage in reducing overcharging troubles, loss of electrolyte, etc. it would appear that a considerable amount of time must elapse (as it always must in comparison of batteries) before it can be said with certainty that the utilisation of such a unit does not introduce any disadvantage, e.g. the possibility of the battery gradually losing ground in its state of charge, resulting in loss of capacity, the imagined condition being an alteration in the elements in such a way that the battery would charge and run up to a high voltage quickly, without actually storing its full capacity. We do not think such a state of affairs is likely, but that is the possibility that has been at the back of our minds in the use of such an instrument. We do not think we can know anything in this direction from the U.S.A. experience of vibrator regulators and so on, because for one thing batteries are not expected to last as long as ours, and the service system <strikethrough>renders</strikethrough> lends itself to much more frequent changes. We hope that our auto switch will enable batteries on RR. cars to last for perhaps double the time, and we have some amount of reason, though some slight doubts, for expecting this. We have received from Mr. Olley a request to provide the R.R. <strikethrough>Inc.</strikethrough><insert>U.S.A.</insert> with a unit of this type suitable for 6 volts. We are taking steps to have such a unit made up which will be wound as nearly as possible with a winding that in our judgement will be right without<insert>exptl.</insert> reference to the actual generator with which it is to be used. We think the shunt coil will be O.K. but possibly the resistance winding may have to be altered one gauge one way or the other. | ||