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Aeroplane Improvement AUGUST 1 ^ BULLETIN 19 18 No. 3 Troblems of Aeroplane Improvement ''• •- "•--• ——— -'v Issued by NAVAL CONSULTING BOARD OF THE UNITED STATES AND ENGINEERING COUNCILS WAR COMMITTEE OF TECHNICAL SOCIETIES INDEX: PAGE AEROPLANE MOTIVE POWER IMPROVEMENT Possibilities for Radical Advances 3 Conservative Improvements in Aeroplane Motors, by E. H. Sher- bondy, Airplane Engineering Dept, Bureau of Aircraft Production War Dept 4 PROBLEMS IN AERONAUTICS, by. Dr. W. F. Durand, Scientific Attache American Embassy, Paris, lately Chairman The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 11 AIRCRAFT PROBLEMS, by W. B. Stout, Technical Advisor Aircraft Board 16 WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY For Aeroplane General Design 19 For Aeromotors 28 Examined and Publication Authorized \1 __ f Secretary of the Navy INTRODUCTION Many of the greatest improvements in industry have been made by men who had but little practical experience or technical training along the line in question. But they brought to the task the requisites most needed: a free brain, a clear insight and fresh enthusiasm. Perhaps yours is the mind that will see the way to some great improve­ ment in aircraft, one of the most potent weapons for winning the war. A billion dollars has been set aside for production. The finest shops and the best trained men in the country are working upon design and manufacture and we will soon have machines. But we want the best in the world. The men engaged in the details of the work are just now under a pressure which is not favorable for the exercise of creative powers. Technical men who are far enough from the work to see it in a different perspective, therefore, have a special opportunity for useful service. In order to save you labor specialists have summarized in the enclosed bulletin the most pressing problems of aircraft improvement and have indicated probable lines of progress. Any help you can give will be welcomed. Inventions and ideas submitted in reply should be addressed to Thomas Robins, Secretary Naval Consulting Board, 15 Park Row, New York. 2 AEROPLANE MOTIVE POWER IMPROVEMENT The present situation with respect to the improvement of aeroplane motive power is that the Government is concentrating all its energies upon the quick production of the best design it has been able ta select from present motor development. For manufacturing reasons it was obviously necessary to standardize this design and just now the Government is not in a position to consider improved motors and systems of power. Such ques­ tions must be deferred if possible until after the pressing needs of the moment have been met. At all times, however, advances which are great enough and which have been sufficiently proven, necessarily command a right of way. Power development is moving so swiftly and there is so much room for its advance that nothing is really fixed, and no nation is taking a chance of overlooking anything which is really worth while. Minor improvements, applicable with the present motor, can be considered at any time if they are of sufficient value. POSSIBILITIES FOR RADICAL ADVANCES For war uses the cost of power is immaterial, the important object being : (1) To secure steady, reliable operation. (2) To obtain lighter weights than the 2 to 2.5 lbs. per H. P. now at­ tained. (1.75 lbs. without radiator, water, piping, propeller, etc.) (3) To obtain more work per pound of fuel carried. The room for improvement is evident from a view of the conditions under which the average aeroplane motor now operates. (Figures approx­ imate) : Energy of fuel delivered by engine shaft to propellor (Thermal efficiency). ITor the Indicated H. P. 30%. For the Brake H. P 25 per ct. Energy consumed by engine friction 5 Energy lost by cooling 30 Energy escaping in exhaust (including that of unbnrned fuel) 40 Total fuel contents 100 Mechanical efficiency of propellor 75 per ct. Net energy of fuel delivered by propellor and available for flight (0.75 x 0.25) 19 per ct. The field for radical improvements is an extremely broad one, covering all the possibilities of new power cycles and of gas turbines. No suggestions can be offered to those who wish to investigate these possibilities, but they can familiarize themselves with the subject through the bibliography at­ tached. 