Woodward Governor Company
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| Woodward Governor Company | |
| Type | Public (NASDAQ: wgov) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1870 |
| Headquarters | Fort Collins, CO |
| Key people | Thomas A. Gendron, President and CEO |
| Industry | Aerospace, Aircraft Engine |
| Products | Hydraulic and Electronic Control Systems |
| Revenue | $854MM [1] USD ( %+3.2 FY'06) |
| Employees | 3,400 [2] |
| Website | www.woodward.com |
The Woodward Governor Company is the world's oldest and largest independent designer, manufacturer, and service provider of energy control solutions for aircraft engines, industrial engines and turbines, power generation and mobile industrial equipment.
The Woodward Governor Company was founded by Amos Woodward in 1870. Woodward Governor Company initially made contols for waterwheels ( first patent No. 103,813 ) and then moved to hydro turbines. In the 1920's and '30's Woodward began designing controls for diesel and other reciprocating engines and for industrial turbines. Also in the 1930's, Woodward developed a governor for variable-pitch aircraft propellers. And when the United States military's first turbine-powered aircraft successfully flew, its G.E. engine had a Woodward control. Starting in the 1950's, Woodward began designing electronic controls, first analog and then digital units.
[edit] Historical Information
The journey began in 1870 with Amos W. Woodward's invention of a noncompensating mechanical waterwheel governor(patent No.103,813)[citation needed]. Thirty years later his son, Elmer, patented the first successful mechanical compensating governor for hydraulic turbines(patent No.583,527)[citation needed]. In 1933, the company became more diversified by expanding its product line to include diesel engine controls[citation needed](patent No.2,039,507) and aircraft propeller governors[citation needed](patent No.470,284). Woodward governors followed the rapid advancement of diesel engine applications for railroads, mairitime and electrical generation in many fields. The advent of gas turbine engines for aircraft and industrial uses offered still more opportunities for Woodward designed fuel controls. And, of course, the science of electronics has added impetus to this industry.
Elmer E.Woodward conceived, designed and developed the first successful propeller control in 1933[citation needed]. This model PW-34 propeller governor is on display at the Smithsonian Institution[citation needed]. Today ,approximately 75% of all propeller-driven aircraft use Woodward AES controls[citation needed]. A growing number of general aviation and commuter aircraft rely on Woodward AES overspeed governors, synchronizers and synchophasers for the turboshaft, turboprops and reciprocating engines. As engine controls have moved toward electric-based systems, Woodward has responded with a line of electric propeller controls[citation needed]. The engines that are controlled by Woodward Aircraft engines systems are from Allies Signal(TPE331), General Electric(CT7),Pratt & Whitney Canada(PT6A series and JPATS),Raytheon,Vans,and Rotex Corporations[citation needed].
[edit] References
- ^ 2006 Annual Report. Woodward.com, accessed February 9, 2007.
- ^ Woodward Governor Company Information at Hoover's. hoovers.com, accessed February 9, 2007.
