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).
Magazine page from 'Motor Sport' discussing supercharger technology, wartime motoring, and a Dunlop Tyres advertisement.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0143 | |
| Date | 1st November 1940 | |
| MOTOR SPORT 212 NOVEMBER, 1940 RUMBLINGS—continued In the Air On the Beaches On the Roads In the Streets In the Villages compressor. Nowadays, the increased efficiency of blowers and compressors provides a partial solution of the difficulty, because improved output at low speeds enables the ratio between engine and supercharger speed to be kept small. Nevertheless, the problem is far from solved, and the commercial flop of super-charging for ordinary cars can largely be laid at its door, for the early troubles associated with the super-charger as a component have been overcome and only its detrimental effect on the engine, weighed against the amount of useful performance increase offered in return for its cost of £25-£65, stands against it. Apparently any form of diaphragm control of induction pressure via an oil servo acting on the carburetter throttle, is impractical for car engines. But it seems possible that the supercharger drive of the Daimler-Benz DB{Donald Bastow - Suspensions} 601A aero-motor, as examined in shot-down Messerschmitt ME 109 and certain Heinkel He 111 K enemy aeroplanes, holds the key. In this engine the supercharge is driven through an hydraulic coupling on the lines of the Daimler fluid flywheel. The coupling has oil-filled rotors and a degree of slip can be introduced by varying the oil-flow to the coupling. An altitude capsule controls the flow from the delivery pump and the drive does not become solid until the rated height of 6,000 m.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} (19,685 ft.) is reached, but the amount of “slip” is progressively decreased as this height is approached. In an air-battle an unlucky shot resulting in an oil leak would mean a serious loss of boost, but for car supercharged installations the system would seem to be of considerable interest, the method being reversed, so that the coupling drove the blower at full speed at low engine speeds, the oil flow being diminished automatically as engine speed rose, by a centrifugal governor or similar means, so that an excessive super-charge would never be reached. Xmas In the old sane days, Christmas was a time when lots of happy, long-distance, rather hurried journeys were necessary to enable family reunions to happen, and the sports-car and the skilled driver were in their element. Those persons who have known many such runs will be content to make the best of things this coming Christmas, perhaps even to spend the holidays working in the national interest, if a long run home is out of the question. But they will not grudge the younger generation the pleasure that good motoring with a purpose, under the wintry conditions of the good “old-fashioned” Christmas, can provide, in cases where this is possible. No doubt, by combining November basic rations with those for December, and even January if need be, quite a lot of young sportsmen and sportsgirls will contrive to motor big mileages at this exciting time of the year. In case the next issue of MOTOR SPORT gets held up through unforeseen circumstances, we take this opportunity of wishing them good motoring during the festive week—may every seat be occupied by a cheerful enthusiast ; and may the run enable them to forget temporarily that we can no longer argue whether the world was a better place in Dickens's time than it is to-day with any sincerity . . . DUNLOP TYRES do their Duty! | ||