Ricardo PLC

Last updated

Ricardo PLC
Company type Public limited company
LSE:  RCDO
ISIN GB0007370074  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Industry Automotive, Clean energy, Defence, Rail, Marine
Founded1915 (as Engine Patents Ltd.)
Headquarters Shoreham-by-Sea, England
Key people
RevenueIncrease2.svg£445.2 million (2022/2023) [1]
Increase2.svg£34.0 million (2022/2023) [1]
Decrease2.svg£(5.2) million (2022/2023) [1]
Website ricardo.com

Ricardo PLC is a British firm which provides engineering, environmental and strategic consultancy services. Founded by Sir Harry Ricardo, it based at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Contents

History

Early history

The company was founded by Sir Harry Ricardo as Engine Patents Limited in February 1915. [2] Later in 1915, during the First World War, the company helped develop a 600 brake horsepower (450 kW) engine for a flying boat. [3] In spring 1916, it helped with the design of a device to manoeuvre 25 tonnes (28 tons) battle tanks into position aboard railway wagons. Later in 1916, it designed a 4-stroke crosshead-type engine for the Mark V tank which produced 150 brake horsepower (110 kW) but emitted no visible smoke detectable by the enemy. [4]

After the war, the company developed a side-valve engine, which minimised the clearance between the piston and cylinder head thereby achieving all the advantages of overhead-valve engines without the cost. This new type of engine, known as the turbulent head, was patented in 1932. [5] The company went on to design a 6-cylinder diesel engine producing 130 brake horsepower (97 kW) which was manufactured by AEC for use in London bus fleets. This type of engine, branded as The Comet, was taken up by Berliet and Citroën of France, MAN of Germany, and Fiat and Breda of Italy, among others. [6]

In the 1930s, the company undertook work to convert a Kestrel V12 to diesel operation using single sleeve valve technology: Captain George Eyston used the new engine in the Flying Spray, which, at 159 miles per hour (256 km/h), broke the world diesel speed record at Bonneville in May 1936. [7]

Also in the 1930s, Sir Henry Tizard, Chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee, who was a proponent of a high-powered "sprint" engine for fighter aircraft and who had foreseen the need for such a powerplant with the threat of German air power looming, encouraged Ricardo to develop what eventually became the Rolls-Royce Crecy engine. [8] In 1931, Harry Ricardo gave a lecture to the Royal Society of Arts, in which he invited his audience to "accompany me inside the cylinder of a diesel engine", passionately describing the process of diesel combustion, in great detail. [9]

In 1938, the company developed the V-16 engine for the Alfa Romeo Tipo 162, a car with highly streamlined bodywork. [10] In 1941, the company developed a relief valve subsequently named "Barostat", which automatically reduced the pressure in the fuel lines as the aircraft gained altitude, thereby avoiding the risk of the engine overspeeding: the Gloster E.28/39, designed by Frank Whittle, used this device. [11]

Post-war

In the 1950s, the company worked with the railway locomotive designer, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Frederick Rudston Fell, to develop an engine for the 4-8-4 Fell locomotive. [12] The United States Navy placed a contract with the company, in 1968, to develop a diesel power unit capable of running for extended periods at ocean depths of up to 600 feet (180 m); the concept was known as "recycle diesel" and involved blending a proportion of exhaust gas with fresh oxygen. [13]

In the 1970s, Opel used Ricardo combustion-chamber technology for the Opel 2100D engine which was installed in the Opel Rekord Series D. [14] General Motors used the same technology in the Chevrolet Suburban in the 1980s. [15] In 1990, the company undertook the development of an automatic layshaft transmission as part of an integrated power-train control system. [16] Then, in 1994, the company acquired a major developer of four-wheel drive technology, FF Developments; this business formed the basis of the company's driveline operations in the UK. [17]

In the early 21st century, the company undertook work to improve the BMW K1200 series motorcycle engines which were subsequently fitted to the BMW Motorrad K1300S, K1300GT and K1300R models. [18] In August 2006, Wing Commander Andy Green successfully achieved a new diesel speed record of 350.092 miles per hour (563.418 km/h) at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, in the JCB Dieselmax with the aid of a diesel engine designed with Ricardo combustion-chamber technology. [19]

The company went on, in around 2008, to develop an engine capable of switching between two-stroke and four-stroke cycles in collaboration with Denso, Jaguar Land Rover and the Centre for Automotive Engineering at the University of Brighton: it was claimed that the engine could improve fuel economy by up to 25%. [20] The company collaborated with Xtrac by assisting with some parts manufacture for the 1044 gearbox, supplied in 2010 to three Formula One teams: Lotus, Virgin and HRT. This gearbox was mated to the Cosworth CA2010 engine. [21]

