Automobile Blog April Archive

• A clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation, which can be engaged and disengaged
• There are many different vehicle clutch designs but most are based on one or more friction discs, pressed tightly together or against a flywheel using springs
• [edit] Wet and dry clutches: A wet clutch is immersed in a cooling lubricating fluid, which also keeps the surfaces clean and gives smoother performance and longer life. A dry clutch, as the name implies, is not bathed in fluid that robs it of some energy
• Clutch operation in automobiles: In a car it is operated by the left-most pedal using hydraulics or a cable connection from the pedal to the clutch mechanism
• Non-powertrain clutches in automobiles: There are other clutches found in a car. The radiator fan may have a clutch that is heat activated. The driving and driven elements are separated by a silicone based fluid. When the temperature is low, the fluid is thin and so the clutch slips. When the temperature is high, the fluid thickens, causing the fan to spin
• A dog clutch: is a type of clutch. It couples two rotating shafts or other rotating components not by friction but by interference. The two parts of the clutch are designed such that one will push the other, causing both to rotate at the same speed. Dog clutches are used where slip is undesirable and/or the clutch is not used to control torque. Because the clutch never slips, dog clutches are not affected by wear in the same way that friction clutches are