It is unnecessary to enlarge on the importance of the fuels used in aviation in a paper before this Society. Not only is fuel quality the most important individual factor to be considered in the economics of civil aviation, but engine development, aircraft design and performance depend upon it.
An apology is offered, in view of the title of the paper, that as it is barely possible in the confines of a single paper to deal adequately with the volatile fuels (known as petrols and gasolines) used in the normal carburettor or homogeneous charge engines, other types of fuels have necessarily been omitted.
1 See Appendix No. 1.
2 Report of the Empire Motor Fuels Committee, Proc. I.A.E., Vol. XVIII, Part 1.
3 See work of Egerton, Dixon and others
4 Airworthiness Handbook for Civil Aircraft—Air Publication 1208—Design Leaflet C2, para. 52, and Design Leaflet C3, para. 9 (iii). See also Appendix No. 2.
5 The Knock-Rating of Aviation Fuels, by D. R. Pye, Proc. World Petroleum Congress, London, 1933, Vol. II. See also Appendix No. 3.
6 See Appendix No. 3.
7 See Appendix No. 5.
8 Correlation of Knock-Rating of Aviation Gasolines, by Arthur Nutt, S.A.E. Journal.
9 Neuere Deutsche Untersuchungen fiber verbrennung und klopfen mit einem bericht fiber klopfmessungen in Flugmotor, by Dr. von Philippovich, Proc. World Petroleum Congress, 1933.
10 See Appendix No. 3.
11 Etude sur la Transmission de la Chaleur a l'Eau de Refroidisseraent dans un moteur d'aviation. Par M. Champsaur. Publications Scientifiques et Techniques du Ministere de l'Air, No. 17.
12 Au Sujet des Méthodes de Determination de la Detonation employee en France. Par M. P. Dumanois. Proc. World Petroleum Congress, London, 1933, Vol. II.
13 Ignition Quality of Fuels in Compression-Ignition Engines, by G. D. Boerlage and J. J. Broeze, “ Engineering,” 13th November, 4th and 18th December, 1931
14 Experiments with a Supercharged Single-Cylinder Unit, by G. F. Mucklow, D.Sc. R. & M. 1460
15 See Reference No. 8.
16 The C.F.R. motor method was adopted temporarily by the C.F.R. Committee for determination of the knock-rating of aviation gasolines pending the completion of the present series of tests (vide page 883).
17 Exhaust Valve and Cylinder Head Temperatures in High-Speed Petrol Engines, by Prof. A. H. Gibson, D.Sc, and H. Wright Baker, M.Sc. Proc. Inst. Mech. Engs.
18 Reproduced by permission of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
19 A Contribution to the Study of Flame Temperatures in a Petrol Engine, by B. Lloyd Evans and S. S. Watts, “Engineering,” 11th January, 1935.
20 Detonation and Lubricating Oil, by R. O. King, M.A.Sc, and H. Moss, D.Sc. R.&M. 1318 and 1362
21 The Effect of Temperature on Knock-Rating, by L. A. Peletier. Proc. World Petroleum Congress, London, 1933.
22 Highest Useful Compression Ratio=Compression ratio at which maximum power is recorded. The audible degree of detonation occurring at the H.U.C.R. is known as “Frequent Moderate.”
23 See also Figs. 5 and 6, " Ethyl," by F. R. Banks. Proc. Royal Aeronautical Society, 1934
24 The Internal-Combustion Engine, Vol. II, by D. R. Pye.
25 Vapour pressure is approximately inversely proportional to the temperature at which 10 per cent, is distilled.
26 Comparative Tests with Petrol and Butane, by P. H. Stokes and F. G. Code Holland. R.& M. 1570
27 Fuel Volatility and Carburettor Freezing, by W. C. Clothier, M.Sc, Wh.Sc. R.& M. No. 1549.
28 Ice Formation in Aircraft Engine Carburettors, by H. H. Allen, G. C. Rogers and D. C. Brookes. S.A.E. Journal, November, 1934.
29 See page 907.
30 Airplane Fuel Line Temperatures, by Oscar C. Bridgeman, Hobart S. White and C. A. Ross. S.A.E. Journal, Vol. 26, August, 1931.
31 The Effect of Airplane Fuel Line Design on Vapour Lock, by Oscar C. Bridgeman and Hobart S. White. S.A.E. Journal, Vol. 25, October, 1930.
32 Vapour-Locking Tendency of Aviation Gasolines, by Oscar C. Bridgeman and Hobart S. White. S.A.E. Journal, Vol. 25, August, 1930.
33 The Effect of Weathering on the Vapour-Locking Tendency of Gasolines, by Oscar C. Bridgeman and Elizabeth W. Aldrich. S.A.E. Journal, Vol. 26, July, 1930.
34 Carburettor Fuel Metering Characteristics, by W. C. Clothier, M.Sc, Wh.Sch. R. & M. No. 1361.
35 Water is soluble in gasoline to the extent of about 0.01 percent. only
36 See Reference No. 24, page 905.
37 “Receptivity” defined as the rate of reception of heat per square centimetre per degree centigrade difference of temperature between the piston and the gas.
* Translated from German text.
38 Flame Temperature Variations, by G. M. Rassweiler and Lloyd Withrow. S.A.E. Journal, April, 1935.
39 Infra-red Radiation from Explosions in a Spark-Ignition Engine, by C. F. Marvin, Jr., F. R. Caldwell and S. Steele. N.A.C.A. Report No. 486.
40 Aircraft Engine Performance with 100 Octane Fuel, by F. D. Klein. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, March, 1935
41 Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, May, 1935
42 Ice Formation in Carburettors, by W. C. Clothier, M.Sc., Wh.Sch., A.M.I.M.E. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society.