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).
Investigation into the cause of explosions in silencers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 1\3\ B001_X 93-page71 | |
| Date | 10th October 1926 | |
| To OY. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X93 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG6.10.26. EXPLOSIONS IN SILENCER. X93 X8230 In reply to OY8/E9.17.26. We are very interested indeed in your report on explosions in the silencer. We shall be interested to hear whether you continue to have success with the throttle set so that it cannot close. Below is a few notes in connection with your report :- Tests we have carried out with the throttle set slightly open do not show any improvement on the standard method viz: allowing the throttle to fully close. It would probably be ax found that, were your Phantom test car reverted back to standard governor control, explosions would be no more conspicuous than with the throttle set slightly open. We agree that the complaint is variable in different cars but for various reasons viz: air leaks in the induction system, strength of low speed jet setting, quality of throttle jet, stiffness in, or maladjustment of throttle and governor controls, and probably grade of petrol used. With regard to other makes of car being apparently immune from this trouble. We find the reason is traceable to less sensitive carburation at low speeds than on our cars. Our opinion is that any engine can be made to produce explosions if the correct mixture be supplied: explosions in the silencer are the first attempt at firing small charges at relatively high engine speeds. contd :- | ||