Hydraulics and Hydraulic Machines

Governors for Turbines

Pendulum or actuator
To Reduce Speed
Rated Speed
To increase
Speed
Rated Speed
Lever
Towards turbine guiding
mechanism

To Reduce Speed
fulcrum
From turbine shaft
To increase
Speed
Distribution
valve

Gear
Pump

Oil
Sump

Servomotor or relay
cylinder

Oil pressure governor

A Governor is a mechanism to regulate the speed of the shaft of a turbine. The turbine is
coupled to the shaft of the generator, which is generating power/electricity. The power
generated should have uniform rating of current and frequency which in turn depends on
the speed of the shaft of the turbine. Fig shows the oil pressure governor for a turbine.
The main component parts of the governor are:
1. The servomotor or Relay cylinder
2. The distribution valve or control valve
3. Actuator or Pendulum
4. Oil Sump
5. Gear pump which runs by tapping power from the power shaft by belt drive
6. A pipe system communicating with the control valve, servomotor and the sump
When the turbine is subjected to its normal load, it runs at the normal speed N. When the
load on the turbine increases or decreases the speed of the turbine also will accordingly
decrease ot increase.

Dr. M .N. S he sh a P ra ka sh , P ro f e sso r, J . N.N . C o lleg e o f E ng i nee ri ng , Sh i mo g a

Hydraulics and Hydraulic Machines

The oil pressure governor will restore the speed to the normal value. The normal position
of the governor at the normal speed is shown in fig.
As the load on the turbine increases, the speed decreases in turn reducing the speed of the
vertical bar of the governor. The fly balls of the centrifugal governor are brought to a
lower level, thereby bringing the displacement lever downward. This through the fulcrum
lifts the piston of the control valve and thereby opens the valve A and closes the valve B.
Oil is pumped through valve A and into the servomotor, thereby pushing the piston of the
servomotor backwards. This in turn increases the inlet area of the discharge into the
turbine, thereby increasing the speed.
Similarly, with decrease in load on the turbine, the fly balls move farther away from the
vertical shaft of the governor, thereby lifting the displacement lever upwards. This
through the fulcrum lowers the piston of the control valve and thereby opens the valve B
and closes the valve A. Oil is pumped through valve B and into the servomotor, thereby
pushing the piston of the servomotor forwards. This in turn decreases the inlet area of the
discharge into the turbine, thereby decreasing the speed.
In both the cases mentioned above, the process continues until the normal position is
reached.

Dr. M .N. S he sh a P ra ka sh , P ro f e sso r, J . N.N . C o lleg e o f E ng i nee ri ng , Sh i mo g a