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).
Piston temperatures for different materials and engine types.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\3\ scan0037 | |
| Date | 6th September 1927 | |
| X1506 To Ps. from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}6/LG6.9.27 PISTON TEMPERATURES. X8040 With reference to your note in connection with the above which I am sorry I have been unable to answer owing to my being away. The temperature of an ordinary 4-cycle petrol engine piston varies between 220°C and 260°C for an aluminium piston, and 330°C / 380°C for a cast iron piston. This holds good for water or air cooled cylinders, or reasonable compression ratios that do not cause detonation, and most alloys of cast iron and aluminium. Unfortunately we have no very definite information as to the temperature attained by the Diesel engine pistons. We should say however that they cannot be very much higher than those in a normal petrol engine because aluminium pistons are used with marked success. Also the normal temperature cycle which we consider could be used at the present state of injection, would not permit of a very high maximum temperature to be attained. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||