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).
Letter to the Ethyl Export Corporation discussing fuel options to increase the compression ratio of a Bentley engine for a competition.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan341 | |
| Date | 20th November 1934 | |
| X 1282 Exptl. Dept. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson}15/KW. 20th November, 1934. F.R. Banks Esq., The Ethyl Export Corporation, Abford House, Victoria, London, S.W.1. Dear Banks, Thank you very much for your letter of the 19th November. I have a job after your own heart here. There is every possibility that a condition may arise where we wish to run the Bentley in a competition, the rules of which permit the use of any type of fuel. On ordinary 50/50 mixture the Bentley will run at 5 to 1 compression ratio with no trouble. We want to find something which will permit us to go to 10 or 12 to 1. The major difference between the Bentley and the Schneider Cup engine is that in the latter case the snap opening up was of secondary importance and there was a large temperature rise after the blower which assisted vaporisation of the charge and distribution. The Bentley has only a water heated hot spot. We should like if possible to run it with an outside air intake for this purpose in order to keep volumetric efficiency as high as possible. In spite of our aircraft experience we do not mind running on lead, though we dislike high concentrations. The Americans were talking somewhat lightheartedly about "Propane" and "Butane", but I expect you know as much about these liquid gases as they do. | ||