The Basics of a Torque Converter: How it Works and Its Applications

Torque converters are used in automatic cars to enable smooth acceleration from a standstill without getting out of gear. This is made possible by four main components: the flywheel, turbine, pump, and stator, all connected by a fluid. The flywheel is connected to the engine shaft, which rotates with the engine.

The pump inside the torque converter pushes fluid out, causing it to rotate this green turbine, which is connected to the transmission. This shaft carries the fluid to the transmission, where it causes the wheels to turn. The fluid then hits the stator, turns directions, and goes back in a cycle, allowing the vehicle to continue moving.

Looking inside the torque converter, we find that the pump is connected to the flywheel. As this rotates, it throws the fluid out, causing it to travel at higher velocity through centrifugal force. The fluid then moves towards the turbine, where it comes into contact with the turbine's surface. In doing so, it reverses the direction of the fluid, allowing it to absorb that torque and cause the turbine to spin in the same direction as the pump.

As the turbine spins, it causes the transmission to turn, which in turn turns the wheels of the vehicle. However, there is a problem with this setup: the fluid rotates in a different direction than the pump when it exits the turbine. To solve this issue, the stator comes into play. This red item is fixed in the middle and connected to a separate shaft from the turbine. The fluid enters the turbine, reverses direction, and then hits the stator, causing it to rotate in the opposite direction of the pump.

The torque converter's location between the engine and transmission allows for efficient power transfer. One advantage of this component is that it enables vehicles to produce more torque from a standstill. For example, when driving at a red light, pressing the accelerator pedal will cause the pump to spin and create torque in the turbine. This torque force then travels towards the wheels, providing the vehicle with instant acceleration.

