What effect does a droop governor have on a generator's ability to respond to a sudden load increase?

A droop governor plays a vital role in managing the performance of a generator during changes in load. When there is a sudden increase in load, the droop governor allows the generator to respond by adjusting its output, but this process is inherently not instantaneous.

The mechanism works by allowing the generator to operate at a slight reduction in speed when load increases. This speed reduction leads to an automatic increase in fuel or power input to maintain the desired frequency and stability in the power system. However, the time it takes for the generator to adjust involves some delay as it must respond to the change in frequency and increase its output through the fuel or energy control systems.

Thus, the choice indicating a delayed response accurately reflects the operational characteristics of a droop governor. It is not capable of providing an immediate increase in output as there are mechanical and system limitations that dictate how quickly these adjustments can be made. Consequently, while the generator does eventually increase output to meet the new demand, this action is not immediate, which is why this choice is correct.