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Steam Governor
James Watt
1788
Submitted by: Geoff Howard

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James Watt's Steam Governor

The flyball steam engine governor was an early example of using negative feedback to control a machine. It was invented in 1788 by James Watt to regulate the speed of steam engines. As the speed of rotation increases, the flyballs spin outwards causing a collar to slide up the shaft. Linkages transfer this motion to a steam throttle so a constant speed is maintained.

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