Debre Berhan University

College of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanisms of
Machinery
MEng3071 Chapter Eight
8. Governors

By: Nigatu D.

1
 Contents

8. Governors
8.1. Classification of governors
8.2. Governor Characteristics
8.3. Porter governor
8.4. Hartnel governor
8.5. Centrifugal shaft governor
8.6. Inertia governors

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 2

 8. Governors
• The crankshaft is subject to cyclic variations which result in
periodic fluctuation of engine speed.
• This fluctuation of speed is regulated by the use of governors
among others.
• An engine governor is a combination of interacting elements
which automatically maintain engine speed within assigned
limits.
• When the load on an engine increases, its speed decreases,
therefore it is necessary to increase the supply of working fluid
& vice-versa.
• Thus, Governor automatically controls the speed under
varying load.
Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 3
 8.1. Classification of governors
• The governors may broadly be classified depending on the
controlling force acting on the governor
1. Centrifugal governors
2. Inertia governors

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 4

 8.1. Classification of governors
The centrifugal governors may further be classified as
follows: Centrifugal governor

Pendulum type Loaded type

Watt governor Dead weight Spring controlled

governor governor

Porter governor Proell governor

Hartnell Hartung Wilson - Hartnel Pickering

governor governor governor governor
Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 5
 8.2. Governor Characteristics
• To regulate speed, a governor must posses certain qualities.
• A governor has to maintain the mean speed of the rotating
member by floating in the mean position between extreme
positions.
• At the same time, it must readily respond to changes of speed.
• The characteristics that are related to the proper functioning of
a governor are stability and sensitivity.
• These characteristics affect the controlling force of the
governor.

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 6

 8.2. Governor Characteristics
Controlling Force
• The controlling force in centrifugal governors is the equivalent
inward radial force that controls ball movement.
• The controlling force depends on the horizontal radial position
of the balls and it may be expressed as
Neglecting the effect of friction
and the inertia forces of the
links, the centripetal force
acting on the balls is

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 7

8.2. Governor Characteristics

The graph of Fc cuts the graph of the

controlling force at P, for which

for a constant radial distance r and

steady angular velocity ω.

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 8

 8.3. Porter governor
• The Porter governor is a dead weight governor and is
illustrated in Fig.
• As the speed of the shaft increases, the balls move outward
raising the sleeve height, and vice-versa.
• The controlling load is attached to the sleeve.

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 9

 8.4. Hartnel governor
• Hartnell governor is a spring
loaded governor as shown in
Fig.
• The balls B are mounted on the
vertical arms of the bell-crank
levers which are pivoted at O.
• The pivots are fixed on the
frame keyed to the shaft.
• The helical spring in
compression provides downward
forces on the rollers through the
collar of the sleeve.

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 10

 8.5. Centrifugal shaft governor
• In the centrifugal shaft governor, the effect of transverse
accelerating forces is neglected.
• Heavy links carrying masses are pivoted on the disc which is
keyed to the engine shaft as shown in Fig.

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 11

 8.6. Inertia governors
• Inertia governors are operated
by the rate of change of speed
instead of the finite change of
speed.
• A diagrammatic representation of
the inertia governor is shown in
Fig.
• As shown in the figure point A is
a pivot point near the shaft axis.
• For some rate of change of
speed, the link carrying the two
balls will start to move causing
the spring to deflect.
Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 12
 References
1. Alem Bazezew, “Mechanisms of Machinery”, Addis Ababa University
Press, 2001.

Mechanisms of Machinery [MEng3071]: 8. Governors BY: Nigatu D. 13

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