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).
Engine over-heating issues, condenser tanks, and pressurized cooling systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\4\ Scan260 | |
| Date | 14th September 1925 | |
| contd :- -2- As an immediate difficulty is over-heating - this scheme would not help us very much. It is interesting to note that although this method of cooling has been known for years and has been pushed considerably in U.S.A., no car, that we know of yet, is using this method as standard. As regards the condenser tank which is fitted to a number of American cars. The object of this tank is to condense alcohol vapour. It is not expected to deal with steam. As you are aware, all cars in U.S.A. add alcohol to the water in Winter to prevent freezing. As the boiling temperature of alcohol is much lower than water, there is a great risk of all the alcohol being boiled away and the car freezing up. We have not heard of a steam condenser being fitted to any car. For a steam condenser to be of any use, it would have to have the same facilities for dissipating heat, as a radiator A method of increasing the efficiency of the present car is to run the cooling system under pressure. We attach an extract from our Hsl/LG14.9.25. At the moment, however, we would not advocate departing from the standard system. We are hopeful that when our investigations which are now in progress are completed, we shall have materially reduced the boiling troubles. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||