Car AC Compressor Clutch

The Used Parts offers a broad selection of clutches to service air-conditioning systems on passenger cars, light trucks, vans, on highway trucks, agricultural equipment, and other specialty markets and equipment.

Principle of Operation

The modern air conditioning compressor clutch is an integral part of a completely automated temperature control system. The temperature within the vehicle is thermostatically controlled. When it rises above the preset level, a switch is closed, sending electrical current to the clutch coil. This current concentrates a strong magnetic attraction or "flux" around the coil.

The flux jumps the air gap between the field and the rotor outer pole, where it encounters an air slot or "flux pole" in the rotor. The flux reaches out to similar slots in the armature, magnetically attracting the armature plate to the rotor and continues to pass through the armature/rotor flux poles, rotor inner pole and back to the field assembly. Once the continuously rotating rotor, which is belt driven by the engine, magnetically attracts the armature plate, which is keyed and fastened to the compressor shaft, the compressor is engaged and cools the vehicle interior through the air conditioning system.