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).
Solutions for poor fuel/air distribution at low temperature and high altitude, proposing methods to heat the air intake.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\2July1928-December1928\ Scan259 | |
| Date | 12th December 1928 | |
| FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} R1/M12.12.28. (This memo. was taken by R.{Sir Henry Royce} to Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence, and has today (27.12.) reached WW.) X4453/3933 X4459 BAD DISTRIBUTION AT LOW TEMPERATURE AND HIGH ALTITUDE. There is not the slightest doubt that the supercharger should be of the highest possible efficiency - i.e. not purposely lower the efficiency for the sake of distribution. We ought to test firstly heating the carburetter, secondly heating the air going to the carburetter, and thirdly the carburetter between the blower and the engine. We ought to decide definitely whether it is pools of petrol deposited in the passages, (which would give intermittently irregular carburation), or a steady wet mixture. I suggest as a means of heating the air that the retractable radiator which is in the fuselage should be used to heat the air going to the carburetter. Assuming an air inlet on the lines of our Schneider Cup scheme is it possible that the radiator could be drawn into the air passage through a slot in the bottom of the air inlet. This scheme would have the advantage of being somewhat automatic. Increase of altitude demands less exposed radiator and more heat to the air. Cruising at high altitude would require less exposed radiator, and any increase in the air temperature would be no disadvantage. An alternative way is to put some form of radiator in the air inlet specially for heating the air with some form of control - automatic by thermostat, or by hand. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||