Product Manual 36054

(Revision NEW)
Original Instructions

Dual Buffer System for

PG-200/300/500 Governors

Operation Manual
 Read this entire manual and all other publications pertaining to the work to be
performed before installing, operating, or servicing this equipment.
Practice all plant and safety instructions and precautions.
General
Precautions Failure to follow instructions can cause personal injury and/or property damage.

This publication may have been revised or updated since this copy was produced.
To verify that you have the latest revision, check manual 26311 , Revision Status &
Distribution Restrictions of Woodward Technical Publications, on the publications
Revisions page of the Woodward website:
www.woodward.com/publications

The latest version of most publications is available on the publications page. If

your publication is not there, please contact your customer service representative
to get the latest copy.

Any unauthorized modifications to or use of this equipment outside its specified

mechanical, electrical, or other operating limits may cause personal injury and/or
property damage, including damage to the equipment. Any such unauthorized
Proper Use modifications: (i) constitute "misuse" and/or "negligence" within the meaning of
the product warranty thereby excluding warranty coverage for any resulting
damage, and (ii) invalidate product certifications or listings.

If the cover of this publication states "Translation of the Original Instructions"

please note:
The original source of this publication may have been updated since this
Translated translation was made. Be sure to check manual 26311 , Revision Status &
Publications Distribution Restrictions of Woodward Technical Publications, to verify whether
this translation is up to date. Out-of-date translations are marked with . Always
compare with the original for technical specifications and for proper and safe
installation and operation procedures.

Revisions—Changes in this publication since the last revision are indicated by a black line
alongside the text.

Woodward reserves the right to update any portion of this publication at any time. Information provided by Woodward is
believed to be correct and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by Woodward unless otherwise expressly
undertaken.
Copyright © Woodward 1992
All Rights Reserved
 Manual 36054 Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors

Warnings and Notices

Important Definitions
This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to potential
personal injury hazards. Obey all safety messages that follow this
symbol to avoid possible injury or death.
 DANGER—Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result
in death or serious injury.
 WARNING—Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could
result in death or serious injury.
 CAUTION—Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could
result in minor or moderate injury.
 NOTICE—Indicates a hazard that could result in property damage only
(including damage to the control).
 IMPORTANT—Designates an operating tip or maintenance suggestion.

The engine, turbine, or other type of prime mover should be

equipped with an overspeed shutdown device to protect against
runaway or damage to the prime mover with possible personal injury,
Overspeed / loss of life, or property damage.
Overtemperature / The overspeed shutdown device must be totally independent of the
Overpressure prime mover control system. An overtemperature or overpressure
shutdown device may also be needed for safety, as appropriate.

The products described in this publication may present risks that

could lead to personal injury, loss of life, or property damage. Always
wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job
Personal Protective at hand. Equipment that should be considered includes but is not
limited to:
Equipment
 Eye Protection
 Hearing Protection
 Hard Hat
 Gloves
 Safety Boots
 Respirator
Always read the proper Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for any
working fluid(s) and comply with recommended safety equipment.

Be prepared to make an emergency shutdown when starting the

engine, turbine, or other type of prime mover, to protect against
runaway or overspeed with possible personal injury, loss of life, or
Start-up property damage.

On- and off-highway Mobile Applications: Unless Woodward's control

functions as the supervisory control, customer should install a
system totally independent of the prime mover control system that
Automotive monitors for supervisory control of engine (and takes appropriate
action if supervisory control is lost) to protect against loss of engine
Applications
control with possible personal injury, loss of life, or property damage.

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 Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors Manual 36054

To prevent damage to a control system that uses an alternator or

battery-charging device, make sure the charging device is turned off
before disconnecting the battery from the system.
Battery Charging
Device

Electrostatic Discharge Awareness

Electronic controls contain static-sensitive parts. Observe the
following precautions to prevent damage to these parts:
 Discharge body static before handling the control (with power to
the control turned off, contact a grounded surface and maintain
Electrostatic contact while handling the control).
Precautions  Avoid all plastic, vinyl, and Styrofoam (except antistatic versions)
around printed circuit boards.
 Do not touch the components or conductors on a printed circuit
board with your hands or with conductive devices.
To prevent damage to electronic components caused by improper
handling, read and observe the precautions in Woodward manual
82715, Guide for Handling and Protection of Electronic Controls,
Printed Circuit Boards, and Modules.

