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).
Petrol tank ventilation tests, recommending sealing the filler compartment rather than fitting a special breather pipe.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 136\5\ scan0073 | |
| Date | 30th August 1938 | |
| X819 To C. From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} cc Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} cc Db.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions} Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} cc Bv. Ht. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey}1/KT.30.8.38. X2551 PETROL TANK VENTILATION - ALL CARS. In cases where the body is built round the petrol tank filler, we find from tests we have carried out on Bentley cars, that it is easily possible to arrange that no petrol fumes get into the body. The compartment which accommodates the petrol tank filler must be entirely boxed in and sealed off from the interior of the body or luggage boot; there need however be no bottom to it. This arrangement is quite easily carried out and is effective. We have carried out tests in which the car was driven over rough roads, round corners etc. with the filler cap wide open; even under this extreme condition it was not possible to detect the faintest smell of petrol in the luggage boot, (which in this case was the part of the car nearest to the petrol filler). It does not appear, therefore, that it is necessary to go to the extreme of fitting a special breather pipe to the petrol tank. The chief difficulty with this scheme is in finding a suitable place in the body to run the pipe along, and also in finding a convenient place for the outlet end of the pipe. In our own interests we think that all our coachbuilders should be circularised with reference to this; it applies to all 3½ litre Bentley cars; we have examined some of the first bodies on the first fifteen production cars, and whilst some of the petrol tank fillers are effectively sealed off, others are not. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} | ||