Variable torque is when a motor directs power to a load as needed, reducing power when too much is detected. It is found in cars, hybrid cars, snowmobiles, ATVs, and aircraft. It saves fuel and provides cleaner emissions.
Variable torque is described as the ability of a motor to direct power in a limited way when needed. The motor senses a load and directs more power to help move that load. Conversely, it also tells the motor to remove power when too much power is detected. This is most often found in a car’s driveline system. In a car, power is directed to one wheel when the other wheel slips to prevent the vehicle from getting stuck.
The automatic transmission in a typical family sedan is, in essence, a variable torque provider. At lower speeds, torque is amplified by the lowest gear of the transmission. As the vehicle accelerates, the amount of torque required to move the vehicle is reduced, so the transmission shifts up. Vehicle speed increases as torque decreases.
The amount of torque required to keep an object moving is less than the amount of torque required to set the object in motion. A variable torque motor can adjust the amount of torque that is applied to the object. With variable torque, the engine saves fuel and runs more efficiently.
Hybrid cars use a variable torque system to decide which power plant to use. When the engine senses a large amount of load, such as starting to move an object, the variable torque sensor switches the vehicle to gasoline power. Once the load sensors read a drop in required torque, the battery electric motor turns on. This variable torque engine method saves gasoline and provides cleaner emission from the tailpipe.
Variable torque drive systems have been used in snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for decades. The vehicle’s torque converter drives a clutch mechanism via a belt. As vehicle speed increases, the belt moves up in the torque converter while falling into the clutch. This effectively changes the gear ratio that the engine is running at, as well as how much torque it is producing.
Aircraft have the ability to vary torque by adjusting the pitch of the propeller blades. The blades are trimmed for maximum torque at takeoff and then geared up for speed once the plane reaches its cruising altitude. Variable torque is also used to brake or stop a vehicle. The compression brake, or Jake Brake as it is known on a semi truck, uses compression and torque from the engine to slow the vehicle and clear the brake shoes.
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