Construction and Working of Single Plate Clutch:

The single plate clutch is shown in figure 1. The flywheel is mounted on the driver shaft. The
clutch plate having a splined hub is mounted on the one end of driven shaft having splines and
free to slide axially on the driven shaft as well as rotates with driven shaft. The clutch plate has
friction lining on its both sides. Two friction linings of special friction material are also riveted
or bonded to flywheel and pressure plate. The presser plate is bushed internally so that it
revolves freely on the driven shaft, the pressure plate is also free to slide axially. A number of
springs are arranged around the clutch as shown in figure 1 to exert the force on the pressure
plate which presses the clutch plate firmly against the flywheel when the clutch is engaged. As
shown in figure 1, the clutch is engaged and power can be transferred from driver shaft to driven
shaft.
If the operator presses the pedal, the pressure plate moves towards the left, thus the
pressure on the clutch plate does not act. Now the power from the driver shaft is not transmitted
to the driven shaft.
When the foot is taken off the clutch pedal, it releases the pressure on the pressure plate
and the spring causes the pressure plate to exert pressure on the clutch plate, thus the power
transmission resumes.
Function of Clutch: The function of the clutch is
 To engage and disengage the driver and driven shafts
 To disconnect or connect the engine or prime mover from the rest of the transmission
system without stopping the engine or prime move.
 To disconnect the engine from the rest of the transmission system for engaging the first
gear to start the vehicle from rest.
 To disconnect the engine from the rest of the transmission system for changing the gear
ratio while vehicle is moving.
 To provide the drive without jerks at the time of starting the vehicle from rest position, or
at the time of changing the gear ratio.
 To facilitate the gear shifting easily without noise and damage
 The function of the clutch is to allow the engine to take load gradually without jerks

Derivation of Equation of maximum torque (uniform wear and uniform

pressure):

As shown in figure 2 (A), the clutch plate is situated between friction surface 1 and friction
surface 2. The friction lining fixed or bonded with the flywheel constitutes friction surface 1,
friction lining fixed or bonded with the pressure plate constitutes friction surface 2. The single
plate clutch has friction lining on its both sides. The friction surface 1, and friction lining on one
side of the clutch plate, constitutes a pair of friction surfaces and similarly friction lining bonded
on pressure plate and friction lining on other side of the clutch plate constitutes another pair of
friction surfaces. Thus the single plate clutch has two pairs of friction surfaces.
Analysis of turning torque:
We consider one pair of friction surfaces,
If,
W = Total axial load exerted by spring
p = Pressure intensity between the friction surfaces
r1 = Outer radius of the friction surface
r2 = Inner radius of the friction surface
µ = Coefficient of friction for the friction surfaces
On considering a ring of thickness dr at the radius r as shown in figure 2 (B)
Area of the ring = 2π r dr
The axial load on this ring, δw = p2π r dr
Tangential frictional force Fr = µ δw
= µ p2π r dr
Turning torque due to frictional force , δT = µ p2π r 2 dr

𝑟1
Total turning torque on the friction surface, T = ∫𝑟2 µ p2π 𝑟 2 dr ……………(1)

The analysis of the turning torque is done in the following two conditions
i. Uniform pressure
ii. Uniform wear
The condition of the uniform pressure is used only for the new clutches. As there will be no wear
out in case of new clutches so pressure intensity will be uniform for entire friction surface. After
using the clutch for some time there will be some wear out which will not be uniform on the
entire friction surface. The wear out on the outer friction surface will be more than the inner
friction surface, thus pressure intensity will not be uniform. To get uniform pressure intensity, it
is very necessary that the friction surface must be wear out uniformly for each value of the
radius, so uniform wear condition will be true for this condition.
Case I: Condition of uniform pressure
The uniform pressure means pressure is same on the entire friction surface. So pressure intensity

P = W / π (r12- r22) ……………………………………(2)

From equation 1,
𝑟1
T = ∫𝑟2 µ p2π 𝑟 2 dr
𝑟1
= 2πµ p ∫𝑟2 𝑟 2 dr
On putting the value of p from equation 2

𝑟1
T = 2πµ ∗ W / π (r12- r22) ∫𝑟2 𝑟 2 dr = 2µ W / (r12- r22) * (r13 – r23) / 3
2
T = µ ∗ W * (r13 – r23) / (r12- r22)……………………………….(3)
3
Case II: Uniform wear condition
Rate of wear out is proportional to the frictional force µ p 2π r dr
It mean,

wear ∝ pr, so pr = C , where C is a constant

C
Or p = ……………………………………(4)
r
The axial load on the ring as shown in fig 2 (B), δw = p 2π r dr

On putting the value of p from equation 4

C
δw = 2π r dr = 2π C dr
r
𝑟1
Total axial load W = ∫𝑟2 2π C dr = 2π C (r1 – r2)

or C = W / 2 π (r1 – r2) ……….(5)

From equation 1

𝑟1
T = ∫𝑟2 µ p2π 𝑟 2 dr , on putting the value of p from equation 4
𝑟1 C
T = ∫𝑟2 µ 2π 𝑟 2 dr
r
𝑟1
= ∫𝑟2 µ C 2π r dr , on putting the value of C from equation 5
𝑟1
T = µ W/ (r1 - r2) * ∫𝑟2 r dr

= µ W/ (r1 - r2) * (r1 2 – r22) / 2 = µ W/ (r1 - r2) * (r1 – r2 ) (r1 +r2) / 2

µW
Or T = (r1+r2) =
2
T = µ 𝐖𝐑 ………………..(6)
Where R = (r1+r 2) / 2
Equation 3 and 6 are for one pair of friction surfaces. In a single plate clutch, there are two pairs
of friction surfaces, so in case of uniform pressure, the equation for turning torque will be

𝟐
T = 2* µ ∗ 𝐖 * (r13 – r23) / (r12- r22) ……………………….(7)
𝟑
And equation for uniform wear will be

T = 2 * µ 𝐖𝐑 ……………………………………………….(8)

If clutch is multi plate clutch having n pairs of friction surfaces, then the equation for turning
torque in case of uniform pressure will be

𝟐
T = n* µ ∗ 𝐖 * (r13 – r23) / (r12- r22) ……………(9)
𝟑

The equation for turning torque in case of uniform wear will be

T = n * µ 𝐖𝐑 ……………………………..(10)
The value of n (number of pairs of friction surfaces) for multi plate clutch will be
calculated as below

n = n1 + n2 – 1

where,

n1 = No of plates mounted on driver shaft

n2 = No of plates mounted on driven shaft

On analysis of turning torque, it is clear that the value of turning torque in case of uniform
pressure is more than the in case of uniform wear.
If it is not given in the question that the clutch is new, we consider condition of uniform wear.
If it is not asked in the question to calculate the turning torque taking uniform pressure condition
into consideration, we consider the condition of uniform wear.

𝟐 𝛑 𝐍𝐓
Power, P = Watt
𝟔𝟎
Where,
T = Turning torque in Nm

N = Revolution per minute