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What is Auto Transmission?
The transmission is a part of the engine which helps connect the engine to the wheels so that they can move. An automobile engine runs at a specific number of revolutions per minute and the transmission is responsible for delivering the power from the engine to the wheels within those revolutions range.
The transmission is also referred simply as the gearbox since it basically contains a configuration of various gears. In an automobile engine, there are two possible types of transmission; manual and automatic. They basically do the same job of delivering the power from the engine to the wheels within the range of the rpm. Having a transmission allows the engine to go from forward movement to reverse movement without shutting off one engine and reversing the direction with a second engine running in reverse direction.
Manual transmission consists of the flywheel (a simple rotating wheel which is used to store energy or stabilize a machine), which is connected to the crankcase (a drilled metal frame that contains many parts, such as the crankshaft) of the engine, which runs at a constant speed. It is run by a manually operated clutch. Through this clutch the engine power is increased or decreased by the working of a series of small and large gears. The shifting of gears with the clutch, avoids the slowing down of the engine speed.
These gears run at different speeds due to their different sizes. A larger gear converts higher rpm into higher amount of energy at lower wheel speed by spinning slowly as compared to the crankcase. Meanwhile the smaller gears convert lower engine rpm into high speed by spinning faster than the crankcase.
The automatic transmissions perform the same function of speed-torque conversion. The manual clutch is replaced by a converter which automatically engages and disengages the correct gear in the required ratio with the help of a hydraulic clutch. This gearing system has the basic manual gears placed in a planetary arrangement revolving around a central gear.
This is done with the help of gear reduction, wherein the large gears that are rotating slowly are exchanged with the smaller ones, which are rotating faster to increase the speed of the wheel. Similarly the reverse happens when the speed needs to be decreased. This helps the power source, that is the motor or the engine is decreased or increased by the clutch or the torque converter. This process increases the efficiency of the engine, as well as reduces the wear and tear on the engine due to the rapid increase and decrease of speed.
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