
How Does an Automatic Transmission Work?
Share
Most drivers in the United States drive automatic transmission in 2019. If you’ve ever wondered how automatic transmission work, then read on! The ability for a car to automatically shift gears by simply pressing on the gas is a modern miracle of technology, because for the majority of the history of the automobile, gears had to be shifted manually. The automatic transmission is an amazing piece of equipment that was developed through complex engineering and technological innovation. So, How Does an Automatic Transmission Work?
The turbine sends this fluid back to the torque convertor pump through the stator, which multiplies the overall power of the transmission fluid, which can then allow the torque convertor ump to send more power back to the turbine. A vortex power rotation is created inside the torque convertor.
There is a central shaft that connects the turbine to the transmission; the shaft and turbine spin together, which sends the first planetary gear set into motion. The ring gear will move depending on which brake band is engaged in the transmission, which then determines the gear ratio. Depending on which gear arrangement the vehicle has (such as the sun gear acting as the input, planetary acting as output) will determine the amount of torque that the transmission sends to the rest of the drive train.
This is much easier to understand visually than through text.
What Does a Transmission Do?
First, here’s a brief reminder about what the purpose of a transmission actually is. The transmission basically decreases the amount of power used by the engine when it isn’t needed (think downhill driving, breaking suddenly, hitting 6th gear) and multiplies the power produced by the engine when it is needed (hill driving, starting from a stop). The transmission ensures that your engine spins at the correct rate while providing the wheels (through the drivetrain, also part of the transmission) with the necessary amount of torque they need to move the car. Engines create rotational power, and transmissions regulate that power.How Does the Automatic Transmission Work?
There are many moving parts in an automatic transmission, such as the torque convertor, oil pump, planetary gear set, clutch packs, output shaft, valve body, oil pan, and band brake. All of these moving parts contribute to the transfer of energy within the automatic transmission. Through a combination of electrical, fluid, and mechanical engineering, the automatic transmission will give you a smooth ride no matter what speed you are going. Basically, the power is sent from the engine to the torque convertor’s pump, which receives power from the turbine via the transmission fluid.