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 Chief Inspector of Armaments concerning the dynamo and battery specifications for Light Tanks Mark 2A and 2B.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 163\2\ img068 | |
| Date | 1st July 1933 | |
| E.5/HP. 1st July 1933 The Chief Inspector of Armaments., Armaments Inspection Dept. Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, LONDON, S.E.18. Dear Sir, Light Tanks Mark 2A and 2B. In reply to your letter of the 23rd ultimo. TC/732, we are of the opinion that the dynamo now fitted to the 20/25 Tank Engines definitely cannot deal with the proposed additional 100 ampere hour battery. The charging rate we estimate is only sufficient for ignition lighting and starting current with a reasonable margin to ensure that the battery shall always be kept up. This is important as the Tanks rely principally on electric starting and absolutely on battery ignition. The only scheme we consider practicable for meeting the extra battery load would be a shunt wound dynamo to take the place of the present machine with a vibrator control. Providing the radio transmitting discharges are not frequent and heavy the present size of dynamo might be satisfactory, but it would be necessary to make a test to confirm this as we are not in a position to say how much power these radio transmitting discharges will absorb. With regard to the use of two batteries on the Tank, this would appear to us to entail the use of somewhat, complicated switching arrangements, and we would like to suggest as an alternative using one large battery for the whole of the duties required, which would be shielded like the present starter battery. Yours faithfully, For and on behalf of ROLLS-ROYCE Ld. From A.G.Elliott. CHIEF DESIGNER. | ||