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).
Suitability and risks of automatically controlled radiator shutters.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\Q\July1927-September1927\ Scan153 | |
| Date | 24th September 1927 | |
| C. to HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ORIGINAL R3/M24.9.27. X 8250 X 3875 X 3499 T 776 AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED RADIATOR SHUTTERS. With reference to your OY10-E-91027., we have had these automatically controlled by thermostat. We understood from you that such automatic control is not very suitable for USA. owing to the use of alcohol. Our own point is that we did not like the responsibil- ity of the automatic shutters, as in case of failure we could only blame ourselves for trying to be too clever, but our chief complaint against anything automatic is that it cannot anticipate. For instance, we run our cars in summer with the radiator shutters opened to keep the water and everything as cool as possible, so that it is ready, and with a fairly low temperature, for any great emergency. Alternatively, in winter one can keep the shutters nearly closed, and the water on the point of boiling. We have now introduced a little red lamp and a contact on the thermometer which has solved the difficulty of the driver forgetting his control and letting the water boil. We do not think the conditions to which you refer in your letter of Sept. 10. can be met at present. It was my intention originally, many years ago, to use an oil relay for the shutter control, but at the moment I think it is a little job that the driver can do without much thought or effort, and it is wiser not to introduce the complication, considering that we have many other important things to modify until they are more perfect. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||