Comparing a human body to an automobile might seem far-fetched but there are actually quite a few similarities. Both are complicated machines that consist of various, integrated systems. 
Human bodies, of course, are far more complicated and automobiles are just a human invention but still the similarities are numerous. Both need fuel to operate, regular maintenance to run efficiently and possess various modes of locomotion. But unlike a motor vehicle, the human body doesn’t really have a transmission system, per se. Car gearboxes and transmissions are strictly mechanical and don’t have a human equivalent.
Transmissions give speed and torque conversion from a power source to whatever device is being driven. A transmission has multiple gear ratios, simply known as ‘gears’. It gives the ability to change between varying speeds. The switching of gears can be manually done by the operator or done automatically. A reverse control is also usually provided.
Dual-Clutch Gearboxes
A motor vehicle’s engine output is transferred from the crankshaft through a drive shaft to the differential, which is a unit that changes the direction of rotation. This supplies equal torque to the wheels for propulsion. The differential can also provide gear reduction, but it can’t accommodate the different types of gear ratios needed for good torque and speed conversion. An automobile necessarily needs a transmission.
Gearboxes are available in different types with a different range of capacity, size, and speed ratios. The difference of each type has to do with different performance specifications, depending on the application. Their purpose is to increase torque while decreasing the speed of the engine.
Typical car engines normally operate within a range of about 1000 to 7000 RPM (revolutions per minute). The wheels, however, only spin at a rate of somewhere between 0 and 1800 RPM. And while an engine usually produces the greatest torque output in the middle of its power range an automobile needs the most torque when starting from a standing stop or when going slowly. The transmission is responsible for supplying this high torque output at low speeds while still allowing the engine to operate within its limits while driving at higher speeds.
Outside of the U. S., most car gearboxes are manual in operation, requiring that the operator shift gears by hand. These manual transmissions are generally lighter, cheaper and more fuel-efficient. In many countries, passing a driver’s license test in a car with an automatic transmission will only allow the driver to operate a vehicle of that type as manual shifting requires a whole different set of driving skills.
Tags: automatic transmission, automobile, automobiles, body doesn, car engine, car engines, car gearbox, crankshaft, drive shaft, engine, evolution, gear ratios, gearboxes, human bodies, human body, human invention, integrated systems, locomotion, manual transmission, manual transmissions, performance, performance specifications, power source, propulsion, revolutions per minute, speed conversion, speed ratios, torque conversion, transmission, transmission system, transmissions, typical car, vehicle, wheel, wheels
