What Is A Dual-Clutch Transmission
You have three choices when it comes to transmissions: automatic, manual, and dual-clutch. To better understand how a dual-clutch functions you will need a basic understanding of how an automatic and manual transmission work, because a dual-clutch transmission combines the two types. Dual-clutch transmission is also referred to as a semi-automatic transmission and automated manual transmission.
Automatic Transmission
An automatic transmission is built to do the shifting for you by using electronics and hydraulics to switch the car to whatever gear it needs to be in. A torque converter automatically send messages from the engine to the transmission without you having to do a thing but press the gas pedal. While there is a slight decrease of power to the engine when it switches gears, it usually goes unnoticed by you.
Manual Transmission
A manual transmission uses one gearbox to shift gears. If you need to shift gears to either speed up or slow down, you have to press a clutch pedal first. Pressing this pedal detaches the engine from the gearbox and stops the power flowing to the transmission. After pressing the clutch, you use the stick shift to move into a new gear then release the pedal so the engine is reconnected and power is restored to the wheels. While this might sound scary, the entire process takes only seconds to complete.
A manual transmission does not have a continued power source between the engine and the wheels. The loss of power to the engine is what causes the jerking when you are first learning to manually switch gears. Once you become proficient at it, the jerking becomes more of a slight powering down as the gears switch.
Dual-Clutch Transmission
The dual-clutch transmission is like a manual in the sense it uses clutches to change gears. It is like an automatic in the sense that it automatically changes the gears as you speed up or slow down without the use of a clutch pedal or a stick shift. A dual-clutch transmission uses two clutches. Each clutch works on specific gears. One is assigned the odd gears while the other clutch engages the even gears. This setup makes it possible for gears to switch instantly without any interruption of power to the engine and without you doing anything. This results in a seamless transition without any lag to your acceleration or deceleration.
Now that you know what a dual-clutch transmission is and how it functions, you can decide if it is something you want in your next vehicle build or not. You can talk with a professional at a business like Ralli Candi to learn more about what will suit your needs.