Sri Lanka Technological campus

EME2204 – Mechanics of Machinery

Assignment – Governors

1. Figure shows a Porter governor for which the speed range can be varied by means of
the auxiliary spring S. The spring force is transmitted to the sleeve by the arm AB which
is pivoted at A. The two balls each of mass 0.5 kg are supported by four links, C1, C2,
C3 and C4, each 90 mm in length. The sleeve carries a mass of 1.2 kg.

The sleeve begins to rise when the balls revolve at 200 rev/min in a circle of 75 mm
radius. The speed of the governor is not to exceed 220 rev/min when the sleeve has
risen 10 mm from its original position. Determine:

(a) the necessary stiffness of the spring S. and

(b) the tension in the link C1 when the sleeve begins to rise.
2. Figure shows a Hartnell governor, in which the length of the ball-arm is 190 mm, that
of the sleeve-arm is 140 mm, and the mass of each ball is 2.9 kg. The distance of the
pivot of each bell-crank lever from the axis of rotation is 170 mm, and the speed, when
the ball-arm is vertical, is 350 rev/min. The speed is to increase 0.6 per cent for a lift
of 12 mm of the sleeve.
a) Neglecting the dead load on the sleeve, find the necessary stiffness of the spring
and the required initial compression.
b) What spring stiffness and initial compression would be required if the speed is to
remain the same for the changed position of the sleeve (i.e. the governor is to be
isochronous)?