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).
The change to Shell Spirit D.T.D. 134 for H. Engine tests, discussing its aromatic hydrocarbon content.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 20\4\ Scan059 | |
| Date | 7th May 1930 | |
| Rg.{Mr Rowledge} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. BY c. WOF. X976. EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/Thn13/H1 7.5.30. re. Shell Spirit. Specification D.T.D. 134. With reference to your instructions to the effect that we should change over to the above spirit from the previous 80/20 Standard on the H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Engine type test as soon as possible, and your instructions to the Order Dept. that they should procure this spirit in place of the 80/20 as soon as it was available. Deliveries of spirit to D.T.D. 134 commenced on Tuesday last, and as already reported in our Type Test Progress Report, we were able to arrange with Major Ross on the telephone, to change over to this spirit for the remainder of the type test running. According to our instructions the spirit used for F.{Mr Friese} and H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Engine tests and presumably this also applies to type tests, should not have an aromatic hydrocarbon content of more than 32%. Samples of D.T.D. 134 spirit have been submitted to Mr. Hall for his analysis, and attached is a copy of his report. You will see that he quotes the Aromatic Hydrocarbon content as 34% and also states that the D.T.D. Specification does not contain [handwritten: specify] any Aromatic Hydrocarbon content. We bring this matter forward at this stage as samples of the spirit are taken daily by the A.I.D. for analysis and we want to avoid any possibility of controversy on this matter after the type test has been completed. EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/Thn. Later. The certificate for DTD.134 supplied by Shell-Mex states "The calculated aromatic content of this mixture is 30% by volume at least". | ||