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Using a DC or AC generator as a starter with fault detection

  • US 9,719,477 B2
  • Filed: 12/09/2013
  • Issued: 08/01/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A power generation and starting system for a utility vehicle, said system comprising:

  • a battery source structured and operable to store electrical energy;

    a logic/driver module operably coupled to said battery source, said logic/driver module structured and operable to output electrical energy to a drive system of the utility vehicle;

    an internal combustion engine structured and operable to output a mechanical driving force; and

    a generator operably coupled to said internal combustion engine and electrically coupled to said logic/driver module, said generator being structured and operable as a generator in response to said mechanical driving force of said internal combustion engine, thereby outputting electrical energy to said logic/driver module, said generator further being structured and operable to as an electric motor in response to input of electrical energy from said logic/driver module to drive said internal combustion engine during a starting sequence of said internal combustion engine, whereinthe logic/driver module is further structured and operable to detect potential operational failures of the internal combustion engine by monitoring a current draw of said generator during the starting sequence and terminating the starting sequence in response to detecting the current draw of said generator is outside a predetermined range, the current draw of said generator being outside of the predetermine range;

    in an instance in which the current draw of said generator is less than a minimum value of the predetermined range of current draw, a current draw less than the minimum value being indicative of a potential operational failure of the internal combustion engine, andin an instance in which the current draw of said generator is greater than a maximum value of the predetermined range of current draw, a current draw greater than the maximum value being indicative of a potential operational failure of the internal combustion engine.

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