On operating an engine with a governor.
Jim Shaw commented that I've connected the handgrip to the governor rather than the fuel control. That is correct, but I'm not sure how to connect it to control the fuel directly.
The fuel injection pump has two levers on it. The one that is currently in use is governed. The other seems to simply slow the engine. With the governor lever held fully on, the engine increases to it's rated speed of 3000 and stays there. If at that point the second lever is moved, the engine speed decreases. No matter what the position of the governor lever, the other lever decreases engine speed. I ignore that one.
A governer is a mechanical or analog cruise control. The position of the governor control lever determines the engine speed. If I hold the handgrip WFO, the engine accelerates to 3000 RPM and stays there. I can lock the handgrip in place, run the bike up to speed, squeeze the clutch in, shift to the next gear and get an immediate pull from the engine. With the clutch in, the engine speed stays the same, but when I shift and release the clutch, engine speed drops and the governor adds fuel to bring the engine back up to speed.
Given that it works the way it does, I frequently ride with the 'throttle' locked in place. For example, in a 45mph zone, 3rd gear works well, lock the throttle down and the engine compensates for the hills automatically. The governor even works on the ramp coming out of the parking garage at work. Just leave the bike in first gear at idle and when it hits the ramp, rather than dying as a normal engine would do, the governor senses a reduction in the idle speed and adds fuel to bring it back up to where it should be. It simply climbs the ramp at idle without any intervention on my part. I suspect this is the origin of the myth about the torque of a diesel engine. It isn't that it has a lot of torque, it's the governor acting to keep the RPMs from falling.
The downside to that is when I have to brake suddenly. With electronic cruise control, applying the brake immediately releases the cruise control and the engine slows down. The governor isn't watching what's happening with the brakes. If I simply apply the brakes to slow down, the governor rolls on the 'throttle' to bring the speed back up to normal. That's scary as hell the first few times. Now I've trained my right hand to roll out of the 'throttle' when I apply the brakes. It's an extra step to slow down, but that's how this bike works.
Jim's other queston: "Does the IBA allow multiple baffles in lieu of foam?"
I don't remember that it does. I wasn't able to find the actual rule when I looked for it yesterday. I hope to talk to one or more of the rulemakers at the dinner in Florida. That rule may not have adequately considered what happens in a diesel fuel tank.
Jim Shaw commented that I've connected the handgrip to the governor rather than the fuel control. That is correct, but I'm not sure how to connect it to control the fuel directly.
The fuel injection pump has two levers on it. The one that is currently in use is governed. The other seems to simply slow the engine. With the governor lever held fully on, the engine increases to it's rated speed of 3000 and stays there. If at that point the second lever is moved, the engine speed decreases. No matter what the position of the governor lever, the other lever decreases engine speed. I ignore that one.A governer is a mechanical or analog cruise control. The position of the governor control lever determines the engine speed. If I hold the handgrip WFO, the engine accelerates to 3000 RPM and stays there. I can lock the handgrip in place, run the bike up to speed, squeeze the clutch in, shift to the next gear and get an immediate pull from the engine. With the clutch in, the engine speed stays the same, but when I shift and release the clutch, engine speed drops and the governor adds fuel to bring the engine back up to speed.
Given that it works the way it does, I frequently ride with the 'throttle' locked in place. For example, in a 45mph zone, 3rd gear works well, lock the throttle down and the engine compensates for the hills automatically. The governor even works on the ramp coming out of the parking garage at work. Just leave the bike in first gear at idle and when it hits the ramp, rather than dying as a normal engine would do, the governor senses a reduction in the idle speed and adds fuel to bring it back up to where it should be. It simply climbs the ramp at idle without any intervention on my part. I suspect this is the origin of the myth about the torque of a diesel engine. It isn't that it has a lot of torque, it's the governor acting to keep the RPMs from falling.
The downside to that is when I have to brake suddenly. With electronic cruise control, applying the brake immediately releases the cruise control and the engine slows down. The governor isn't watching what's happening with the brakes. If I simply apply the brakes to slow down, the governor rolls on the 'throttle' to bring the speed back up to normal. That's scary as hell the first few times. Now I've trained my right hand to roll out of the 'throttle' when I apply the brakes. It's an extra step to slow down, but that's how this bike works.
Jim's other queston: "Does the IBA allow multiple baffles in lieu of foam?"
I don't remember that it does. I wasn't able to find the actual rule when I looked for it yesterday. I hope to talk to one or more of the rulemakers at the dinner in Florida. That rule may not have adequately considered what happens in a diesel fuel tank.
posted by Leon at 7:18 PM
4 Comments:
Have a nice, uneventful ride this weekend. Looking forward to hearing the successful results soon after. Have you made any provision to go further that 1K if everything is going well? Nevertheless, the 1K will be a landmark.
Don't let Ryan run over you ;)
Hey Leon,
It looks like things are going well with the development, especially considering all the potential problems that this type of project could entail. Getting the diesel to work so well is definitely a tribute to your mechanical skills and perseverance.
Alas, I would hate to say I told you so way back when about the turbo diesel heat and the little radiator, so I won't.
:):):)
Looking forward to seeing you and the bike at the IBA meet in JAX.
Love your project! FYI - the other lever that you are referring to on the injector pump is the shut down lever. On a tractor, it is typically connected to a cable that you pull when you want to shut the engine down. Once this engine starts, it runs without requiring any electronics. Should you have a dead battery, the shut down solenoid would not be able to stop the engine. This lever is a "back up" way to stop the engine.
This is old but I'll still comment. How about you rig up a brake-actuated forced-idle speed governor by...
- connecting the governor lever to the middle of a bar
- connect the 'throttle' grip cable to the top end of that bar
- connect the bottom of the bar to a brake-actuated solenoid which brings the bottom end closer to the governor. The solenoid can be connected to the brake light switch.
That way you can enjoy your diesel cruise control without having the engine against you when you want to brake.
Post a Comment
<< Home