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).
Follow-up report on a Peto & Radford 20 HP battery inspection, discussing test conditions and cell performance.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\M\2April1925-June1925\ Scan37 | |
| Date | 28th April 1925 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} & E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from EFC. c. CJ. & PN.{Mr Northey} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Ey. c. Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} EFC1/T28.4.25. X.444P. PETO & RADFORD BATTERIES. 20 HP. Further to our EFC2/T22.4.25, dealing with the opening up and inspection of a battery known as the P & R composite, upon re-reading this report it occurs to us that though we have described in detail the conditions of the elements from the various cells of the battery, we have not given proportionately due eminence to two facts, e.g :- (1) That this battery, composed of cells of various arrangements of the elements and separators, had been subjected to an intensive test on which it received a large amount of overcharging, which might reasonably be expected in any battery to reduce its life to half what it might be in service on the chassis. (2) That the battery did not fail at all in the cells which are mainly similar to our present standard, and that these cells might have continued to operate satisfactorily for a considerable further period. The cells which failed did not contain the ebonite separators, upon the inclusion of which we have latterly been so insistent. As a matter of fact we have not definitely heard of any case of a failure of a P & R 20 HP. battery, at any rate since the inclusion of ebonite separators. At any rate it is quite clear that Messrs. Peto & Radford every day and in every way are anxious to make them better and better, and this of course is the raison d'etre of these special test batteries which are purposely destroyed by intensive experimental use. EFC. | ||