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 from Wright Aeronautical Corporation regarding Conqueror engine performance with Prestone coolant and Stellite exhaust valve issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 173\3\ img214 | |
| Date | 26th July 1934 | |
| Handwritten Top: .R.H.E Please note & return R.A.R WRIGHT AERONAUTICAL CORPORATION PATERSON, N. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} U. S. A.{Mr Adams} VICE-PRESIDENT July 26, 1934. Mr. W. A.{Mr Adams} Robotham, Rolls-Royce Ltd., Derby, England. Re: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/KW. Dear Mr. Robotham: I have just discovered a letter of <strikethrough>yours</strikethrough> dated April 18th; apparently it was lost in the shuffle of papers on someone's desk and has not been answered. Please accept my sincere apologies for this oversight. I am enclosing a couple of curves on the Conqueror engine showing the heat rejection on the Prestone engine. Also information on the Prestone flow temperatures, and the performance curves on the engine. Apparently about 38% of the b.hp is rejected to Prestone and about 55% to the water when the two liquids are used respectively. The pump delivers 80 to 90 gallons of water per minute but only 60 to 75 gallons per minute of Prestone. We make no change in the pump when using Prestone. The temperature rise, you will note, is about 15° F.{Mr Friese} when using Prestone. We are using Chrome-Molybdenum steel exhaust valve seat inserts in the Conqueror engine but the inserts have a Stellited seating. We have not by any means licked the problem of exhaust valves when running on tetraethyl lead gasoline. I think that we have the same trouble which you mention in your letter — that the results are inconsistent. We find that very careful inspection of the Stellite on the valves helps to decrease the number of failures. We use binocular microscope after etching and find that by lapping in the valves and making another inspection that cracks can be discovered in the Stellite that would not be discovered after etching alone. I am leaving on August 1st for a trip abroad and hope to be able to visit your Works at which time I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss these difficulties with you in more complete detail. Very truly yours, WRIGHT AERONAUTICAL CORPORATION Arthur Nutt (Signature) Arthur Nutt, Vice President of Engineering. Handwritten bottom left: I am writing contact our welding technician re Stellite. have you had [illegible] eliminated + he has had some [illegible]. have you tried in etching + the fact that we need a new microscope. Thanks - TMC. AN:I Encls. "USE THE AIR MAIL" | ||