History Of Governors

[Jcotz]

I was just wondering, at what point did governors start being put in small engines? What was the original RPM limit? Would a really old engine have no governor? Sorry for all the questions, I was just curious.

 

[karl]

They go all the way back to steam engines, there was no standard limit and early engines had no governors.

 

[jman231994]

Not really sure but I will guess that it would have been when the engines started to become more widespread in general purpose roles. ie. domestic mowers, pressure cleaners. That sort of stuff. Companies would have realised that they could save money by stopping their engines from over revving and wearing out prematurely. Thus came the governor. May have been around previously for other roles though? Pretty sure steam engines had a governer to stop them from running faster than necessary

 

[sideways]

I was just wondering, at what point did governors start being put in small engines? What was the original RPM limit? Would a really old engine have no governor? Sorry for all the questions, I was just curious.

Engines have had governors since the very first ones were made, too stop them from over speeding (obviously).

I have a 1930s or 40s J.A.P 2s (98cc, 1.2hp industrial engine) that has an internal centrifugal style governor just like you'd find in any modern Honda or Briggs. I think this one runs at 4000RPM but it would really depend on the engine. Some might run at 2000rpm, others (generally only small 2 strokes) might pull 6000rpm. They're normally somewhere between 3000-4000 though.

Most stuff from about the 60s on wards is limited to 3600rpm. Almost any industrial engine you'l come across will have some form of governor.

Thanks

Hayden

 

[jman231994]

Beat me to the steam engine thing haha

 

[fowler]

Ya steam engine had one that was a valve to realese steam pressure if the governor spun too fast

 

[sideways]

Not really sure but I will guess that it would have been when the engines started to become more widespread in general purpose roles. ie. domestic mowers, pressure cleaners. That sort of stuff. Companies would have realised that they could save money by stopping their engines from over revving and wearing out prematurely. Thus came the governor. May have been around previously for other roles though? Pretty sure steam engines had a governer to stop them from running faster than necessary

It wasn't that, it was to stop them from blowing up! Look at the flywheels on an old hit and miss engine, people die when those go bang. Even early industrial engines like my little J.A.P are far more substantial than your average modern Honda(actually, it's a tiny engine, but the flywheel would be a whole lot heavier and weaker!). Also, back then, getting an engine to run at a constant 4000rpm without snapping a crank or doing a conrod was a pretty special thing. Engines wore out quite quickly back then anyway, rebuilding them was like changing the oil. It's not like today where once the engine is worn out you get a new one, wear was just something that happened.

I've seen pictures of huge steam engines that have had flywheels explode, they flatten the large factories they're housed in and kill dozens, it's incredible.

Thanks

Hayden

 

[sideways]

Ya steam engine had one that was a valve to realese steam pressure if the governor spun too fast

Na, it'd only release steam if the pressure in the boiler was to high, the governor would act on the "throttle" like on any other engine.

 

[tony7281]

Balls Out!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Nice!