Governor

The governor is the heart of the turbine plant. It is responsible for moving the blades of the guide vane. During commissioning, it is initially controlled manually by the large hand wheel (left). After about 10 minutes the bio-oil used for the oil pressure control is sufficiently heated and the regulator can be switched to automatic operation. The short changeover time is a critical phase of operation, as the Francis turbine is then uncontrolled. The position of the guide wheel blades is then controlled by a fly ball regulator in such a way that the speed can be kept constant. If, for example, the inflow water quantity decreases, the guide wheel blades are opened so that more water reaches the turbine. When the set speed is reached again, the guide vanes can remain in the desired position.

The set speed can be precisely adjusted with the small hand wheel. This is necessary if the generated electricity is to be fed into the grid.