Author Topic: Jacobs governor weights?  (Read 987 times)

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doubledipsoon

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Jacobs governor weights?
« on: July 29, 2021, 03:25:18 AM »
Does anyone know the weight difference between the (pre-REA) initial Jacobs "flyball governor" (picture #1) and the later blade-actuated governor (picture #2)? Thanks

Adriaan Kragten

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Re: Jacobs governor weights?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2021, 04:59:31 AM »
I can't answer your question but its nice that you show a photo of the oldest Jacobs mechanism from which it can be derived how it works. The three centrifugal weights turn a central ring and the blades are turned by tapered gear wheels in between the root of the blade shaft and the central ring. Each centrifugal weight is pulled inwards by a tapered spring. I think that the weak point of this system is that some play may arise in between the gear wheels.

When I was working in the Wind Energy Group of the TU-Eindhoven, we have owned a small Enag 2-bladed wind turbine for which the blades were mounted on a shaft with a spiral in both ends. Above a certain rotational speed, the whole blade moved outwards by the centrifugal force acting on it and it rotated because of the spiral. I can't remember if there was a mechanical coupling in between the movement of both blades. The advantage of using the weight of the whole blade is that the center of gravity of the blade is lying at a large radius. So the relative change of the place of this center is only little if the blade moves somewhat outwards. The system is therefore almost only sensible for the rotational speed and not for the position of the weight like it is the case for the newest Jacobs mechanism for which the weight is mounted at the blade shaft (see chapter 14 report KD 437).

kitestrings

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Re: Jacobs governor weights?
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2021, 08:20:03 AM »
I had a chance to see and handle some of these (pre-REA) hubs back in the early '80s.  I recall being impressed with the quality of the design & materials.  I believe the gears are brass, and very heavy-duty.  I'm sorry I don't know the weights, but there is still a Jacobs website, with contacts.  You might try inquiring with them.

doubledipsoon

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Re: Jacobs governor weights?
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2021, 09:35:10 AM »
Yes, these governors were built to last if lubed religiously- too bad most of these were not maintained and ultimately added to the historical junkpile of forgotten works of engineered art. I can understand why Jacobs later upgraded them to the blade-actuated governor type- less moving parts, all stainless steel, no real maintenance, and obviously more consumer appropriate. I mean, who works on anything these days? I can see why there are only a handful of hold-outs who still rebuild these extinct wind generators............. I'm still debating which way to go, flyball or blade-actuated. But one thing is certain- a Jacobs wind machine with either type governor is probably the only one ever made to handle unruly wind signatures (uneven gusts coming from different directions) because of its big mass and very stable inertia, and all done in a very quiet way. It refuses to get tossed around! 

SparWeb

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Re: Jacobs governor weights?
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2021, 08:48:23 PM »
One thing to bear in mind, if you go for a higher-maintenance option, is the ease of lowering the tower, or climbing it.
Obviously, if either of those things are hard to do, the maintenance schedule just slips and slips...
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