CHAPTER 4

Power Train
 Introduction
The torque of the engine is transmitted via
◦ Clutch,
◦ Transmission,
◦ Drive shaft and
◦ Differential to the wheels

Drive Train (Power train)

◦ power transmitting parts of a car between the flywheel and the wheels.
 Arrangement of Power Train
Different engine- and drive line-arrangements

Front engine with Rear engine with

Front engine with
front wheel drive rear wheel drive
Rear wheel drive

6WD, Truck
4WD Truck
4 WD, Car
Clutch Construction and Operation
 Reason For Clutches

•Used only with manual transmission systems.

•Provide link between engine and transmission system.
•Used to connect and disconnect the engine and manual
transmission or transaxle.
•Allows the driver to control power flow between the
engine and transmission or transaxle. Allow smooth take
up of drive.
•Provides temporary disconnection when vehicle stopped in
gear.
Drive Trains

Rear-Wheel-
Drive Vehicle

Front-Wheel-
Drive Vehicle
• pilot bearing
• flywheel
• clutch disc
• pressure plate
• release bearing
• clutch housing (bell housing)
• clutch fork
• clutch release mechanisms
• clutch start switch
 Pilot Bearing
•Pressed into the end of the crankshaft
•Supports the end of the transmission input shaft
•Usually a solid bronze bushing, roller bearing, or ball
bearing
•Prevents the transmission shaft and clutch disc from
wobbling when the clutch is released
 Flywheel
•A mounting place for the clutch
•The pressure plate bolts to the flywheel face
•Flywheel face is precision machined to a smooth
surface, where it contacts the clutch disc
•Normally made of iron for good wear and heat
dissipation
 Parts of Clutch System
Clutch system consists of:
•Flywheel.
•Clutch Plate (Clutch disc). Clutch plate
Release (Clutch disc)
• Pressure Plate Assembly. bearing

• Release Bearing. Clutch

housing
•Clutch Fork.
• Clutch housing protects
clutch components from Flywheel

outside elements Pressure plate

Clutch assembly
fork
 Clutch Plate (Clutch disc)
•Located between flywheel and pressure
plate.
•Consists of a splined metal hub and a
round metal plate covered with friction
material (lining)
•Splined to the transmission input shaft.
•Disc is free to slide back and forth on the
shaft
•Frictional material riveted to cushion
springs on either side of friction ring.
 …Clutch disc
•Cushioning springs
Flat, metal springs located under the disc’s friction material
 cushion force as pressure plate pushes clutch plate onto flywheel.
Springs have a slight wave (curve)
allow the friction material to flex inward slightly during clutch
engagement
flexing smooths engagement
Torsional
spring
•Torsional springs
absorb some of the vibration and
shock produced by clutch engagement
Cushion
springs
 …Pressure plate
• Used to push clutch plate onto flywheel.

Two types of pressure plate: Coil Spring and Diaphragm Spring.

Pressure
Assembly comprises: Cover plate

• Diaphragm/coil spring.
• Pressure plate.
• Cover.
Diaphrag
m spring

Next
>
 Diaphragm Spring Pressure Plate

• Diaphragm spring pressure plate

assembly uses dish-shaped spring. Cover

• As spring is pushed toward

engine, clutch plate released.

Diaphragm
• As spring is released, spring
Pivot rings
pressure returned to
clutch plate.

Pressure plate Next >

 Coil Spring Pressure Plate

Coil spring type uses a number of

coil springs to push pressure
plate against clutch plate.
 Advantage of diaphragm spring over the coil springs  
•Compact, less parts, less weight, less moment of inertia.
•Suitable for high engine speeds. Coil springs bow outwards
owing to centrifugal action and this lowers the spring force, it
can also cause vibration owing to imbalance.
•Clamping force on friction facings does not decrease as facing
wear.
•Better normal force distribution.
•Need no adjustment, less maintenance, and less assembly
effort.   
 Clutch Action (Disengaged)

