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Concept
Drivetrain
Summary
A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components of a motor vehicle that deliver power to the drive wheels. This excludes the engine or motor that generates the power. In marine applications, the drive shaft will drive a propeller, thruster, or waterjet rather than a drive axle, while the actual engine might be similar to an automotive engine. Other machinery, equipment and vehicles may also use a drivetrain to deliver power from the engine(s) to the driven components.
In contrast, the powertrain is considered to include both the engine and/or motor(s) as well as the drivetrain.
The function of the drivetrain is to couple the engine that produces the power to the driving wheels that use this mechanical power to rotate the axle. This connection involves physically linking the two components, which may be at opposite ends of the vehicle and so requiring a long propeller shaft or drive shaft. The operating speed of the engine and wheels are also different and must be matched by the correct gear ratio. As the vehicle speed changes, the ideal engine speed must remain approximately constant for efficient operation and so this gearbox ratio must also be changed, either manually, automatically or by an automatic continuous variation.
The precise components of the drivetrain vary, according to the type of vehicle.
Some typical examples:
Flywheel
Dual mass flywheel still rare
Clutch
Gearbox
Overdrive Since the adoption of 5 speeds has become standard
Propeller shaft
Rear axle
Final drive
Differential
Torque converter
Transmission
Propeller shaft
Rear axle
Spool
Differential
Clutch
Transaxle
Gearbox
Final drive
Differential
Drive shafts and constant-velocity joints to each wheel
Clutch
Gearbox
Transfer box
Transmission brake
Propeller shafts, to front and rear
Front and rear axles
Final drive
Locking differential
Portal gear
The final drive is the last in the set of components which delivers torque to the drive wheels.
Official source
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