Hydraulic clutches, as an important part of the automotive driveline, have a direct impact on the driving experience and overall performance of the vehicle. The following is a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of hydraulic clutches:

Advantages of hydraulic clutch

1. Light and comfortable operation:

Hydraulic clutch is driven by hydraulic principle, which makes the operation lighter, and the driver will not feel fatigue in the process of driving for a long time.

Hydraulic clutch pedal force is relatively small, even if a long time to use will not increase significantly, improve the driving comfort.

2. High torque transmission capacity:

Hydraulic clutches transmit torque through hydraulics, so they have a relatively strong carrying capacity and can adapt to the demands of high-power, high-speed and high-revolution working conditions.

When the size is the same, the hydraulic clutch transmits three times more torque than the electromagnetic clutch, which makes the hydraulic clutch perform well under heavy load and high speed working conditions.

3. Shock-free, smooth starting and direction change:

Hydraulic clutches engage and disengage smoothly without shocks and vibrations, which helps to protect other parts of the transmission system.

During the starting and reversing process, the hydraulic clutch is able to maintain a smooth speed change, avoiding mechanical shocks caused by sudden speed changes.

4. Automatic compensation of friction element wear:

Hydraulic clutches have the function of automatically compensating for the wear of friction elements, which can extend the service life of the clutch.

With the wear of the friction element, the hydraulic clutch can automatically adjust the gap to maintain a stable clutch effect.

5. Easy to achieve serialisation and standardisation:

The design of hydraulic clutches is easy to achieve serialisation and standardisation, which is conducive to reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.

Standardised design makes hydraulic clutches more interchangeable in different models and transmission systems, making them easy to repair and replace.

6. Reduced operating force:

 Due to the pressure amplification effect of the hydraulic system, the force required by the driver to operate the clutch pedal is greatly reduced, which is particularly important for long hours of driving or frequent starting and stopping scenarios in the city, and can effectively reduce driver fatigue.

7. Consistency of operation: 

The relatively stable pressure provided by the hydraulic system makes the operation of the clutch more consistent and maintains similar response characteristics, both in cold start-up and in hot conditions.

Disadvantages of hydraulic clutches

1. Complex manufacturing process:

Hydraulic clutches contain complex mechanical and hydraulic transmission components and are relatively complicated to manufacture.

This results in higher manufacturing costs and higher requirements for production equipment and process levels.

2. High maintenance costs:

The hydraulic system contains several components, such as pumps, pipelines, cylinders, etc., which may become potential failure points, increasing the difficulty of diagnosis and repair.

It requires maintenance personnel with professional skills to carry out effective repair and maintenance, which increases the difficulty and cost of maintenance.

3. Oil pollution of the environment:

Hydraulic clutch needs to use hydraulic oil for transmission, when the oil leakage is easy to cause environmental pollution.

Hydraulic oil leakage will not only cause pollution to the environment, but also may affect the normal working performance of the hydraulic clutch.

4. High quality requirements for hydraulic fluid:

Hydraulic clutches require high quality of hydraulic fluid and need to use high quality hydraulic fluid to ensure its normal operation.

The use of low-quality hydraulic oil may lead to a decline in the performance of hydraulic clutches, increased wear and other problems.

5. Highly affected by temperature:

The performance of hydraulic clutches is greatly affected by temperature. At low temperatures, the hydraulic fluid may become viscous, resulting in difficult operation or failure of the hydraulic clutch.

At high temperatures, the hydraulic fluid may deteriorate or evaporate, again affecting the normal operation of the hydraulic clutch.

6. Higher initial cost: 

Due to their complex design and materials, hydraulic clutches typically cost more to manufacture than conventional mechanical clutches, which may be reflected in the final selling price of the vehicle.

In summary, hydraulic clutches have the advantages of light and comfortable operation, high torque transmission capacity, shock-free starting and smooth direction change, automatic compensation of friction element wear, and ease of serialisation and standardisation. However, its manufacturing process is complex, high maintenance costs, fluid pollution of the environment, the quality of the hydraulic oil requirements and the temperature is affected by the big shortcomings should not be ignored.

When selecting a hydraulic clutch, it is important to consider the vehicle's operating environment, performance requirements and the economics of long-term maintenance to ensure the best driving experience and vehicle performance.