The Development and Field Experience of a Transistor Electric Governor for Hydro Turbines

Abstract

The general design requirement for an electric-hydraulic governing system for hydraulic turbines is that it must sense speed electrically, produce a signal suitable for control, and use this signal to position the gate servomotors. It must be capable of performing all auxiliary functions previously required plus some desirable new ones, such as joint control. The dead band must be less than 0.01 percent and the dead time less than 0.25 second. Its selling price should be equal to, or less than, mechanical governors. Its transient response characteristics must be excellent. The paper discusses how some of these goals have been met and presents results from field and shop tests.