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 from the Springfield factory discussing radiator matrix and tube designs and performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149a\3\ scan0062 | |
| Date | 27th February 1923 | |
| V/3678 ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Oy7-W-22723 February 27, 1923. Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Rolls-Royce, Limited, Derby, England. Dear Hives: Radiator Tubes Replying to yours of February 7-- We have used a bought out radiator matrix with indented copper tubes, from the U. S. Cartridge Company for the last 150 cars. The original matrix was only 4" deep, without indentations in the tubes, and was run on 102-CE about 10,000 miles in all. It was satisfactory, except that water temperatures ran rather high and boiling was more frequent than usual. The engine undersheets also were of a trial simplified type which only had about 40% of the air escape area of the standard undersheets. The matrix with indented tubes is 4½" deep. We are unable to say exactly how this compares in efficiency with the 4 3/4" brass matrix with plain tubes, except that it has never shown any trouble on the road. These tubes have hexagon expansions, but in general diameter and thickness are similar to the brass tubes. The body of the tube, however, is squeezed into an equilateral triangle with large radii in the corners and the indentations made in the flat sides. The only trouble is that we have to put in plain 5/16" copper tubes where we want to pass the 3/16" bolts for the blanking plates or radiator shutter, as forcing the 3/16 bolt through the indented tube tears the metal on the tops of the indentations. I think from every point of view of financial and practical use | ||