In 2009, McLaren Automotive selected Ricardo to develop a new engine, a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8, which became known as the McLaren M838T, for its supercars. [22] At around the same time, the company working in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries, developed a semi-robotic tug, Taxibot, which clamped around the aircraft's nosewheel and was controlled remotely by the pilot; the product was intended to reduce aviation fuel consumption. [23]

The Ministry of Defence selected a vehicle developed by Ricardo and Force Protection, known as Ocelot, to replace the Snatch Land Rover in 2010. [24]

In 2011, Ricardo developed a carbon-fibre flywheel with a magnetic coupling and gearing system for energy-storage purposes: the product was known as "TorqStor". [25]

In April 2015, the company acquired Lloyd's Register Rail for £42.5 million, with the intention of developing the company's rail expertise. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compression ratio</span> Ratio of the volume of a combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity

The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuel injection</span> Feature of internal combustion engines

Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeve valve</span> Valve mechanism for piston engines

The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve valve engines saw use in a number of pre–World War II luxury cars and in the United States in the Willys-Knight car and light truck. They subsequently fell from use due to advances in poppet-valve technology, including sodium cooling, and the Knight system double sleeve engine's tendency to burn a lot of lubricating oil or to seize due to lack of it. The Scottish Argyll company used its own, much simpler and more efficient, single sleeve system (Burt-McCollum) in its cars, a system which, after extensive development, saw substantial use in British aircraft engines of the 1940s, such as the Napier Sabre, Bristol Hercules, Centaurus, and the promising but never mass-produced Rolls-Royce Crecy, only to be supplanted by the jet engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napier Sabre</span> 1930s British aircraft piston engine

The Napier Sabre is a British H-24-cylinder, liquid-cooled, sleeve valve, piston aero engine, designed by Major Frank Halford and built by D. Napier & Son during World War II. The engine evolved to become one of the most powerful inline piston aircraft engines in the world, developing from 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) in its earlier versions to 3,500 hp (2,600 kW) in late-model prototypes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-stroke engine</span> Internal combustion engine type

A four-strokeengine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either direction. The four separate strokes are termed:

  1. Intake: Also known as induction or suction. This stroke of the piston begins at top dead center (T.D.C.) and ends at bottom dead center (B.D.C.). In this stroke the intake valve must be in the open position while the piston pulls an air-fuel mixture into the cylinder by producing a partial vacuum in the cylinder through its downward motion.
  2. Compression: This stroke begins at B.D.C, or just at the end of the suction stroke, and ends at T.D.C. In this stroke the piston compresses the air-fuel mixture in preparation for ignition during the power stroke (below). Both the intake and exhaust valves are closed during this stage.
  3. Combustion: Also known as power or ignition. This is the start of the second revolution of the four stroke cycle. At this point the crankshaft has completed a full 360 degree revolution. While the piston is at T.D.C. the compressed air-fuel mixture is ignited by a spark plug or by heat generated by high compression, forcefully returning the piston to B.D.C. This stroke produces mechanical work from the engine to turn the crankshaft.
  4. Exhaust: Also known as outlet. During the exhaust stroke, the piston, once again, returns from B.D.C. to T.D.C. while the exhaust valve is open. This action expels the spent air-fuel mixture through the exhaust port.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Ricardo</span> 20th-century British engineer

Sir Harry Ralph Ricardo was an English engineer who was one of the foremost engine designers and researchers in the early years of the development of the internal combustion engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overhead camshaft engine</span> Valvetrain configuration

An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion chamber in the engine block.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overhead valve engine</span> Type of piston engine valvetrain design

An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a pushrod engine, is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with flathead engines, where the valves were located below the combustion chamber in the engine block.

Indirect injection in an internal combustion engine is fuel injection where fuel is not directly injected into the combustion chamber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VM Motori</span> Italian diesel engine manufacturer

VM Motori S.p.A. is an Italian diesel engine manufacturing company which is wholly owned by Stellantis. VM headquarters and main production facilities are located in Cento, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flathead engine</span> A type of four-stroke engine

A flathead engine, also known as a sidevalve engine or valve-in-block engine, is an internal combustion engine with its poppet valves contained within the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine.

