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).
The effects of condenser placement and capacity on ignition system performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\3\ Scan303 | |
| Date | 11th December 1917 | |
| Contd. -14- EFC {E. Fowler Clarke - Electrical Engineer} 2/T11.12.17. Further additions of capacity cause more and more missing of the secondary sparks. In other respects the phenomena are similar to those described for Remy 12. Effect of connecting condensers to contact points through various lengths of wire. The lengths of wire mentioned may form part of the primary circuit or not; we have not found any difference between the two cases. There is, however, a very great difference in the effect of condenser near to or far from the contact points. We have established experimentally that there is a correct position for the condenser, namely, in every case as near to the contact points as possible. At the instant of break there is a current which has to be extremely suddenly diverted from a path through the contact points to a path through the condenser and if this implies the stopping or starting of this current in any lengths of wire, arcing at the points will ensue as a result of the current tending to follow in the same path. Even a couple of feet of wire make quite a perceptible difference. The general experimental results are the same for the two coils Remy 12 and Remy 6. To some extent only, a greater capacity further off has the same effect as a smaller capacity near to. Contd | ||