Follow these precautions when working with or near the control.

1. Avoid the build-up of static electricity on your body by not wearing clothing
made of synthetic materials. Wear cotton or cotton-blend materials as much
as possible because these do not store static electric charges as much as
synthetics.
2. Do not remove the printed circuit board (PCB) from the control cabinet
unless absolutely necessary. If you must remove the PCB from the control
cabinet, follow these precautions:
 Do not touch any part of the PCB except the edges.
 Do not touch the electrical conductors, the connectors, or the
components with conductive devices or with your hands.
 When replacing a PCB, keep the new PCB in the plastic antistatic
protective bag it comes in until you are ready to install it. Immediately
after removing the old PCB from the control cabinet, place it in the
antistatic protective bag.

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Manual 36054 Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors

Dual Buffer System for

PG-200/300/500 Governors

Introduction
A dual buffer system, used with PGA 200/300 and PGA 500 governors in
applications controlling long-stroke marine-propulsion engines, provides standard
dynamics at low fuel (low speed) operation and preloaded buffer springs and
stiffer dynamics at high fuel operation.

Long-stroke marine propulsion engines present severe engine torsional

oscillations in speed at high load levels. This condition requires the use of
preloaded buffer springs to provide stable governor control. These engines are
designed to operate over a wide range of speeds and at all but the high load
levels control well with standard dynamics achieved with normal buffer springs.

The dual-buffer system improves the performance of the governor system on

these engines by switching dynamics according to the fuel levels. At the high fuel
level, the preloaded buffer springs reduce jiggle due to torsional oscillations. At
the low fuel level, the standard buffer springs provide the responsive governor
operation that assures maximum performance of the engine. (The governor
responds quicker to observed speed changes with standard dynamics than it
does with preloaded buffer springs.)

Selection of the operating dynamics is determined by the position of a fuel-

position-sensing pilot-valve plunger. This plunger follows the position of the main
power cylinder and directs power-cylinder oil to the bottom of a shuttle pilot valve
when the governor is in a high-fuel position. The shuttle valve determines which
dynamics are operational at any given time.

References
Installation of the dual buffer governor is identical to the installation of governors
with simple dynamics. Refer to manual 36618 for PG-200/300 governor
installation, and to manual 36633 for PG-500 installation. PGA manual 36604
should be used for all installation and setup of the control portion of the governor
except for the adjustment of dynamics, which is provided in this manual.

Additional information on the preloaded buffer springs is included in manual

36680. The buffer springs are adjusted at the factory and should not need to be
changed. The only field adjustments which should be made are to the two needle
valves and to the dynamics switch-point adjustment.

Construction
Figures 1a and 1b show the location of the dual buffer devices on the PGA
governors.

Notice the location of the high-fuel needle valve at the bottom of the dual buffer
system and the low-fuel needle valve at the top of the system. The original
compensation needle valve, located near the terminal shaft indicator, must be
completely closed when the dual buffer system is present.

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Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors Manual 36054

Figure 1a. PGA 200/300 with Dual Buffer System

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Manual 36054 Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors

Figure 1b. PGA 500 with Dual Buffer System

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Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors Manual 36054
Figure 2 shows the construction of a PG 200/300 dual buffer system. The
PG-500 system is similar to the system shown, although a few of the parts are
not interchangeable. The reference numbers will provide correct parts for the
system specified.

The upper buffer system is for the low-fuel area. The lower buffer system is for
the high-fuel area. Each buffer system has a needle-valve adjustment. The
shuttle-valve plunger switches the buffer-system operation. When the plunger is
positioned at the top of its stroke, the lower buffer system (for the high-fuel area)
operates. The upper buffer system (for low-fuel area) operates when the plunger
is in the lower position. The fuel-piston sensing piston switches the shuttle-valve
plunger position.

