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).
Issues with collapsing copper radiator tubes and advocating for the continued use of brass tubes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 38\2\ Scan112 | |
| Date | 29th July 1920 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to CJ. c. to Bn.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Oy. X.3456 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG29.7.20. X.3456. X.3678. RE TUBES FOR RADIATORS. The only radiator we have run with copper tubes gave trouble owing to the tubes collapsing. The tubes when measured up were found to be .004" to .005" thick. This case was taken up with the Radiator Manufacturers and it was confirmed by them that the disadvantage with copper tubes was the possibility of them being too soft. All radiators supplied on R-R cars (both now and those before the war) have always had brass tubes. We have not ever had brought to our notice the fact of radiators failing owing to the water attaching the zinc. X.435. We have examined a radiator on the Packard car which we have and find that on there brass tubes are used. We rather feel that it is the American tube manufacturers who are pushing copper tubes because they find that copper is the easiest material for them to work with in their process. of extruding tubes. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||