The Hindu Business Line : Drive by wire

Ask any car driver what it feels like to drive through peak hour traffic - and you’ll get more than a mouthful. The start-stop-start routine, continuous shifting of gears back and forth and the inching forward that one does on the wheels can actually cause a lot of strain — both to your temper and your legs.

But imagine driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic while shifting gears at ease without pressing the clutch pedal. Or slamming the brakes in the event of any emergency, irrespective of gear position sans clutch. Or bringing the vehicle to a smooth halt without much ado and once again shifting gear at ease to proceed further. Will the drive not be easy? Sounds good, doesn’t it?

While all this is doable with an automatic transmission car, it is dearer by about 30 per cent compared to the regular models of the same car. But what if you could have the same feel in the manual gear car?

Korean automotive component manufacturer Samtek Auto Private Ltd says it can offer you the pleasure of driving, while at the wheel of a geared car.

The mechatronic element manufactured by Samtek, called ‘semi auto clutch,’ can be retrofitted in any car, of any model, within four hours and it can zip fast.

The company will introduce two variants of semi auto clutch — cable and hydraulic operated. But, mind you, it needs a pair of qualified hands to install as there are several sensors that need to communicate with the central computer.

Semi auto clutch enables one to drive cars without pressing the clutch pedal, eventually reducing stress and also improving fuel economy. The product will help improve fuel efficiency by 5-10 per cent as fuel wastage during half-clutch driving, especially during traffic snarls, is reduced.

According to the Chairman of Samtek, Chang Gun Lim, when compared with automatic transmission, semi auto clutch will be 20-25 per cent more fuel efficient if driven systematically.

From stop to start, most drivers tend to push the accelerator a mite hard to prevent killing the engine (switching off). In this melee, the engine speed is higher than the stipulated idle speed, thereby consuming more fuel.

In such a context, the semi auto clutch can make a difference. For instance, the engine is accelerated to run 1,300 revolutions per minute (RPM) while the semi auto clutch maintains the speed at between 800 and 1,000 RPM. This will help reduce fuel consumption.

The semi auto clutch is a boon for those learning to drive a car. Generally the paranoia for beginners is in starting the stationary vehicle, by moving into the first gear by gradually releasing the clutch, while pushing the accelerator. It is a tricky process that almost everyone finds difficult to master (learning to control half clutch to start), with the conventional cars. In fact, many drivers may even recall that the licensing inspector would often make his judgement on your driving skills — just by watching how you start the car. If you moved the car smoothly, you stood a good chance. But if you did the start-stop-stutter routine, you had it — Better luck next time.

For such learners, life would certainly be easier with a semi auto clutch-fitted car. It also increases the life of the clutch plates, Chang says. Semi auto clutch is a great facilitator for the physically challenged due to these advantages, he adds. Samtek plans a sticker price of $400 for this unit.

According to Chang, at present, the company sells around 1,200 units a year in Korea besides exporting to Iran, China and the UK. Before the Korean passenger car market shifted to automatic transmission in the year 2000, the company was selling more than 12,000 units per year.

Since the market for this product is dipping in Korea, the company planned to enter emerging markets and India became the obvious choice, he says.

Sensors play computer’s tune

Imagine an orchestra playing as per the directives of the music conductor — in much the same way, a fleet of sensors carry out the bidding of the main processing computer. Sensors connected to the engine, speedometer, gearbox and brakes send signals to the processing computer, which eventually controls the movement of the vehicle, through a host of pneumatic actuators.

While the main processing computer gets a signal on the RPM of the engine from the engine management system, it gets inputs on vehicle speed from the gearbox. Besides, it gets blips from different sources within the vehicle, which help it to adjust clutch position and its actuator. The signals from the gear shift knob and the brake pedal enable the unit to position gear engagement at the required torque and power.

The signal from the RPM meter controls the clutch disk in engaging and disengaging. When the brake is applied, the sensor gives a positive signal to the computer, enabling the clutch to disengage itself, thereby restraining the gearbox from transferring power to the wheels.

When the pedal is released, the clutch will recuperate and based on the signal from the accelerator, it will either be idle or move the vehicle.

The engagement of clutch is directly proportional to the speed of the engine. On the driver pressing the push button in the gear knob, the clutch immediately disengages, paving the way for shifting gear. The computer decides the action of the clutch when brake is applied, irrespective of speed and the relative gear position.

Through the logical design and with inputs received by the computer such as information about engine status, speed, clutch position, etc, the semi auto clutch offers the user the flexibility to start or stop the vehicle, without applying clutch, even if the gear is engaged, according to the company.

If you are not the auto kind, and don’t want all this explanation, well, just think of the process as akin to the human brain. The brain (central processing computer of the semi auto clutch) controls the movements of the human body (the various systems of the car.)

tmurrali@thehindu.co.in

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