| RefNo | EC/1985/13 |
| Previous numbers | Cert XXI, 195 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Downs, Sir Diarmuid: certificate of election to the Royal Society |
| Date | 1982 |
| Description | Citation typed |
| Citation | Diarmuid Downs has made significant contributions to the development of the modern internal combustion engines (Diesel and Petrol). His particular scientific interest has been combustion in the spark ignition engine and for a period of over twenty years the greater part of his work has been aimed at a fundamental study of combustion abnormalities.
His real achievement was to forge a link between engine phenomena and the more fundamental work on combustion being conducted on laboratory type apparatus. Downs showed that formaldehyde was the only intermediate product having anti-knock action and this together with the facts concerning organic peroxides showed that these two products yielded keys to the understanding of knock reaction.
By means of these and other fundamental studies, Downs confirmed the mechanism of the chemical detonation phenomenon in I C engines and showed the reasons for fuel sensitivity i.e. the effect of temperature on 'knock' tendency.
Downs' leadership and insight has maintained and enhanced the unique world position of Ricardos in the design, development and performance of internal combustion engines. |
| AccessStatus | Closed |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA3925 | Downs; Sir; Diarmuid (1922 - 2014) | 1922 - 2014 |