Improvements in the Method of and Arrangements for Governing Steam Turbines, in part applicable to other Steam Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Arrangements for Governing
Steam Turbines, in part applicable to other Steam Engines.
I, The Honourable CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, of Heaton Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the governing valves and mechanism of steam turbines
and other steam engines and its principal object is to produce a steam turbine
governing apparatus of simple construction and more effective in action than any
such governor hitherto used. At the same time part of the invention may be
applied to governing and operating the cut off valve or valves of an ordinary
reciprocating steam engine.
Described in general terms, one part of the invention consists in a novel arrange-
ment for actuating the admission valve so as to secure a periodic admission of steam
to the turbine or other engine, the said periodic admission being regulated as to
duration of each opening or puff in such manner as to constitute a regulating
governor.
In carrying the invention into effect I obtain from an eccentric, cam or other
mechanical device a reciprocating movement or pull which reciprocation I compound
in any well known manner with the motion of position of the governor proper.
Sometimes I cause a periodic displacement of the governor proper about its then
normal position by the reciprocating movement.
An electric reciprocator may be used instead of a mechanically actuated
device.
In the manner hereinbefore indicated a motion of the required nature may be
imparted directly to the admission valve or it may be applied to the controlling
valve of a steam, air, or hydraulic relay; or to the equivalent part of any relay of a
magnetic or other kind. To work the main admission valve I however prefer a
steam relay and valve of the simplest construction which forms part of my
invention.
Such an arrangement together with a specific governor suitable for a steam
turbine actuating a dynamo is constructed and acts as follow:-A main admission
valve preferably of the double beat or other balanced type is connected, by means
of a rod passing loosely through a bush, to a piston in a closed cylinder. A leakage
past this bush from the steam chest operates the piston against a strong spring
which spring tends to close the main valve and cut off the steam supply at the
engine. A sinall outlet valve controlling this cylinder is operated by the governor.
When the said outlet valve is closed the steam admitted to the cylinder by the leak
raises the piston and opens the main valve but when the outlet valve is opened the
steam escapes from the cylinder faster than it can enter by the leak and so the
spring closes the main valve. For intermediate positions of the small outlet valve
the main supply valve assumes corresponding positions of partial opening. So far
the arrangement constitutes a throttle governor but with certain proportions of the
parts it may be unstable aud cause an intermittent admission. I prefer however to
ensure a cut off or vibratory action of definite period by mounting the governor
lever operating the small outlet valve on a fulcrum attached to a rocker or
reciprocating lever to which is imparted a small periodic reciprocating movement
by an eccentric actuated from the engine shaft by worm gearing. A regulated
aperture may be adopted instead of a leak past the bush.
The governor proper consists of a solenoid excited from the main or a subsidiary
circuit of the dynamo and may be simple or compound as desired.

page_text: The core of the solenoid is balanced by an adjustable spring against the
magnetic pull. By this means a sensitive governor is obtained in a well known
manner. Any other convenient form of governor may however be used for the
combination.
The reciprocation of the rocker causes the small outlet valve to reciprocate
slightly about the normal position in which the governor tends to place it and so
causes the main valve to be lifted periodically and kept open for longer or
'shorter times.
When the engine is running at standard speed or electrical output the main valve
remains open for a longer time after each reciprocation as the force tending to
return the governing lever to its normal position is less than when the speed rises.
As the speed rises the force returning the said lever to its normal position is
greater and so the main valve is closed sooner.
An important advantage of the reciprocating movement arises from the fact that
all frictional resistance to the movement of the governor proper is eliminated and
hunting or sticking is much less likely to occur.
Any suitable form of admission valve may be used with or without relay, that is
the governor may be made powerful enough to operate the said admission valve
direct and it may be disturbed about its normal position also directly.
Any suitable means may be adopted to impart the reciprocating movement to
the valve.
Any arrangement of levers, pullies, pistons or other devices or pistons with fluid
of any kind or any known device for compounding motions may be employed to
superimpose the reciprocating movement between the governor proper and the
main valve.
Further any periodic impressed force may be applied to the governor proper
itself with or without any combination of dash pots or other device for preventing
oscillations to secure the periodic displacement of the governor proper.
It is also to be understood that the sleeve of a centrifugal governor may be
periodically displaced for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this 31st day of August 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Arrangements for Governing
Steam Turbines, in part applicable to other Steam Engines.
I, The Honourable CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, of Heaton Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the governing valves and mechanism of steam turbines
and other steam engines and its principal object is to produce a steam turbine
governing apparatus of simple construction and more effective in action than any
such governor hitherto used. At the same time part of the invention may be
applied to governing and operating the cut off valve or valves of an ordinary
reciprocating steam engine.
Described in general terms, one part of the invention consists in a novel arrange-
ment for actuating the admission valve so as to secure a periodic admission of steam
to the turbine or other engine the said periodic admission being regulated as to
duration of each opening or puff in such manner as to constitute a regulating
governor.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings :—
Figure is an elevation partly in section illustrating the application of my
invention