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) is a form of internal combustion in which well-mixed fuel and oxidizer are compressed to the point of auto-ignition. As in other forms of combustion, this exothermic reaction produces heat that can be transformed into work in a heat engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Crecy</span> 1940s British piston aircraft engine

The Rolls-Royce Crecy was a British experimental two-stroke, 90-degree, V12, liquid-cooled aero-engine of 1,593.4 cu.in capacity, featuring sleeve valves and direct petrol injection. Initially intended for a high-speed "sprint" interceptor fighter, the Crecy was later seen as an economical high-altitude long-range powerplant. Developed between 1941 and 1946, it was among the most advanced two-stroke aero-engines ever built. The engine never reached flight trials and the project was cancelled in December 1945, overtaken by the progress of jet engine development.

Weslake & Co also known as Weslake Research and Development was founded by Harry Weslake, described as England's greatest expert on cylinder head design, with premises in Rye, East Sussex, England. Weslake is most famous for its work with Bentley, Austin, Jaguar and the Gulf-Wyer Ford GT40 Mk.I.

Variable compression ratio (VCR) is a technology to adjust the compression ratio of an internal combustion engine while the engine is in operation. This is done to increase fuel efficiency while under varying loads. Variable compression engines allow the volume above the piston at top dead centre to be changed. Higher loads require lower ratios to increase power, while lower loads need higher ratios to increase efficiency, i.e. to lower fuel consumption. For automotive use this needs to be done as the engine is running in response to the load and driving demands. The 2019 Infiniti QX50 is the first commercially available vehicle that uses a variable compression ratio engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IOE engine</span> Type of combustion engines

The intake/inlet over exhaust, or "IOE" engine, known in the US as F-head, is a four-stroke internal combustion engine whose valvetrain comprises OHV inlet valves within the cylinder head and exhaust side-valves within the engine block.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V8 engine</span> Piston engine with eight cylinders in V-configuration

A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.

Prosper L'Orange was a German engineer and inventor who pioneered the precombustion chamber, which made possible high-speed diesel engines that did not require an air compressor, and enabled them to be built small enough for use in road vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal combustion engine</span> Engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber

An internal combustion engine is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is typically applied to pistons, turbine blades, a rotor, or a nozzle. This force moves the component over a distance, transforming chemical energy into kinetic energy which is used to propel, move or power whatever the engine is attached to.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Annual Results 2023" (PDF). Ricardo PLC. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Ricardo marks one hundred years of performance and sustainability". Automotive World. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Hawthorne, Sir William (1976). "Harry Ralph Ricardo, 26 January 1885 – 18 May 1974". Royal Society Publishing. p. 367. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Hawthorne (1976), p. 368
  5. ↑ Hawthorne (1976), p. 365
  6. ↑ Hawthorne (1976), p. 368
  7. ↑ "Eyston – Eldridge Speed of the Wind / Flying Spray". Old Machine Press. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  8. ↑ Nahum, A.; Foster-Pegg, R. W.; Birch, D. (1994). The Rolls-Royce Crecy. Derby, England: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust. p. 26. ISBN   9781872922058.
  9. ↑ Ricardo, Harry. "Inside the Cylinder of a Diesel Engine". Old Machine Press. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "Alpha Romeo Tipo 162". Alpha Romeo Club. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Hawthorne (1976), p. 375
  12. ↑ "The Fell Diesel Mechanical Locomotive". The Paxman History Pages. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Puttick, J. R. (1971). "Recycle diesel underwater power plants". SAE International. pp. 2700–2711. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Opel Rekord 2100D: GM's future diesel. Popular Science. 1 October 1976. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  15. ↑ "1982 Chevrolet Suburban" (PDF). Chevy Trucks. p. 8. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  16. ↑ Gott, Philip G. (1991). Changing Gears: The Development of the Automotive Transmission. Society of Automotive Engineers. pp. 366–369.
  17. ↑ "After the Tractor: Harry Ferguson and the R5 4WD". Ferguson Club. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  18. ↑ Carter, Tony (April 2009). "A Very Special K 1300 That Is". Motorcycle Sport & Leisure Magazine (583). Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  19. ↑ "JCB Diesel Max". Bluebord Electric. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  20. ↑ The Engineer: Technology & Innovation Awards 2009. London: The Engineer. 9 November 2009. p. 43.
  21. ↑ Racecar Engineering, Vol 20 No 3, March 2010, Pages 31–36.
  22. ↑ "The McLaren M838T: Building the world's "greenest" supercar engine". The Engineer. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  23. ↑ "Ricardo TaxiBot Concept To Cut Airplane Fuel Consumption". Auto Evolution. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  24. ↑ "MoD chooses Ricardo's Ocelot vehicle". The Financial Times. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  25. ↑ "Ricardo's scalable TorqStor flywheel system promises FE gains at reduced cost". SAE International. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "Ricardo purchases Lloyd's Register Rail for £42.5m". International Railway Journal. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2024.

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