POWER TRAINS

UNIT-5

POWER TRAINS:
General Arrangement of Clutch, Principle of
Friction
clutches,
Torque
transmitted,
Constructional details, Fluid flywheel, Single plate,
Multi plate and Centrifugal clutches
Gear box: Necessity for gear ratios in
transmission, Synchronous gear boxes, 3,4 and 5
speed gear boxes, Free Wheeling mechanism,
Planetary gears systems, over drives, fluid coupling
and torque converters, Epicyclic gear box, principle
of automatic transmission, calculation of gear
ratios,
Numerical
calculations
for
torque
transmission by clutches.

Introduction

A Transmission system uses a clutch, gear box,

propeller shaft and a differential gear to
transmit power from engine to the road wheels
The power may be transmitted to rear or front
or all four wheels depending on the drive used
The clutch and gear box varies the ratio of
torque output to torque input
The propeller shaft transmits final torque to
the rear axle from gear box
A differential gear equally distributes the
final torque between the road wheels.

Functions of Transmission
System

It disconnects engine from driving

wheels when required
The engine is connected to driving
wheels when required
It changes ratio of torque output to
torque input, as desired
It turns the drive through a right angle

Clutch

Aclutchis a mechanical
device which transmits motion
from one shaft to the other which are along
a straight line or same axis of rotation.

A Clutch is a machine member used to

connect the driving shaft to a driven shaft,
so that the driven shaft may be started or
stopped when ever needed, without
stopping the driving shaft.

Location of The Clutch

Requirements of a clutch
1. Torque transmission.---The clutch must be able to transmit
maximum torque of the engine
2. Gradual engagement----The clutch should engage gradually
to avoid sudden jerks
3. Heat dissipation---The clutch should be able to dissipate
large quantity of heat which is generated during the clutch
operation due to friction
4. Dynamic balancing---The clutch should be dynamically
balanced. This is particularly required incase of high speed
engine clutches.
5. Vibration damping ---The clutch should have suitable
mechanism to damp vibrations and to eliminate noise
produced during power transmitted.
6. Size---The clutch should be as small as possible so that it
occupies minimum space

7. Inertia -- clutch rotating parts should have minimum

inertia
8. Clutch free pedal play to reduce effective clamping
load on carbon thrust bearing
9. Ease of operation as clutch transmits higher torque ,
its disengagement should not tiresome the driver
10. Lightness

Used
Disconnecting the engine with gear box
When starting the engine
When changing the gears
When stopping the engine

Principle of friction clutch

operation

Principle of Operation

The clutch works on the principle of friction.

When two surfaces are brought in contact with each
other and pressed they are united due to friction
between them.
The friction depends on area of contact, pressure
applied upon them and coefficient of friction on the
surface of the material.
The two surfaces can be separated and brought in
contact when required.
One is considered driving member and other driven
member. The driving member is kept rotating. When
the driven member is brought in contact with the
driving member it also start rotating.
When the driven member is separated from the

T=WR
Where, W- axial load applied
-Coefficient of friction
T- torque transmitted
R- effective mean radius of friction surface

Working of a clutch

Clutch for a drive shaft:

The clutch disc (center)
spins with the flywheel
(left). To disengage, the
lever is pulled (black
arrow), causing a white
pressure plate (right) to
disengage
the
green
clutch disc from turning
the drive shaft, which
turns within the thrustbearing ring of the lever.
Never will all 3 rings
connect, with no gaps.

The
Clutch

Types of Clutches
1. Friction Clutches:
a. Single plate clutch
b. Multi plate clutch----i)Wet ii)Dry
c. Cone clutch---i)External ii) Internal
2. Centrifugal Clutch
3. Semi-centrifugal clutch
4. Conical spring clutch or diaphragm clutch
a. Tapered finger type
b. Crown spring type
5. Positive ClutchDog and spline clutch
6.Hydraulic clutch
7.Electro magnetic clutch
8.Vaccum clutch
9. Over running clutch or free wheel clutch

Single Plate Clutch

Working

It has only one clutch plate mounted on the splines of

clutch shaft.

Pressure plate is bolted to the flywheel through clutch

springs and is free to slide on the clutch shaft when
the clutch pedal is operated.

When the clutch pedal is pressed, the pressure plate

moves back against the force of the springs and
clutch plate becomes free between the flywheel and
the pressure plate.

Thus, the flywheel remains rotating as long as the

engine is running and the clutch shaft speed reduces
slowly and finally stops rotating.

As soon as the pedal is pressed, clutch is said to be

disengaged otherwise it remains engaged due to

Cover assembly of single plate clutch

Multiplate Clutch

Working

Multiplate clutch consist of a number of clutch plates, instead of

only one clutch plate as incase of single plate clutch.
As the number of clutch plates increased number of friction
surfaces which increases the capacity of the clutch to transmit
torque.
The plates are alternately fixed to the engine shaft and gearbox
shaft.
They are firmly pressed by strong coil springs and assembled in a
drum.
Each of the alternate plate slides in the grooves on the flywheel
and other slides on the splines on the pressure plate. Thus each
alternate plates have inner and outer splines.
The multi-plate clutch works in the same way as single plate
clutch, by operating the clutch pedal. Multiplate clutch is used in
heavy vehicles, racing cars etc, where more torque is to be
transmitted.

Cone clutch

Contact surface is in the form of cone

Centrifugal clutch

Working

The centrifugal clutch uses centrifugal force instead of spring force

for keeping it in the engaged position. Also it does not require clutch
pedal to operate it.
The clutch is operated automatically depending upon the engine
speed. The engine can be stopped in gear without stalling the
engine.
Similarly vehicle can be started in any gear pressing the
accelerator pedal.
It consists of weight A pivoted at B. When the engine speed
increases the weights fly off due to the centrifugal force, operating
the bell crank lever P which presses the plate C.
The movement of the plate C presses the spring E Which ultimately
presses the clutch plate D on the flywheel against spring G. This
makes the Clutch engaged.
The spring G keeps the clutch disengaged at low speeds at about
500 rpm. Stop H limits the movement of the weights due to the
centrifugal force.