•When the driver presses the clutch pedal, the clutch release
mechanism pulls or pushes on the clutch fork.
•The fork moves the release bearing into the center of the
pressure plate.
•The pressure plate face pulls away from the clutch disc.
•The clutch disc and transmission input do not turn.
 Clutch Action (Engaged)

•When the driver releases the clutch pedal, the spring

pressure inside the pressure plate pushes forward on
the clutch disc.
•This locks the flywheel, disc, pressure plate, and
transmission input together
•The engine rotates the transmission input
 Engaged and disengaged
• Release bearing and clutch
fork move pressure plate.
Release
bearing

• As clutch fork moves, it

pushes release bearing
and disengages pressure
plate from clutch plate.
Clutch
fork
• As clutch fork moves in
the other direction,
release bearing
engages clutch plate.
Next >
 Basic Clutch Operation - 1

• A foot pedal operates clutch

fork via a link.

• Releasing foot pedal

engages clutch.

• Pedal action should

be smooth to prevent
judder.

Next >
 Basic Clutch Operation - 2
Clutch pedal must be easy to operate, so levers (or hydraulics) are
used to increase effort.

A force of 100N applied to foot

Force at cable: 100N x 3 = 300N
pedal.
1
Multiplied by the pivot ratio of 4
(3:1) on the pedal to a force of 3
1
300 N on the cable.

100N at pedal
Multiplied by the pivot ratio on
the clutch fork of (4:1) to a force Force at release bearing:
of 1200N at the release bearing. 300N x 4 = 1200N

Next >
…Clutch Operating Mechanisms - Mechanical

• Multi-stranded steel wire cable

connected between clutch fork
and foot pedal. Outer sheath

• Wire protected by
flexible outer sheath.

• As pedal depressed, it
pivots operating clutch
fork.
• Return spring helps
return clutch fork to rest Return spring
position. Wire cable

Next >
Clutch Operating Mechanisms - Hydraulic

• Pipe connected between

Master
foot pedal and clutch cylinder
fork.
• Two cylinders: master
cylinder and slave
cylinder. Slave cylinder

• As foot pedal depressed,

master cylinder builds Pipe
pressure in system, slave
cylinder activated.
• As foot pedal raeleased,
springs return system to
rest position.
Next >
Torque and force calculations of automotive clutch

With reference to the fig, let

W= total spring force (N)
r1 = external radius of friction (m)
r2 = internal radius of friction (m)
n = number of pairs of friction surfaces
      in contact
μ = coefficient of friction between disc
       and driving surfaces.
clutch
Mean or effective radius, R = ½ (r 1 + r2) = ½ (ro + ri)
Tangential force acting at distance R from Centre of rotation,
F=μW
Friction torque transmitted,
TF = F* R
     = ½ μ W (r1 + r2)
Since there are n pars of friction surfaces in contact (for a single-plate clutch,
n = 2), then the torque transmitted by a clutch is given by:
 TF = ½ μ W n (r1 + r2)      (N m)
 If N is the rotational speed of the clutch in rev/min, then,
 Power transmitted = TF ´ (2 π N/60)    (W)
 Example

An Automobile is fitted with a single plate clutch to transmit 22.4 kw

@ 2100 rpm. The total axial load on the clutch plate is 1450N. The
outside diameter of the friction face is 250 mm. Both sides of the
plates are effective and μ=0.35. Assuming uniform wear, calculate the
inner diameter of friction face.
Given Required
◦ P=22.4 kW do=250 mm di=?
◦ N=2100 rpm μ=0.35
◦ W=1450 N Uniform wear
 Solution

The torque transmission on both sides of the plate

◦ T=2μWReff

To determine the torque transmission

2NT 60,000T 60,000  22.4
P T    101.86 Nm
60,000 2N 2  2100

For uniform wear the effective radius

1000T 1000  101.86 d d
R    100.35 mm R  2 1

2 W 2  0.35  1450 4
eff eff

d  4 R  d   4  100.35  250  151.42 mm

1 eff 2