3 CONSERVATIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN AIRPLANE MOTORS By E. H, SUerbondy, V. 8. Airplane Engineering Dept., Bureau of Aircraft Production, War Dept. The following is a brief presentation of some of the problems encoun­ tered by aircraft motor and airplane designers, and also some suggestions relative to the improvement of apparatus and methods of function. It is assumeed that those interested in the development of apparatus required in this field of work are informed as to current progress. Engi­ neers who are familiar with the development of power and general ma­ chinery, but who are without special knowledge of aircraft motors and their accessories are advised to read back issues of the American, English and French periodicals devoted to aeronautics and automobile engineering. They should also look up the subject through the works upon internal com­ bustion engines given in the Bibliography attached, which also includes a list of the periodicals which are of the most importance from a technical standpoint. American books upon aircraft motors are often of an elemen­ tary character unsuitable for the purpose in hand. Much valuable infor­ mation will be found in the journals of Technical Societies mentioned in the Bibliography. The problems to be solved mainly refer to improvements in the motor power apparatus, its specific weight ; its thermal efficiency referred to brake horse-power and the reliability of its mechanical construction". In order to do successful work in any line of invention it is desirable to have a definite idea of what is still to be accomplished and also more or less familiarity with the history of the particular art. Many helpful sug­ gestions may be obtained from a study of experiments on various kinds of apparatus which have failed for reasons which may not be operative now through the existence of better materials and more knowledge or through the advance of the physical sciences and of methods of carrying out the in­ tention of the invention. This point is illustrated by the history of auto­ mobile rear axle drives. For a long time straight bevel gears were used. The helical bevel gear was known many years ago, but no method had been devised by which it could be economically produced, so that it did not come into practical use until about 1912. 4 The present state of the art of designing aircraft motors may be briefly summarized as follows: The engine types are practically standardized. There are two principal types—one having 6 or 8 vertical cylinders all in line; the other being the "V" type with either 8 or 12 cylinders. It should be added that the use of aluminum has increased enormously the possibilities of the radial types of motors in moderate powers, these being designed with either fixed or rotating cylinders and with either air or water cooling. To be useful for aircraft work an engine must not weigh more than 2.4 pounds per brake horse-power (1.7 pounds without radiator, water, piping, propeller, etc.). It must, moreover, be composed of parts which can be readily produced by American manufacturing methods. The thermal efficiency of current types of aircraft motors referred to brake horse-power ranges from 25% to 32%, this being the proportion of the original heat contents of the fuel consumed which appears in shaft horse-power. "While the efficiency of these engines is higher than that of any other type of prime mover, including commer­ cial Diesel engines within the output range of aircraft engines, their econ­ omy is rather low at less than maximum horse-power, and every effort should be made to improve the economy at part load. The economy varies but little for considerable changes in altitude, so that in this matter the effect of altitude is not often of importance. It should be borne in mind that improvements suggested for the pres­ ent system of motor power should lend themselves to development to a prac­ tical stage within a short time, say, six months ; that is, the apparatus should be experimentally proven and ready for production at the end of this period. Elements of the power system susceptible to improvement are dealt with in the following: Carburetion For a given motor operating successively at two different altitudes under identical conditions, i. e., at the same speed and with the same car­ buretor adjustment (the same sectional areas for the passage of air, gasoline and mixture), the amounts of air (by weight) drawn into the motor in the same time are proportional to the barometric pressures at the two alti­ tudes. The volume of air drawn in remains the same. Since the density of the gasoline does not vary with the altitude, we may summarize the effect of changes in altitude upon the mixture quality as follows : The richness of the carburetor mixture increases with the altitude. It varies inversely as the square root of the ratio of barometric pressures 5 (assuming the motor speed and throttle position to remain constant). "While this is approximately/correct for ordinary elevations it is decidedly true at altitudes over 15,000 feet. This leads us to a consideration of the subject of carburetor regula­ tion for varying altitude. At present this regulation is effected by means of a device called an altimeter, whose function it is to control the flow of gasoline through the carburetor nozzle. This object may be accomplished either by reducing the size of the orifice through which the liquid flows, or by reducing the equivalent head above the orifice.
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