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).
Potential fire hazard from carburettor back-fires on the Phantom III and the need for a flame trap.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 93\2\ scan0111 | |
| Date | 11th October 1935 | |
| To BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Copy to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Whyman +308 E/PSN.4/MN.11.10.35. Phantom III. First Twelve Production Chassis. Carburetters. We send you herewith LeC 4754 of a gauze flame trap in the air silencer, which is intended to prevent a back fire igniting the gas which may exist in the resonance chamber due to evaporation from the float chamber. We should be pleased if Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wyman would do some tests as soon as possible to find out exactly what danger exists due to having the resonance chamber connected to the float chamber and liable to contain an explosive mixture of petrol vapour and air. We feel doubtful whether the gauze flame trap, which we have instructed, would be adequate to prevent a back-fire igniting this explosive mixture in the resonance chamber. Another unpleasant possibility which presents itself is that the felt in the air silencer can become soaked with petrol condensed in the resonance chamber, and could be set on fire by a back-fire. Under these circumstances we really feel that adequate protection can only be provided by a flame trap at the entrance to the carburetter air intake. We are looking into the possibility of fitting one, and in the meantime should like you to investigate the actual magnitude of the danger which we think may exist. E/PSN. Att: LeC.4754. | ||