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1.
In carrying the invention into effect I obtain from an eccentric, cam or other
mechanical device a reciprocating movement or pull which reciprocation I compound
in any well known manner with the motion of position of the governor proper.
Sometimes I cause a periodic displacement of the governor proper about its then
normal position by the reciprocating movement.
An electrical reciprocator may be used instead of a mechanically actuated
device.
In the manner hereinbefore indicated a motion of the required nature may be
imparted directly to the admission valve or it may be applied to the controlling
valve of a steam, air, or hydraulic relay; or to the equivalent part of any relay
of a magnetic or other kind. To work the main admission valve I however
prefer a steam relay and valve of the simplest construction, which forms part of my
invention.
Such an arrangement together with a specific governor suitable for a steam
turbine actuating a dynamo is constructed and acts as follows:-A main admission
valve A preferably of the double beat or other balanced type is connected, by
means of a rod B passing loosely through a bush C, to a piston B¹ in a closed
cylinder. A leakage past this bush C from the steam chest A' operates the
piston B' against a strong spring B2, which spring tends to close the main valve A
and cut off the steam supply to the engine. A small outlet valve D controlling
this cylinder by ports B³ 13 is operated by the governor.
When the said outlet
valve D is closed, the steam admitted to the cylinder by the leak past the bush C,
raises the piston B¹ and opens the main valve A; but when the said outlet valve D
is opened the steam escapes from the cylinder faster than it can enter by the leak
and so the spring B' closes the main valve. For intermediate positions of the
small outlet valve D, the main supply valve A assumes corresponding positions of
partial opening; instead or in conjunction with the loosely fitting bush I sometimes
use an adjustable tap, to control the leak entering under the piston so as to adjust
it to suit various boiler pressures and circumstances. In the drawings (Figures 1
and 2) the valve D is operated through the lever E by an electrical governor F
and when the operation is as I have just described the fulcrum E is fixed.
centrifugal or other governor may operate the lever E instead of an electrical
governor.
A
So far the arrangement constitutes a throttle governor; but with certain propor-
tions of the parts it may be unstable and cause an intermittent admission. I prefer
however to ensure a cut off or vibratory action of definite period by mounting the
governor lever E operating the small outlet valve D on a fulcrum E attached to a
rocker or reciprocating lever G to which is imparted a small periodic reciprocating
movement by an eccentric G¹ actuated from the engine shaft H by worm gearing.
The rocker lever G is pivoted from the fixed fulcrum G2 and the said rocker lever
carries the pin E on which the lever E pivots. When the lever G oscillates the
fulcrum Eis alternately raised and lowered, and the lever E then pivots from the
pin or pivot E³ where the spring resistance is applied to oppose the solenoid F.
Although the lever G always gives the same travel to the pivot E' and therefore
to the valve D, yet the point of cut off in the said travel is determined by the
position of the solenoid and the amount of cover of the valve D. That is, in
some positions of the lever E the valve D opens or closes with a smaller movement
than in other positions.
A regulated aperture may be adopted instead of a leak past the bush C.
The governor proper consists of a solenoid F.excited from the main or a subsidiary
circuit of the dynamo and may be simple or compound as desired.
The core of the solenoid F is balanced by an adjustable spring against the
magnetic pull. This spring may be applied to the lever E acting from the hook J
or other convenient point. By this means a sensitive governor is obtained in a
well known manner. Any other convenient form of governor such as a centrifugal
governor may however be used for the combination.

page_text: The reciprocation of the rocker lever G causes the small outlet valve D to
reciprocate slightly about the normal position in which the goveruor tends to place
it, and so causes the main valve to be lifted periodically and kept open for longer or
shorter times.
When the engine is running at standard speed or electrical output, the main
valve A remains open and closed for definite periods dependent on the position of
the lever in its normal position if the load decreases the position of the lever E
-alters slightly and the periods of admission are of shorter duration; the reverse
takes place when the load increases.
As the small valve D of the steam relay actuated by the lever E is balanced so
far as steam pressure is concerned the lever E is moved with perfect freedom by the
solenoid F. This freedom of movement is very much assisted by the reciprocating
movement of all the parts which neutralises all frictional resistance.
Any suitable form of admission valve may be used with or without relay, that is,
the governor may be made powerful enough to operate the said admission valve
direct or by a lever such as E and it may be disturbed about its normal position
also directly by connection to a rocker lever as G. Any suitable means may be
adopted to impart the reciprocating movement to the valve A.
Any arrangement of levers, pullies, pistons or other devices or pistons with fluid
of any kind or any known device for compounding motions may be employed to
superimpose the reciprocating movement between the governor proper and the main
valve.
Further, any periodic impressed force may be applied to the governor proper
itself with or without any combination of dash pots or other device for preventing
-oscillations, to secure the periodic displacement of the governor proper.
It is also to be understood that the sleeve of a centrifugal governor may be
periodically displaced for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A governor controlling the supply of motive fluid to a steam or other engine
in which a fluid control valve is reciprocated so as to periodically open and close
and the valve is at the same time operated by the said governor in such manner
that although the reciprocations remain nearly constant yet the time of steam
admission and cut off varies with the load substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A governor controlling the supply of motive fluid to a steam engine in
which a steam control valve is operated by a steam relay arrangement, the relay
valve being subject to two motions compounded in any convenient manner, one of
the motions causing the constant reciprocation of the relay valve and therefore of
the steam control valve while the other motion varies the position of the relay
valve according to the position of the governing device whether mechanical or
electrical and determines the proportion of each reciprocation during which steam
is admitted to or cut off from the engine, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. An engine governor in which a supply and cut off valve as A is operated by
.steam pressure on a piston as B₁ and its periodic opening and closing is produced
by the action of a reciprocating lever as G which reciprocating lever is compounded
with a governor lever as Ẹ the said lever E being controlled by any known form
of electrical or mechanical governor, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The engine governor herein before described with reference to Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd dere of Iun 1802
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.