Semi-Centrifugal clutch

Clutch operation methods

Mechanically
Electromagnetic operation
Hydraulic operation
Vacuum operation
Clutch by wire

Electromagnetic clutch

Hydraulically operated single plate

clutch

Vacuum operation clutch

Clutch by wire

In this system there is no mechanical link between the

clutch and the pedal
The clutch pedal is electronically controlled by means
of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and an actuator
A sensor on the pedal measures its exact position
which is transmitted to ECU
Information about the cars behavior from other
sensors is also transmitted to ECU, which then
operates the clutch through the actuator
Advantages are improved drive ability, better pedal
feel and less wear due to absence of mechanical
linkage

Wet clutch

Descripti
on

Wet
clutch

Dry
clutch

Heat
dissipation
Life
Torque
transmission
Clamping
force
Coefficient of

Good

Bad

Longer life
Lower

Short
Higher

More

Less

Less due to

More

Coil spring single plate

clutch

Diaphragm clutch

Advantages of diaphragm w.r.t coil

spring

More compact means of storing energy

Less affected by the centrifugal forces, it
can withstand higher rotational speeds
whereas coil springs distort transversely
at higher speeds
Diaphragm acts as both clamping spring
and release lever

Clutch Components

Clutch plate
Clutch facing
Pressure plate
Springs
Bearing

Clutch plate

Torsional springs and cushioning

springs

Clutch facing
Requirement of a good clutch facing
Good wearing properties
Presence of good binders in it
Cheap and easy to manufacture
High co-efficient of friction
High resistance to heat

Types of Friction materials

Millboard type-

asbestos sheet treated with certain

impregnants

Moulded type-

mixed asbestos fibers with a binding

material

Woven type- cloth with certain binders

Solid woven variety- cloth is woven

to required

thickness

Laminated variety-

layers of cloth one upon the

other are held together by a binder. Stitches are provided
in addition to binders

Common clutch facing

materials are;

Leather- coefficient of friction- 0.27

Cork -0.32
Fabric-0.4
Asbestos -0.2
Reybestos and Ferodo- 0.35
Non-asbestos clutch facing

Design details of single

plate clutch
Uniform Pressure Intensity: P=
constant
Total axial load on clutch W= Pr(r 2
o
-ri2 )

Total Torque Transmitted

T= 2 /3 W(ro3-ri3)/(ro2-ri2)
T= WR
Effective Mean Radius R=2/3(ro3-ri3)/
(ro2-ri2)

Uniform Rate of Wear: Pr= constant

Axial load on clutch W= 2Pr(r -r )
o
i

Torque Transmitted
T= W(ro+ri)/2
T= WR
Effective Mean Radius R= (ro+ri)/2

T=2WR

Problem-1
The engine of a car employing a single
plate friction clutch develops maximum
torque of 150Nm. External diameter of the
clutch plate is 1.2 times its internal
diameter. Determine the dimensions of the
clutch plate and the axial force provided
by the springs. The maximum allowable
pressure intensity for the clutch facings is
100KPa and coefficient of friction is 0.3.
Assume uniform wear.

Problem-2
An automobile clutch has a clutch plate of 160mm
inside and 240 mm outside diameter. Six springs
in the clutch provide a total force of 4.8KN, when
the clutch is new and each spring is compressed 5
mm. the maximum torque developed by the
automobile engine is 250 Nm. Determine
i. Factor of safety for the new clutch and
ii. The amount of wear of the clutch facing that
will take place before the clutch starts slipping.
Assume coefficient of friction for the facing is
0.3

Problem-3
Determine the size of the clutch plate
suitable for an Ambassador car employing
a single plate type of friction clutch and
developing 37.5 KW at 4200rpm. The
inside diameter of the clutch plate is 0.6
times its outside diameter and it is to be
ensured that even after a loss of 30% of
the engine torque due to wear of the
clutch facing, the clutch does not slip. The
intensity of pressure on the facing is not to
exceed 70kPa. Assume =0.3

Problem-4
Single plate friction clutch is to be designed for an
Ashok Leyland bus developing 80.85 kW at 2400 rpm.
The maximum torque developed however is 376 Nm
at 1600 rpm. A maximum wear of clutch facing of 3
mm is to be allowed, when the clutch must transmit
at least 25% excess torque. A pressure intensity of
190kPa can be safely allowed and ratio Inside dia/
outside dia= 0.6 is considered reasonable.
a) Calculate clutch plate dimensions
b) If 9 springs are used and initial spring force is to be
1.2 times the spring force after allowable wear of 3
mm, find out the spring stiffness. Assume =0.35.

Design details of Multi plate clutch

If n= total number of friction plates in the
multi plate clutch, then number of pairs of
contact surfaces= (n-1)
then, Torque T= (n-1) WR
i) For uniform pressure intensity,
T= (n-1)2 /3 W(ro3-ri3)/(ro2-ri2)
ii) For uniform wear rate,
T=(n-1)W(ri +ro)/2

Problem on Multi plate

clutch
A multi plate clutch is to be designed for a
motor cycle whose engine develops
maximum torque of 13Nm at 3500rpm.
The external diameter of the clutch
facings is limited to 100mm and the inner
diameter may be assumed to be 0.2 times
the external diameter. The maximum
intensity of pressure may be taken as
80kPa and =0.3. Calculate the number of
plates.