What Is A Governor? (Purpose)

Along the manual throttle control, many types of equipment use governor. Governor or speed limiter is an automatic device used to sense and maintain the speed of an engine within a specified limit when there is a variation of the load on the engine or output required. The function of a governor is to keep the engine at a constant speed irrespective of the load on the engine. These devices regulate speed automatically by controlling the fuel injected into the engine. Unlike the flywheel that works continuously, the governors are more or less intermittent.

- Difference between Flywheel and Governor

 

When the speed of the engine decreases due to increasing load, then the fuel supply valve open by an actuating mechanism controlled by the governor. The increase in the supply of fuel speeds up the engine to the required value. In the case of low engine load, the speed of the engine begins to rise beyond a predefined value. Again, the Governor actuate the valve mechanism that closes the throttle, then the speed of the engine decreases to its normal value.

Constant speed governor: If the governor limits the speed of the engine to a particular single value.

Speed limiting type governor: If the speed of engine maintains within a range (minimum and maximum value).

Governors can be used to limit the top speed of an engine. It protects the IC engine from damage due to excessive rotational speed.

The governors are classified into

• Mechanical governor
• Electrical governor
• Pneumatic governor

Read: Types of governor: centrifugal governor vs inertia governor
- Governor Terminology