However, there is also a disadvantage to this setup: inefficiency. If the engine is spinning faster than the transmission, it can lead to wasted fuel and reduced efficiency. In such cases, the torque converter becomes less effective, resulting in decreased performance and increased fuel consumption. Despite these limitations, torque converters remain an essential component of automatic transmissions, providing smooth acceleration and efficient power transfer.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso this video explains how a torque converter works now torque converters are used in automatic cars so that the car can come to a stop without getting out of gear uh while leaving the car in gear there's four main components to a torque converter you're going to have a flywheel well this isn't part of it but the torque converter is directly connected to the flywheel a turbine a pump and a stator and then you're going to have a fluid inside so what happens is your flywheel is going to be spinning uh which is connected to the engine shaft the crank shaft so that's going to be rotating from the engine and there's a pump inside of the torque converter and that's going to push fluid out rotate this green turbine which is going to be connected to the transmission so this shaft right here is going to the transmission and inside there's a fluid that's causing this to happen so what it's going to look like for the fluid flow inside is you're going to have this pump which is connected to the flywheel so all this everything in Black is connected and will be rotating so as that rotates it's going to throw the fluid to the outside well as that fluid's thrown to the outside it's going to move this Direction come in contact with this turbine spin this turbine which is connected to the transmission so then that'll go towards turning the wheels and then come to this stator here it'll the fluid will hit the stator turn directions and then go back and the cycle will continue and then you can drive your vehicle so what it looks like inside so first we're going to look at this pump now you're going to have it look like this inside and there's going to be these grates and so the fluid's going to come into these grates and then move out at a higher velocity so if this pump's spinning very quickly at whatever engine r PM you're at uh it's going to be throwing the fluid to the outside through centrifugal force and that's going to be throwing this fluid out in this direction now so that's in Black right here now that fluid is going to come across and go to this turbine so what happens is the fluid comes in contact with the turbine and the turbine's going to reverse the direction of the fluid so that it can absorb that torque otherwise the fluid would just Spin and nothing would really happen so it's the fluid is going to come in the turbine through these grates and then come out in a different direction and what that does is causes this turbine to spin in the same direction as the pump if you put these together they're going to be rotating in the same direction so as that rotates then it's going to cause connected to your transmission connected to the shaft connected to the transmission turning your transmission now the problem here is that this fluid is going to be rotating in a different direction than this pump as it exits so you're going to have this Stater that's this red item in the middle so the fluid's going to come in the turbine get shot out in a different direction and then this stator is going to be a fixed object in the middle it's connected to a separate shaft than the turbine and so the fluid's going to come in Reverse directions and come out the other side in the opposite directions kind of like a u in there so the fluid's going to flow in and then come back out in the other direction so that it'll be rotating in the same direction as the pump and then the cycle just continues now the torque converter will be located between the engine and the transmission as you can see in this small little diagram here uh and there's a couple advantages and disadvantages uh one of the advantages of the torque converter is that you can have more torque from a stop so say you're at a red light and you're holding your foot on the brake you can give it gas this pump will begin to spin this turbine will begin will have a torque on it ready to go so the second you let off the brake that big torque force that you've created by spinning this quicker than this will go toward your wheels whereas in a manual car you're going to have direct contact between the transmission and the engine via clutch and so you can't spin those at different speeds whereas a with an automatic car you can be at a higher RPM than your transmission is spinning at um the problem is with this is that it weighs power if if your engine is spinning faster than your transm Mission then you're not going to have a 100% efficiency and you're going to waste fuel so that's the basics of a torque converterso this video explains how a torque converter works now torque converters are used in automatic cars so that the car can come to a stop without getting out of gear uh while leaving the car in gear there's four main components to a torque converter you're going to have a flywheel well this isn't part of it but the torque converter is directly connected to the flywheel a turbine a pump and a stator and then you're going to have a fluid inside so what happens is your flywheel is going to be spinning uh which is connected to the engine shaft the crank shaft so that's going to be rotating from the engine and there's a pump inside of the torque converter and that's going to push fluid out rotate this green turbine which is going to be connected to the transmission so this shaft right here is going to the transmission and inside there's a fluid that's causing this to happen so what it's going to look like for the fluid flow inside is you're going to have this pump which is connected to the flywheel so all this everything in Black is connected and will be rotating so as that rotates it's going to throw the fluid to the outside well as that fluid's thrown to the outside it's going to move this Direction come in contact with this turbine spin this turbine which is connected to the transmission so then that'll go towards turning the wheels and then come to this stator here it'll the fluid will hit the stator turn directions and then go back and the cycle will continue and then you can drive your vehicle so what it looks like inside so first we're going to look at this pump now you're going to have it look like this inside and there's going to be these grates and so the fluid's going to come into these grates and then move out at a higher velocity so if this pump's spinning very quickly at whatever engine r PM you're at uh it's going to be throwing the fluid to the outside through centrifugal force and that's going to be throwing this fluid out in this direction now so that's in Black right here now that fluid is going to come across and go to this turbine so what happens is the fluid comes in contact with the turbine and the turbine's going to reverse the direction of the fluid so that it can absorb that torque otherwise the fluid would just Spin and nothing would really happen so it's the fluid is going to come in the turbine through these grates and then come out in a different direction and what that does is causes this turbine to spin in the same direction as the pump if you put these together they're going to be rotating in the same direction so as that rotates then it's going to cause connected to your transmission connected to the shaft connected to the transmission turning your transmission now the problem here is that this fluid is going to be rotating in a different direction than this pump as it exits so you're going to have this Stater that's this red item in the middle so the fluid's going to come in the turbine get shot out in a different direction and then this stator is going to be a fixed object in the middle it's connected to a separate shaft than the turbine and so the fluid's going to come in Reverse directions and come out the other side in the opposite directions kind of like a u in there so the fluid's going to flow in and then come back out in the other direction so that it'll be rotating in the same direction as the pump and then the cycle just continues now the torque converter will be located between the engine and the transmission as you can see in this small little diagram here uh and there's a couple advantages and disadvantages uh one of the advantages of the torque converter is that you can have more torque from a stop so say you're at a red light and you're holding your foot on the brake you can give it gas this pump will begin to spin this turbine will begin will have a torque on it ready to go so the second you let off the brake that big torque force that you've created by spinning this quicker than this will go toward your wheels whereas in a manual car you're going to have direct contact between the transmission and the engine via clutch and so you can't spin those at different speeds whereas a with an automatic car you can be at a higher RPM than your transmission is spinning at um the problem is with this is that it weighs power if if your engine is spinning faster than your transm Mission then you're not going to have a 100% efficiency and you're going to waste fuel so that's the basics of a torque converter\n"