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).
Advantages and disadvantages of fitting thermostatically controlled radiator shutters as an alternative to hand control.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\March1929-December1929\ Scan132 | |
| Date | 27th May 1929 | |
| SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} } FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} SECRET. ORIGINAL R1/M27.5.29. Copy to Mr. Fuller. [Struck through: GY. WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}] [Struck through: G.M.] 'SS{S. Smith}' AND 'JAPAN' RADIATOR SHUTTERS. [Handwritten: X5230 X 3499] [Handwritten: X7230] We intend shortly to have these again fitted with thermostatically controlled shutters as an alternative to the hand control. We think however that this feature is not one of the most urgent, as the scheme has a disadvantage that it cannot anticipate. For instance, in summer weather when the water, engine, and whole car, gets overheated, it would be better to open the shutters from the very commencement of running, whereas in winter the engine should be kept at the highest possible temperature consistent with non-boiling, for which we now have a safety indicator. There are also several climatic conditions and positions in which the automatic thermostat control is not ideal, but considering the careless stupidity of many drivers, also the advantage of keeping the engine room as warm as possible in winter and so avoiding the necessity of excessive heat to the throttle and carburetter, the disadvantage attending exhaust heating, and the objection to the valve in the exhaust pipe, I do agree that thermostatically controlled cooling has advantages which outweigh its disadvantages, and it is probable that we shall arrange it so that the control, as regards cooling, can be hand opened in spite of the thermostat control, in case this has failed, or is unsuitable for the conditions prevailing. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||