Effect of machine weight on clutch Power/Energy

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2 replies · 1K views
Shakeeb
Why does increase in machine weight doesn't have much effect on clutch's power and energy? I do understand weight is basically normal force, and increase in normal force should make it harder for the transmission to push the increased amount of torque? What is the math behind it?
 
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Hello Shakeeb, :welcome:

A clutch long-term is either engaged or not engaged. In both cases no power or energy is exercised or dissipated.

In between it serves to gradually transfer torque from the engine to the driving axle by making good use of friction in some form. Friction plus (relative) movement makes for energy dissipation (it doesn't disappear, but is converted to heat).

You are right in expecting that a clutch has more energy to dissipate when a bigger mass has to be accelerated with the same engine: it will simply take longer to come up to speed. I.e. the acceleration is less and there is more time needed during which energy has to be dissipated.

Can you see the similarity with brakes ?
 
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Shakeeb said:
Why does increase in machine weight doesn't have much effect on clutch's power and energy? I do understand weight is basically normal force, and increase in normal force should make it harder for the transmission to push the increased amount of torque? What is the math behind it?

Your question is not clear.

If you mean how much energy is transmitted by the clutch, it is the power that the engine produced. If we double the size of the machine, but keep the engine size the same, then power remains constant, but maximum acceleration is halved. Think of a truck running empty versus running loaded. is that what you are asking about?