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).
Expressing dissatisfaction with the progress on a compression ignition engine and calling for new designs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M19\ img009 | |
| Date | 19th January 1931 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Mor. c. to Rg.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Sy. X433 COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE. We are not satisfied, and we are certain the Air Ministry are not satisfied, with the progress which is being made with the single cylinder unit. We were well paid for the unit and are being well paid for the development running and there will be no difficulty in getting money for modifications or additions. We do not look forward to meeting Mr. Tweedie of the D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} of R.{Sir Henry Royce} because our progress has been slow, and worse still, we see no prospects of it improving. Our view is that we ought to have one man on the design side doing nothing else but Compression Ignition work. That is, if we intend to carry it through to a satisfactory conclusion. We urgently require designs for a modified cylinder head to get rid as much as possible of the vertical portion of the inlet port and thereby to increase the turbulence for which our tests have proved is so essential. We require designs also for R.R. injection pump and nozzle, we cannot continue indefinitely with the Bosch. We consider the development of the Compression Ignition engine is a job where it will be necessary to design a number of parts for experiment; usually we do not do this. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||