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).
Radiator and electrical equipment failures and developments.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 135\2\ scan0208 | |
| Date | 14th August 1940 | |
| - 3 - Radiators. The radiator centrally mounted scheme to FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies}489 has been fitted to 11-B-V and has proved satisfactory for front eng shakes. This should go on to production. The standard of cooling on B.80 radiators is near the critical mark, and further tests are required. On 1-R-1 car it was decided that with movable radiator shutters an MK.III Matrix could be used, but with fixed shutters an MK.IV is required. Although the MK.III Matrix is the cheaper of the two, it is a question of whether this balances out the increased cost of having movable shutters. Separate reports on the cooling system have been issued by Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Col. under the headings of Cooling System Development, and Standard of Cooling on 4-R-1. The radiator of 9-B-V has given us a lot of trouble due to leaks from soldered joints, and finally reached a stage when it lost one gallon of water per day. This was a specially built radiator with the strapping deleted. The Matrix was held in the yoke by side plates sweated to the Matrix. This is considered to be the cause of the radiator failure. It has been replaced by a standard production B.V. radiator. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. On 1-R-1 and 8-B-V cars the main battery cables fitted on the under side of the cross in the frame, have been damaged in service. These have now been refitted to a scheme by Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/RC{R. Childs}, and this is being followed up with the Drawing Office. R.R. coil N.50 failed on 11-B-V after 19,805 miles. Examination showed that exceptional charring of the windings had taken place. This was due to the high tension winding which is normally held secure by an insulated steel spring washer, working loose with vibration, thereby fracturing the connection between this winding and the terminal; the resultant internal arcing causing the charring of the windings mentioned above. This failure has occurred several times, and the trouble was taken up with Production just previous to the War with a view to impregnation with Elison's "Compound" which had proved satisfactory under test. Delco coil failed on 1-B-50 after 11,435 miles. This failed due to internal sparking between primary and secondary winding. This is a known trouble. -continued- | ||