Parts List for Figure 2

Ref. No. Part Name ...................................Quantity
36054-1 Fitting, St. Thread .................................... 1
36054-2 O-ring, 0.351 ID ....................................... 3
36054-3 Screw, 0.500-13 x 2” ................................ 4
Screw, 0.625-11 x 2.250 .......................... 6
(for PG-500)
36054-4 Lockwasher ........................................... AR
36054-5 Screw, 0.500-13 ....................................... 2
Screw, 0.625-11 x 0.500 .......................... 2
for PG-500)
36054-6 Lockwasher ........................................... AR
36054-7 Housing. Dual Buffer ................................ 5
36054-8 Plug, 0.438-20.......................................... 2
36054-9 O-ring, 0.644 ID x 0.087 ........................... 3
36054-10 Plug, 0.750-16.......................................... 3
36054-11 Screw. Passage ....................................... 1
36054-12 Plunger Assembly .................................... 1
36054-13 Gasket. Servo Cover ................................ 1
PG-500 uses 7.987 O-ring ....................... 1
36054-14 Needle Valve Screw................................. 2
36054-15 O-ring, 0.301 ID ....................................... 2
36054-16 Spring. Dual Buffer PV ............................. 1
36054-17 Buffer Spring ............................................ 2
36054-18 O-ring, 1.296 ID ....................................... 2
36054-19 Plug. Butter Bore...................................... 1
36054-20 Ring, Int. Retaining .................................. 2
36054-21 Piston, Buffer ........................................... 1
36054-22 Seat. Buffer Spring ................................... 1
36054-23 Ring, Wire Retaining ................................ 1
36054-24 Plug. Buffer .............................................. 1
36054-25 Washer, Flat Ns. 10 ................................. 1
36054-26 Nut 10-32 ................................................. 1
36054-27 Cover, PG Dual Buffer ............................. 1
36054-28 Spacer ..................................................... 1
36054-29 O-ring, 0.208 ID ....................................... 1
36054-30 Screw, Buffer Preload .............................. 2
36054-31 Piston, Buffer ........................................... 1
36054-32 Cup-Buffer Spring .................................... 2
36054-33 Buffer Spring ............................................ 2
36054-34 Screw. Buffer Preload .............................. 2
36054-35 Seat ......................................................... 2
36054-36 Nut 0.312-24 Jam .................................... 1
36054-37 Cup. Buffer ............................................... 2
36054-38 O-ring, 1.239 ID ....................................... 2
36054-39 Connector, Buffer Oil ............................... 1
36054-40 O-ring, 1.296 ID ....................................... 2
36054-41 Connector, Buffer Oil ............................... 1

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Manual 36054 Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors

Figure 2. Layout of PG-200/300 Dual Buffer

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Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors Manual 36054

Operation
Figures 3a and 3b are schematic diagrams of the dual-buffer system in a
PGA-200/300 or PGA-500 governor.

Figure 3a. Low Fuel Position Mode Using Standard Buffer

In Figure 3a, the large power piston is in the low-fuel position, and the shuttle
pilot valve directs oil between the pilot-valve plunger and the standard buffer-
spring system. Oil for the preloaded buffer-spring system is blocked. The shuttle
pilot valve plunger is held in its lower position by a spring. Oil at the bottom of the
plunger is released to sump through the fuel-position-sensing pilot valve.

When the large power piston moves toward high fuel (Figure 3b), the fuel-
position-sensing pilot-valve piston moves in the same direction. When the head
of the sensing piston passes beyond the port which leads to the bottom of the
shuttle pilot-valve plunger, high-pressure oil from the large power cylinder forces
the shuttle plunger upwards. The lower (preloaded) buffer system operates, and
the upper (standard) buffer system is rendered inoperative.

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Manual 36054 Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors

Figure 3b. High Fuel Position Mode Using Preloaded Buffer

Adjustments
Needle Valve Adjustment

The original compensation needle valve must be closed at all times.

The two-buffer system has low-sensitivity needle valves for both the standard
dynamics and the preloaded dynamics. One turn open of this valve nearly equals
1/8 turn open of the standard needle valve.

Each needle valve must be adjusted separately for optimum performance of the
engine-governor. Adjust the upper needle for stable engine operation and
maximum engine response. Adjust the lower needle valve for stable operation
under full load.

Switch Point Adjustment

The switch point can be changed by changing the total length of the fuel-position
sensing pilot valve. The relation between the switch point and the length is
shown in Figure 4.

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Dual Buffer System for PG-200/300/500 Governors Manual 36054

Figure 4. Dual Buffer Switch Point Adjustment PG-200/300/500

The engine must be stopped to change the switch point.

To take out the piston, remove the plug for the plunger/passage screw assembly.
After taking out the piston, adjust the passage screw to get a proper length.
Making the plunger/screw longer will move the switch point away from minimum
fuel.

Figure 5. Plunger/Passage Screw

10 Woodward
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