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).
Arguments for a specific engine design, focusing on fuel injection and gearing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\2\ img071 | |
| Date | 7th March 1940 | |
| Serial No 8 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} page 4 OY 8/D/Mar 7 40 General arrangement of engine is shown in Fig. 2.Please don't re-gard this as anything but a very rough indication. Rip. gave us several arguments for it: It is the cheapest engine they know to build It is light, for a water-cooled engine It is the only valveless 2-cycle they know that works It can obviously be "dieselled" It is in balance angularly by virtue of the true action of the slipper rods, and in the primaries by reason of the balance weights. Injection S.D.Heron had suggested that special injectors would be needed for working on lighter fuel for spark injection engines. Rip. said he was sure the Diesel injector would work on ord-inary gasoline if required. They have run the G.M. Diesel injector on gasoline for long periods without trouble. (Incidentally we learnt yesterday that, whereas the bores for the plungers in the G.M. diesel injectors are lapped on C.I. laps, the American Bosch use small Micromatic hones. Do you want to learn more about these?) Rip. suggested that a true metering carburetter under pressure like the new Stromberg injection type might be used between super-charger and intake for digesting heavier fuel. Did not know wheth-er it would work with the proposed standard "safety fuel". Gears G.M. are designing epicyclic reduction gears for Allison in conn-ection with the use of a 24 cylinder engine centrally located in a plane, driving two props., one on either wing. They are working with Gleason on forged aluminum bevel gears, for minor drives, made in 14S. These are spiral bevels. Have done some work on ground helical gears for Roots blowers, but find the efforts of Detroit Gear Grinding Co. hopelessly inacc-urate, and have reverted for the moment to cast iron gears. Are working with Drummond of Nat'l Broach on shaving spur and helical gears with adequate barrel to prevent end bearing. Copy to: J.M.Lessels OY | ||