Engineering English
Governor
Electrical Engineering · Mechanical Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A governor controls the speed of a prime mover such as a turbine or engine by adjusting the fuel or steam input. It maintains the rotational speed at the setpoint despite load variations.
Example in context
“The hydro turbine governor reduced the gate opening when the generator load dropped to prevent overspeed.”
“Hidro türbin regülatörü, aşırı hızı önlemek için jeneratör yükü düştüğünde kapı açıklığını azalttı.”
Where engineers use it
Governors are critical in power plants for frequency control. Engineers must tune the droop setting to allow proper load sharing among parallel generators.
Synonyms: speed governor, turbine governor
In Mechanical Engineering
A mechanism that automatically regulates the speed of an engine or turbine by adjusting fuel or working fluid supply as load changes. It keeps rotational speed close to a preset value without operator intervention.
“As the generator load suddenly dropped, the governor cut back the fuel rack and prevented the diesel engine from overspeeding.”
Practice: can you use “Governor” at work?
During a sudden islanding event, the turbine overspeeds. Describe how the governor responds and what settings you would check.
Show a model answer
“The governor adjusts fuel flow to keep the turbine at synchronous speed.”
“Governor” in 21 languages
| English | Governor |
|---|---|
| Turkish | Regülatör (Hız regülatörü) |
| French | Régulateur (de vitesse) |
| German | Drehzahlregler |
| Spanish | Regulador de velocidad |
| Chinese | 调速器 |
| Arabic | منظم السرعة |
| Portuguese | Regulador de velocidade |
| Russian | Регулятор скорости |
| Japanese | ガバナ |
| Italian | Regolatore di velocità |
| Vietnamese | Bộ điều tốc |
| Hindi | गवर्नर (गति नियंत्रक) |
| Thai | ผู้ควบคุมความเร็ว |
| Indonesian | Governor (pengatur kecepatan) |
| Korean | 조속기 |
| Bengali | গভর্নর |
| Dutch | Snelheidsregelaar |
| Swedish | Varvtalsregulator |
| Finnish | Nopeudensäädin |
| Ukrainian | Регулятор швидкості |
Frequently asked questions
What does Governor mean in engineering?
A governor controls the speed of a prime mover such as a turbine or engine by adjusting the fuel or steam input. It maintains the rotational speed at the setpoint despite load variations. In Electrical Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Governor?
Governor is pronounced /ˈɡʌvərnər/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Governor used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The hydro turbine governor reduced the gate opening when the generator load dropped to prevent overspeed.”
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