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Automatic Transmission – Improves Fuel Efficiency

Automatic transmission is a car’s gearbox that changes the gear ratios automatically. This enables the car drivers to be free from shifting gears manually. The transmission is linked to the engine and sends power to the wheels. Car’s engine runs at a specified RPM (revolutions per minute) and the automatic transmission helps to automatically use various gears to drive the wheels and operate car engine within its optimum RPM range.

Most of the European cars are outfitted with automatic transmission but in India only selective cars have this type of transmission and rest are all equipped with manual transmission. Manual transmission is the traditional type of transmission available in majority of the Indian cars. Some of the cars in India that have the powerful automatic transmission are the Mitsubishi Montero, Hyundai Santro, Hyundai i10, and Maruti Zen.

Components of Automatic Transmission

This type of transmission runs with the combined operation of few components including planetary gears, hydraulic system, seals, gaskets, torque converter, modulator and computer.

Planetary Gear Sets: This is a gear system that comprises a bundle of gears to rotate around a central gear to offer a range of torque multiplication. In short, the gear sets provide forward and reverse gear ratio.
Hydraulic System: The system uses a transmission fluid sent by the engine oil pump to control the working of the car clutches that eventually supports the working of the planetary gear sets.
Seals and Gaskets: These help in maintaining a proper location of engine oil.
Torque Converter: This works similar to a clutch that connects the car engine with the wheels. The converter is a hydraulic fluid that brings the car to a halt with the car engine still running. This also helps to provide a variable torque multiplication at low speed.
Governor/Modulator: This helps to monitor the car speed and throttle position to determine when the gear shift is required by the car.
Computer: This is the main working unit of the complete system that helps to control all the gear shifts.

Types of Automatic Transmissions

Automatic transmissions are of two types, front wheel transmission and rear wheel transmission.

Front Wheel Transmission: This type of transmission is combined with the final drive to form the transaxle. Transaxle is an automotive part that joins the transmission and the differential in the vehicle and is used on automotives having front wheel drive. The transmission is usually placed sideways to the engine with the transaxle connected to the front axles. Power is generated from the car engine that flows through the torque converter to a large chain that further pass on the power to the transmission located at the sideways of the engine. From the transmission, the power transfers to the final drive that splits the power to two front wheels.

Rear Wheel Transmission: This kind of transmission is placed on the engine back. A drive shaft connects the final drive with the rear of the transmission. Power is generated from the engine that is further transferred to the transmission through the torque converter. From the transmission, the power gets transferred to drive shaft and then to the final drive. At this junction, the power splits and gets divided to pass on two rear wheels.

Benefits of Automatic Transmission

The key benefit of automatic transmission is to increase fuel efficiency and power of the automotive. Apart from improving the fuel economy of various automotives, automatic transmission also holds great benefits in preventing premature wear of the vital transmission spare parts, drivability problems and varnish build up.

These days the rising fuel prices have paved a wider path for the entry of automatic cars.

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