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).
Comparison of electric motor drive versus petrol engine drive for a gearbox and rear axle test rig.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 155\3\ scan0018 | |
| Date | 7th May 1935 guessed | |
| -2- Details of Equipment. (1) & (5) The attached prints Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1946/7 show alternative suggestions for a test rig suitable for both gearboxes and rear axles. The first scheme Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1946 has electric motor drive, the second, petrol engine drive. The features of the first scheme as opposed to the second are :- (1) Quieter than petrol engines. (2) Very much easier control. (3) More reliable. (4) Less power wasted as the power absorbed by the generator can be fed back to the motor. (5a) Less space occupied. (6) Probably more expensive. Electric motors are stated to be more reliable because for rig work involving a lot of slow running, petrol engines give an enormous amount of trouble by sooting up plugs, etc. The arrangement of remote controls in the case of the petrol drive will be a difficult problem, whereas this will not occur with the electric drive. The cost of the motor generator set is not entirely against the electric drive, as the small rigs will require variable speed electric drive and the motor generator set will be able to supply them with D.C. It is very unlikely that the small rigs will be running at the same time as max. power is required by the large rigs, so that they will not increase the size of the converting set. If the test house is situated in No.3 shop when the Experimental Dept. take over this section, a separate motor generator set will be unnecessary as the present proposal is to install one large set capable of supplying all requirements. | ||