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).
Further radiator, fan, and cowl tests conducted at Brooklands on the Ph.III car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 155\1\ scan0255 | |
| Date | 4th September 1936 | |
| X1320 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Dy.{F R Danby} c. to Hx. 9. Ha/Std.3/JH.4.9.36; Report on Further Radiator Tests at Brooklands. A number of further tests have been carried out at Brooklands tract to determine the effect on the cooling of the Ph.III car of various fans and cowls. The cowls tested were. (1) A rectangular cowl projecting 4" from matrix and of same dimensions, as shell. (2) A cowl enclosing the space between the matrix edges, and the fan, surrounding the fan blades with 1/4" tip clearance. The fans tested were. (1) Standard fan. (2) A standard fan with four blades modified to copy the Cadillac blade shape and pitch. (3) The rigid Cadillac fan off the Cadillac car. Two different fan speed ratios were also tried. The standard one of .89/1 and one of 1.125/1, i.e. 25% increased in speed). The effect of a 1/2" wire mesh in front of the matrix was tested (with a view to using this mesh to cover the offending cross members in front of the yoke) and the effect of running without any bonnet fitted was also tried. The only test which could be done satisfactory with the higher fan speed ratio was the 40 M.P.H. full throttle one, as the fan belt rapidly disintegrated at high engine speed. It stretched and frayed very rapidly. Even with the standard speed ratio a good deal of stretch took place at high speed, when driving the two Cadillac type fans, which presumably require more power than our standard fan. | ||