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).
Letter discussing gasoline distillation curves, fuel quality, and crankcase dilution.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 50\3\ Scan060 | |
| Date | 24th May 1921 | |
| X4305 Oys - C 24521 May 24, 1921 Mr. Claude Johnson, Managing Director, Rolls-Royce Ltd., London, England. Attention: Mr. Hives. Dear Sir:- Re:/Gasoline and Choker Scheme I enclose herewith original of distillation curves made by Mr. Allen, on which I have added the curve given by Mr. Hives for the low grade petrol with 10% kerosene mixture, and a curve showing the Federal gasoline specification which was adopted on November 25, 1919. I also recommend to Mr. Hives' attention page 365 of the S.A.E. Journal for April concerning the Third Semi-Annual Gasoline Survey, which illustrates a falling off of the quality of gasoline in summer months, and also the fact that although the starting points of distillation are keeping about in the same spot, the end-points are continually rising, hence the increasingly serious trouble from crankcase dilution, which every manufacturer is up against at the present time. Comparing the survey of 1921 with January, 1920, the average boiling point is the same. The initial boiling points are lower, but the 90% and end-points are higher. The average for January, 1921 agrees closely with the Sinclair curve on the chart. You will notice that all of the American gasolines show a considerable proportion of heavy ends as compared with the English mixture which we use, and compared with the Federal specification also. In order to reproduce American conditions, therefore, it probably would be necessary to add something in the nature of crude oil to the English petrol rather than kerosene. The heavy ends of several of these gasolines were dark brown liquids not showing an oily nature but refusing to boil at 400° F. {Mr Friese} and apparently full of some black substance in suspension. | ||