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).
Unsatisfactory petrol quality and its impact on vehicle testing and carburation.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\5\ Scan008 | |
| Date | 9th February 1921 | |
| X1356 Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} from MP. c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Hl. c. to Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}14/F9.2.21. [STAMP: RECEIVED FEB 3 1921] RE. PETROL. With reference to your Wd{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}8/NJ27.1.21, and referring to Mr.Royce's memo. R9/G24.1.21, we still are forced to complain of the quality of the petrol we are now receiving being unsatisfactory. The earlier report on faulty petrol which was brought to your attention we feel was not quite a fair test, as it was some petrol taken out of a tank on a car on test, which we thought may have been mixed with paraffin. We arranged, however, for a further sample of the Shell Mex Spirit to be taken direct from the storage tank, and a further report was supplied by Mr.Hall in his H13/EB24.1.21., from which it will be seen that this petrol is as bad, if anything worse, than the previous sample of petrol, from a distillation point of view. Again, although R.{Sir Henry Royce} points out that it is a mistake to demand petrol for testing to a given standard, this really can only apply when the carburation of our engines is satisfactory and fulfils the conditions now required by R.{Sir Henry Royce} which it does not do at present, and if we are only to pass cars as satisfactory on petrol, such as the Shell Mex above referred to, then we can only say that no cars can possibly be passed and the output is stopped. You will notice that R.{Sir Henry Royce} has specified certain alterations and experimental work to be carried out to overcome this faulty carburation. Having overcome faulty carburation, we assume that Mr.Royce then concludes that we should use no other petrol than the standard likely to be used when in service. Until such time, therefore, we must insist on obtaining a reasonably good petrol, and in view of Mr.Hall's report and our own experience in using the British Petroleum Co's petrol, we consider that this should be obtained in preference to Shell Mex, as referred to in Mr.Hall's report H11/EB24.1.21. With regard to the Mex Motor Spirit referred to, we are getting this analysed and a distillation test taken, and the Experimental Dept. have a 50-gallon drum of this petrol for test. This also replies to Wd{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}/GEA.3/AG.8.2.21 asking for report on British Petroleum Spirit. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||