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).
Performance of a Graham blower and the development of a new centrifugal blower for a Bentley engine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 126\1\ scan0126 | |
| Date | 13th June 1934 | |
| To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c.c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c.c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} c.c. to Er. c.c. to MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Ru:17/KR.13.6.34. Graham-Paige '8' - 4340 c.c. Replying to E.1/HP.4.6.34. We have not got the figures you asked for because the Graham blower has been in continual use since our first road test. At the moment efficiency curves are being obtained from it on the rig. You will notice, however, that in the June 12th number of the Motor, acceleration figures are given up to 90 m.p.h. We think these may be taken as reliable because they give 10 to 50 m.p.h. on top gear in 15 seconds and we actually measured a better pick up than that. The lap speed figure of 87.6 m.p.h. is really astounding for a car of these dimensions because weight does not come into this figure very much and therefore it is almost a criterion of engine performance. What we are now concerned about is getting a design for a centrifugal blower for the Bentley. At the moment, owing to having got the first car that reached England, we have a slight start but there is no doubt whatever that our competitors will take advantage of this development almost immediately. Experimentally we are rigging one up on a Bentley engine, but we do not really feel that this will help the job along a great deal because the complete Graham car has shown that this development is out of the experimental stage and can be made to operate silently and flexibly. Our experimental rig up will probably be nothing like the final scheme and therefore any work which we may do on distortion etc. will be of little use. | ||