Starter system for portable internal combustion engine electric generators using a portable universal battery pack

• US 20040012204A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Forster, Michael K., Walter, Richard T., Waikar, Shailesh P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/36R
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/06 and with ignition apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/12 Starting of engines by means of mobile, e.g. portable, starting sets
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/00 Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/00 Primary cells; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/14 Electronic commutators

Abstract

A generator starting system utilizes a portable universal battery pack to start an internal combustion engine of the generator. The system is adapted to utilize any one of a plurality of universal battery packs having outputs of varying voltage. The generator can include a permanent magnet generator having first and second sets of windings. One set of windings generates AC power. The second set of windings is used to drive the PMG as an electric motor using power from the universal battery pack. In an embodiment, the system includes a brushless DC controller that electronically commutates the second set of windings to drive the PMG as a brushless DC motor.

Claims

1. An electrical generator system, said system comprising:

a generator device that generates AC power;

an internal combustion (IC) engine coupled to the generator device that drives the generator device;

a starting device coupled to the IC engine; and

a portable universal battery pack coupled to the starting device that provides DC power to the starting device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable universal battery pack includes any one of a plurality of portable universal battery packs with various voltage ratings used to power a cordless tool.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the generator device includes an alternator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the starting device includes a starter motor electrically connected to a starter solenoid.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generator device includes a permanent magnet generator (PMG).

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the starting device comprises the PMG.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the PMG includes first windings for generating the AC power and second windings for driving the PMG as the starting device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the PMG is electrically connected to an electronic converter that converts AC power generated by the first windings to AC power usable by a load.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the PMG is electrically connected to a brushless DC (BLDC) controller that electronically commutates the second windings of the PMG to drive the PMG as a brushless DC motor to start the IC engine.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the PMG is electrically connected to a brushless DC (BLDC) controller, the BLDC controller including:

a H-Bridge circuit that provides pulse width modulated current to the second windings to drive the PMG as a motor to start the IC engine; and

a full wave rectifier circuit that converts AC power generated by the first windings to AC power usable by a load.

28. The system of claim 7 wherein the PMG includes a first set of tapped windings having a full portion and a tapped portion, the full portion comprising the first windings and the tapped portion comprising the second windings.

31. The system of claim 9, wherein the BLDC includes a drive circuit having a plurality of switching devices that are sequenced to electronically commutate the second windings to drive the PMG as an electric motor.

11. A method for operating a portable generator, said method comprising:

starting the generator using a portable universal battery pack that provides DC power to operate a starting device that rotates an internal combustion (IC) engine to start it, the portable universal battery pack comprising any one of a plurality of portable universal battery packs with various voltage ratings used to power a cordless tool; and

outputting AC power from a generator device driven by the IC engine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting AC power includes driving an alternator with the IC engine.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein starting the generator includes driving a starter motor electrically connected to a starter solenoid operated utilizing DC power provide by the battery pack.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting AC power includes driving a permanent magnet generator (PMG) to output AC power from first windings of the PMG.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein starting the generator includes energizing second windings of the PMG to drive the PMG as a motor to start the IC engine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein outputting AC power further includes converting the AC power output by the first windings to AC power usable by a load utilizing an electronic converter electrically connected to the PMG.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein energizing the second windings of the PMG includes commutating them utilizing a brushless DC (BLDC) controller electrically connected to the PMG.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein commutating the second windings of the PMG includes sequencing a plurality of switching devices of a motor drive circuit included in the BLDC controller to commutate the second windings.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein energizing the second windings of the PMG includes providing pulse width modulated current to the second windings utilizing a BLDC controller electrically connected to the PMG, the BLDC controller including a H-Bridge circuit adapted to generate the pulse width modulated current.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein outputting AC power further includes converting the AC power output by the first windings to AC power usable by a load utilizing a rectifier circuit included in the BLDC controller.

29. The method of claim 15 wherein the PMG includes a first set of tapped windings having a full portion and a tapped portion, the full portion comprising the first windings and the tapped portion comprising the second windings.

21. A starting system for starting an internal combustion (IC) engine, said system comprising:

a starting device for rotating the IC engine; and

a portable universal battery pack adapted to provide DC power to operate the starting device, the portable universal battery pack comprising any one of a plurality of portable universal battery packs with various voltage ratings.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the starting device comprises a starter motor electrically connected to a starter solenoid, the starter solenoid electrically connected to the battery pack.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the starting device includes a permanent magnet generator (PMG) electrically connected to a brushless DC (BLDC) controller, the BLDC controller electrically connected to the battery pack.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the PMG comprises first windings for generating AC power and second windings for driving the PMG as an electric motor.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the PMG is electrically connected to a brushless DC (BLDC) controller that electrically commutates the second windings to drive the PMG as an electric motor.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the BLDC includes a drive circuit having a plurality of switching devices that are sequenced to electronically commutate the second windings to drive the PMG as an electric motor.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the PMG is electrically connected to a BLDC controller, the BLDC controller including:

a H-bridge circuit that provides pulse width modulated current to the second windings to drive the PMG as an electric motor to start the IC engine; and

a full wave rectifier circuit that converts AC power generated by the first windings to AC power usable by a load.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein the PMG includes a first set of tapped windings having a full portion and a tapped portion, the full portion comprising the first windings and the tapped portion comprising the second windings.