FutureBoy
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So....
I was watching a YouTube video about a car from the 80's and they were describing how to turn on AWD. The video had the following quote.
Now though I have to wonder. Other than cars (or I suppose any system powered by a hydrocarbon engine) is there anywhere else we regularly use vacuum switches? And other than that it was the tech available at the time of the combustion engine development, is there a reason to keep using vacuum switches in cars?
I was watching a YouTube video about a car from the 80's and they were describing how to turn on AWD. The video had the following quote.
With EV's it seems this whole system would be built with far fewer parts. But what caught my attention was the vacuum switch. I know car engines and motorbikes use vacuum switches. It seems like really old tech on the order of leather belt drives. And I was immediately thinking of Elon's quote: "The best part is no part." Like why have an electronic switch signal a relay that switches a vacuum switch that then makes a mechanical change to the driveshaft? Seems way overly complicated. I get it. It was the 80's and we all thought our technology was super great.When you want to go into all-wheel drive, you hit the AWD switch on the instrument panel. A relay module activates a vacuum switch. A transfer case, which replaces the pan of the FLC automatic transaxle, takes power from the transaxle's final gear. Gears are engaged to turn the driveshaft, which sends power back to a limited-slip differential, which turns the axles to drive the rear wheels.
Now though I have to wonder. Other than cars (or I suppose any system powered by a hydrocarbon engine) is there anywhere else we regularly use vacuum switches? And other than that it was the tech available at the time of the combustion engine development, is there a reason to keep using vacuum switches in cars?
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