In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant describes the main components that
generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the
engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive. Sometimes "powertrain"
is used to refer to simply the engine and transmission, including the other components
only if they are integral to the transmission. In a carriage or wagon, running gear designates
the wheels and axles in distinction from the body.
A motor vehicle's driveline or drivetrain consists of the parts of the powertrain excluding
the engine and transmission. It is the portion of a vehicle, after the transmission, that
changes depending on whether a vehicle is front-wheel, rear-wheel, or four-wheel drive,
or less-common six-wheel or eight-wheel drive. In a wider sense, the power-train includes
all of its components used to transform stored energy into kinetic energy for propulsion
purposes. This includes the utilization of multiple power sources and non–wheel-based
vehicles.
Developments Powertrain development for diesel engines
involves the following: exhaust gas recirculation, and advanced combustion. Spark ignition engine
development include: fuel injection, including the gasoline direct injection variant, as
well as improving volumetric efficiency by using multi-valves per cylinder, variable
valve timing, variable length intake manifolds, and turbocharging. Changes also include new
fuel qualities to allow new combustion concepts. So-called "combined combustion systems" or
"diesotto" cycles are based on synthetic fuels or gas to liquid).
Manufacturing The manufacturing of powertrain components
and systems is important to industry, including the automotive and other vehicle sectors.
Competitiveness drives companies to engineer and produce powertrain systems that over time
are more economical to manufacture, higher in product quality and reliability, higher
in performance, more fuel efficient, less polluting, and longer in life expectancy.
In turn these requirements have led to designs involving higher internal pressures, greater
instantaneous forces, and increased complexity of design and mechanical operation. The resulting
designs in turn impose significantly more severe requirements on parts shape and dimension;
and material surface flatness, waviness, roughness, and porosity. Quality control over these parameters
is achieved through metrology technology applied to all of the steps in powertrain manufacturing
processes. Frames and powertrains
In automotive manufacturing, the frame plus the "running gear" makes the chassis.
Later, a body, which is usually not necessary for integrity of the structure, is built on
the chassis to complete the vehicle. Commercial vehicle manufacturers may have "chassis only"
and "cowl and chassis" versions that can be outfitted with specialized bodies. These include
buses, motor homes, fire engines, ambulances, etc.
The frame plus the body makes a glider. Final drive
The final drive is the last in the set of components which delivers torque to the drive
wheels. In a road vehicle, it incorporates the differential. In a railway vehicle, it
sometimes incorporates the reversing gear. Examples include the Self-Changing Gears RF
28 and RF 11 used in the British Rail Class 03 and British Rail Class 04 diesel shunting
locomotives. See also
Car safety Electric vehicle
Electric vehicle conversion Giubo
Gear train Hybrid vehicle drivetrain
References ^ Mercedes plans petrol/diesel hybrid
^ Mann, R. H., Diesel Rail-Cars, Draughtsmens and Allied Technicians Association, 1964,
pp 45-50 External links
New powertrain technologies conference, 27 and 28- March-2007.
http:www.caradvice.com.aucar-frame-chassis/ Honda F1 Race Car Frame.
Drivetrain Quiz HIL Test Bench Technical Paper: A Closed-Loop
Drive-train Model