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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).
Continued discussion on starter motor design, testing, and application for cars and aero engines.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 61b\3\  scan0041
Date  14th November 1918 guessed
  
Contd. -3- R3/G17418. Contd.

there is much more to be considered than the maximum horse
power or the maximum efficiency. It was these auxiliary consid-
erations which led us to wind the field coils of our starter
motor with apparently too many turnings. The result of your
early test was no surprising to me when it was found that our
motor was heavier, and yet did not give either efficiency or
horse power as good as others, I became anxious to know in what
way we had varied, but the matter is much clearer now, and I
think we had better concentrate on work more urgently required.

Regarding the stock of materials, these could be used
up for making starter sets for the car, for which they are
evidently suited. I should not attempt to fit them to the
"Condor" which we think will be all right with a Lucas "A"
motor or this same motor re-wound in both the armature and
field coil for a higher speed.

We do not propose to have anything to do with making
starter motors for these aero engines, as our hands are so full
with other work. If, however, you do make an additional test
of the R.R. motor to get the same speed, I should certainly
keep the field coils two in series, two in parallel, which seems
to make them about correct for a good output. One would
expect with increased voltage, to find that the horse power
would increase from 1.35 to about 2.25, and the revolutions for
maximum horse power from 900 to 1500. The maximum efficiency
would probably be a curve shewing a maximum at 2500, slightly
higher than the 12 volt one. If these speeds are thought too
high, then the voltage should not be 20, but something less.

R.{Sir Henry Royce}
  
  


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