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).
Aircraft fuel system challenges, including fuel supply interruption during manoeuvres and pump gas locks.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61\3\ scan0117 | |
| Date | 6th October 1930 | |
| Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd. Date 6/10/30. Page 3 Further, great freedom of design is allowed as to where the tanks may be put, and they can practically be divided to any extent necessary to conform with the machine design requirements, and to minimise the risk of fuel loss in military action. Also it must be remembered that considerable forces act on the fuel in the conduits in fast machines during acceleration and manoeuvres; in many cases of a magnitude sufficient to break the liquid column in the fuel pipes, and cause a cessation of fuel supply to the engine with sometimes serious consequences. The majority of the fuel pumps in use on aero engines will not lift unless primed, and therefore when once filled with gas by reason of the column of fuel being broken (for instance, by centrifugal force during high speed turns, and of course conducted engine heat), the pump will not start working again owing to these gas locks for sometimes a considerable period. It is probably unnecessary to mention that in Seaplanes in which the fuel is carried in the floats, an installation of this pump in the float will obviate a great deal of the difficulty now experienced. It is hoped that the foregoing will be sufficient to generally describe the scheme. If the matter is of | ||