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).
Suitability and guarantee implications of using Cleveland Discol alcohol blend fuel.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0080 | |
| Date | 14th November 1935 | |
| W/S - C. X1282 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/KW.14.11.35. Cleveland Discol Alcohol Blend Fuel. Replying to C.16/C.13.11.35. In a recent Depot Sheet (Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}6/KW.11.11.35) we explained the value of good fuels for a car such as the Bentley. Rolls-Royce cars at present do not demand such a good anti-detonating fuel as the Bentley because they are not run at such a high compression ratio. The characteristic of alcohol fuels is that they are good for suppressing detonation. As far as we know at present they are no better in this respect than the Ethyl petrols at present on the English market. Therefore for English conditions we recommend Ethyl rather than Cleveland Discol, though we know of no damage which could result from the use of alcohol blend fuels. The difficulty with alcohol fuels is mainly one of storage, due to the fact that with moisture present there is a tendency for the alcohol to separate out. We do not, however, know of any case where this has happened. On the Continent the position is very different, because in countries such as Austria and Hungary no Ethyl fuel is obtainable. If a Bentley is run with the ordinary straight petrols being sold there, it pinks almost continuously. On the alcohol fuels, however, it behaves quite normally. In this case it is clearly much better to run on a alcohol blend fuel than on a straight spirit. Therefore, whilst we do not recommend Cleveland Discol at home, we think it is wrong to withdraw the guarantee if a customer uses such a fuel. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||