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 performance issues of an experimental commutator distributor, focusing on arcing and low spark energy.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 164\5\ img421 | |
| Date | 5th April 1939 guessed | |
| - 3 - energy of the spark. It is possible that when current measurements are made more accurate, and a good waveform obtained, that energy comparisons can be made with the oscillograph. Commutator distributor. Some records of the primary current and voltage curves were taken using an experimental distributor with a rotary contact breaker, on the same lines as the commutator of a dynamo. The primary current curves showed an extremely dirty break, due to arcing at the brushes. This would certainly give a very low spark energy. It is noticeable that with the negative brush in one position the make-break ratio was abnormally high and that the make occured before the break was complete in some cases. The primary voltage curves show the same effect present. A small loop in the curve occurs during the period of arcing on the brushes. The contact breaker is unsatisfactory in its present form, as far as the primary curves can show. Secondary curves were not obtained as the H.T. side of the distributor was incomplete. ---------- Lr{Mr Ellor}/HWS/SGL. | ||