Steam Engine Governor Types
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The Porter steam engine governor, by Charles Porter, the inventor of the first modern high-speed stationary steam engine......
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/72043/72043-h/72043-h.htm#Page17
Not my images.
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https://www.gutenberg.org/files/72043/72043-h/72043-h.htm#Page17
Not my images.
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Attachments
Governor and engine introduced at the London International Exhibition 1862.
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https://archive.org/details/engineeringremin00port/page/n111/mode/2up
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https://archive.org/details/engineeringremin00port/page/n111/mode/2up
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Porter governor info, from Charles Porter's book "Engineering Reminiscences contributed to 'Power' and 'American Machinist'.
https://archive.org/details/engineeringremi03portgoog/page/n8/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/engineeringremi03portgoog/page/n8/mode/2up
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Attachments
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A white paper on governors.
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https://www.sathyabama.ac.in/sites/default/files/course-material/2020-10/SME1206-5_0.pdf
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https://www.sathyabama.ac.in/sites/default/files/course-material/2020-10/SME1206-5_0.pdf
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Hello Pat
That's an interesting topic for me.
Thanks for the list of information.
I'll have to read it carefully.
This is one of my next tasks in the restoration of the steam engine.
Dieter
That's an interesting topic for me.
Thanks for the list of information.
I'll have to read it carefully.
This is one of my next tasks in the restoration of the steam engine.
Dieter
I seem to recall that on the Porter governor, the central vase-shaped weight spun loose on the vertical shaft, which removed the inertial component, but added a gravity component, and this design supposedly helped the governor respond much more quickly to load changes.
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phil_barber
Member
The point is, that on any governor that is belt driven, the failure mode of the belt breaking is 'wrong side' since the throttle opens to full power.
I think some (most ?) of the belt-driven steam engine governors were spring loaded to force the governor closed in the event that the belt broke.
A "fail-safe" design.
See 2:20 in this video for explanation.
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A "fail-safe" design.
See 2:20 in this video for explanation.
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phil_barber
Member
The springs hold the valve open. The design is not failsafe.
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The pickering governor on some steam traction engines had a ratchet mechanism that was spring loaded. A pulley on a lever arm rode on the belt. Should the belt break or come off, the weighted pulley/lever arm would drop and release the spring loaded mechanism and close the governor valve.
He clearly explains how the safety feature closes the valve should the belt break.
Seems clear to me that it is a fail safe design, ie: belt breaks = valve drops/closes
The springs can't hold the valve open, since the safety mechanism trips the valve free and allows it to drop closed.
These mechanisms are well documented; and only a slight amount of research is all that is required to understand how it is a fail-safe mechanism.
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The correct statement is:
".....any governor without a safety mechanism that is belt driven, the failure mode of the belt breaking is 'wrong side", since the throttle opens to full power."
Belt-driven governors with a safety mechanism do not open the throttle wide when the belt breaks, but rather the valve is automatically closed by the safety mechanism.
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With diesel generators, there are programs used for sizing the generator base kW based on the types of loads to be powered.
You can have high-inertial loads, such as a conveyor belt that is fully loaded with ore, or an overhead crane that is moving large pieces of steel quickly.
The program requires that there be a certain excess generator capacity, especially if large motors have to be started across the line, and/or multiple motors started simultaneously.
The old steam engines often powered equipment via line shafts, and the line shafts could introduce sufficient torional springing to prevent a governor from working correctly, especially if a flywheel was mounted on the end of the line shaft opposite the steam engine.
The idea is to prevent the governor from "hunting", ie: you don't want the governor overshooting in both directions in an oscillating fashion.
You can add dampeners to a governor system if it is over-sensitive, to prevent sudden changes in position.
But again, you need a certain amount of excess base power available, else the engine will try to play catch up with the load fluctuations, or the engine may stall.
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You can have high-inertial loads, such as a conveyor belt that is fully loaded with ore, or an overhead crane that is moving large pieces of steel quickly.
The program requires that there be a certain excess generator capacity, especially if large motors have to be started across the line, and/or multiple motors started simultaneously.
The old steam engines often powered equipment via line shafts, and the line shafts could introduce sufficient torional springing to prevent a governor from working correctly, especially if a flywheel was mounted on the end of the line shaft opposite the steam engine.
The idea is to prevent the governor from "hunting", ie: you don't want the governor overshooting in both directions in an oscillating fashion.
You can add dampeners to a governor system if it is over-sensitive, to prevent sudden changes in position.
But again, you need a certain amount of excess base power available, else the engine will try to play catch up with the load fluctuations, or the engine may stall.
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I found this video to be interesting about the Pickering Governor by David Richards
OLD STEAM POWERED MACHINE SHOP 20 Rebuilding the Pickering Governor
OLD STEAM POWERED MACHINE SHOP 20 Rebuilding the Pickering Governor
I forgot that I got a governor with my O-S engine, since it was wrapped separately during shipping, and is still wrapped up in the corner of my office.
I will get it out and play around with it.
I would guess it has the belt-break safety mechanism on it.
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I will get it out and play around with it.
I would guess it has the belt-break safety mechanism on it.
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Don't forget the Flywheel and crankshaft mounted governors
Looks like yours does not have the pully safety arm and the shaft for the adjuster is too short so nothing for it to act against anyway. So not a case of it going missing just one supplied without that feature. Speeder screw and probably the spring missing too.
Looks like yours does not have the pully safety arm and the shaft for the adjuster is too short so nothing for it to act against anyway. So not a case of it going missing just one supplied without that feature. Speeder screw and probably the spring missing too.
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