2214 results about "Starter" patented technology

There is provided a power transmission mechanism which is capable of employing one electric motor as a drive source for driving drive wheels and as a drive source for cranking an engine, thereby making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs of the hybrid vehicle, and preventing the motor from offering an extra rotational resistance to the engine when the drive wheels are being driven by the engine, thereby making it possible to enhance fuel economy. In the power transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the engine and/or the electric motor to the drive wheels, when a synchro-clutch for the electric motor, driven by a switching actuator, connects the drive shaft of the electric motor and a driving drive shaft gear to each other, the electric motor is connected to the drive wheels via a meshing gear pair (driving drive shaft gear and driving output shaft gear), whereas when the synchro-clutch connects the drive shaft of the electric motor and a cranking drive shaft gear to each other, the electric motor is connected to the engine via a meshing gear pair (cranking drive shaft gear and cranking input shaft gear), the input shaft of the transmission, and a clutch.

An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. The engine start system includes a pinion gear to be pushed to a ring gear coupled to an engine for achieving meshing engagement with the ring gear. After the pinion gear engages the ring gear, the engine start system starts to rotate the pinion gear using a starter motor to crank the engine. Specifically, when an engine restart request is made following an engine stop request, the engine start system waits until after the speed of the engine drops below a preselected gear engageble speed and then moves the pinion gear toward the ring gear without rotating the pinion gear. This minimizes the consumption of fuel in the vehicle in supplying electric power to the starter motor and a maximum level of mechanical noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear.

A vehicle includes a motor/generator, a starter motor, a disconnect clutch disposed between the engine and the motor/generator, and at least one clutch disposed between the motor/generator and the vehicle drive wheels. When an engine start is requested, various parameters are controlled to ensure a smooth engine start wherein driveline torque disturbances are minimized. The starter motor is used to crank the engine upon an engine start request, thereby eliminating the need to transfer torque from the motor/generator to the engine. This helps to further reduce torque disturbances in the driveline when the engine is started.

A starter-generator for an aircraft engine comprises a variable dynamoelectric machine alternatively operable as a motor or as a generator, having a rotor. A support motor is coupled to the variable dynamoelectric machine to assist the machine. A torque converter selectively couples and decouples the rotor to the engine, coupling the rotor to the engine at some point when the dynamoelectric machine is operated as a motor. The engine may be started by the dynamoelectric machine when operated as a motor through a first power train including the torque converter and may drive the dynamoelectric machine as a generator through a second power train.

The invention relates to a dual-clutch transmission applied to a hybrid electric vehicle, wherein an output shaft of a motor/generator is connected with a first driving gear and a second driving gear through a double clutch respectively; an engine shaft of an engine is connected with an engine driving gear through an engine clutch; a second driven gear is meshed with the second driving gear and the engine driving gear respectively and connected with a first driven gear and a main reduction driving gear respectively through a synchronizer; the first driven gear is meshed with the first driving gear; the main reduction driving gear is meshed with a main reduction driven gear; the main reduction driven gear is mounted on a differential mechanism; a first gear clutch starter and a second gear clutch starter are connected with the double clutch respectively; and an engine clutch starter is connected with an engine clutch. The invention further relates to an application method of the dual-clutch transmission. The dual-clutch transmission applied to the hybrid electric vehicle has the advantages of unique design, simple structure, environmental friendliness, high driving range, economical efficiency, and good dynamic property, and generates enormous social and economic benefits.

An energy storage device for storing energy for starting an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes a DC-DC converter, a plurality of capacitors connected electrically to the DC-DC converter, and a housing for containing the DC-DC converter and the capacitors. The DC-DC converter converts a voltage provided by the motor vehicle's battery to a second voltage stored by the capacitors. During an engine start cycle, energy discharges from the capacitors to the starter motor of the engine, wherein the stored voltage of the capacitors provides energy to start the engine. The capacitors are recharged by the vehicle's battery. A thermally insulated barrier separates the DC-DC converter and the capacitors. The housing may be sized and shaped substantially as that of a standard motor vehicle battery, enabling the energy storage device to be installed within the motor vehicle as a substitute for one or more of the vehicle's batteries.

Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle, the engine being coupled to a transmission. One example method comprises, under selected braking conditions, shutting-off the engine and spinning-down the engine to rest while the vehicle is traveling, and in response to a foot-off-brake event, restarting the engine by at least partially engaging the transmission to assist in spinning-up of the engine from rest while the vehicle is traveling.

A vehicle includes a motor/generator, a starter motor, a disconnect clutch disposed between the engine and the motor/generator, and at least one clutch disposed between the motor/generator and the vehicle drive wheels. When an engine start is requested, various parameters are controlled to ensure a smooth engine start wherein driveline torque disturbances are minimized. The starter motor is used to crank the engine at the lowest engine speeds when the engine-required torque is the highest. This reduces the amount of torque necessary to be supplied from the motor/generator, and further helps to reduce torque disturbances in the driveline. If the motor/generator is producing torque to propel the vehicle at the time the engine start is requested, a launch clutch or one or more transmission clutches can be controlled to provide slip between the motor/generator and the vehicle drive wheels to further reduce torque disturbances in the driveline.

Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle, the engine being coupled to a transmission. One example method comprises, under selected braking conditions, shutting-off the engine and spinning-down the engine to rest while the vehicle is traveling, and in response to a foot-off-brake event, restarting the engine by at least partially engaging the transmission and adjusting engine torque control actuators.

An engine starting device which makes fuel injected in preparation for ignition performed in a cylinder of an engine after starting drive of a starter motor in a forward rotational direction so as to start the engine, and makes ignition performed in a suitable ignition position at the time of engine start while the starter motor is driven in a forward rotational direction, the engine starting device being comprised so as to continue driving the starter motor in a direction for starting the engine, even when a crankshaft stops before a piston in a cylinder of the engine reaches a top dead center of a compression stroke.

An engine starting method for starting an engine by causing first fuel injection when a crankshaft is reversely rotated by a predetermined angle at the start, and then rotating the crankshaft forward to perform first ignition, the method comprising the steps of immediately stopping driving of a starter motor when a starter switch is turned off before the first fuel injection at the start; and continuously driving the starter motor forward until a cylinder into which an air/fuel mixture is supplied by the first fuel injection performs at least one exhaust stroke and then stopping the driving of the starter motor when the starter switch is turned off after the first fuel injection at the start.

An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.

Apparatus for monitoring an electrical power supply system of a vehicle, the vehicle having a battery and internal combustion engine, an alternator, and a starter. The apparatus has a filter for determining the battery terminal voltage when the vehicle ignition is turned on. There is also a voltage gradient detector for detecting phase and gradient change of the battery terminal voltage when the vehicle ignition is on. A waveform detector is used for detecting and separating different waveforms when the vehicle ignition is on, and an engine-rotating sensor is used to sense a speed of the internal combustion engine when the vehicle ignition is on. Also included is a processor for processing at least one of the battery terminal voltage, the phase and gradient change, the different waveforms, and the speed of the internal combustion engine. An output is provided that is indicative of a condition of the electrical power supply system. A system for monitoring an electrical power supply system of a vehicle is also disclosed.

A start-stop retrofit kit includes a start-stop module configured to monitor one or more parameters of a vehicle, configured to automatically stop an engine of the vehicle when the vehicle is idling during operation, and configured to automatically start the engine when the vehicle is not idling during operation. The retrofit kit further includes a wire harness configured to couple the start-stop module to a switch disposed between a starter motor and an ignition of the engine of the vehicle, wherein the switch is disposed in parallel with an existing connection between the ignition and the starter motor.

An internal combustion engine, especially an engine for a motor vehicle, is described which is provided with a piston, which is movable in a cylinder and acts on a crankshaft. The piston can run through an intake phase, a compression phase, a work phase and a discharge phase. A control apparatus is provided with which the fuel can be injected directly into a combustion chamber delimited by the cylinder and the piston in a first operating mode during a compression phase or in a second operating mode during an intake phase. The control apparatus is so configured that, for starting the engine at standstill of the crankshaft, fuel can be injected into that cylinder (no. 1) whose piston is disposed in the compression phase and can be ignited (20, 21) so that the crankshaft moves rearwardly (22).

The invention is a starting and generating apparatus for an engine, including: a rotator configured to be used as a generator driven by an engine as well as used as a starter motor for starting the engine; a power transmission mechanism configured to connect the engine with the rotator; a starter drive unit configured to supply an electricity to the rotator to drive the rotator as the starter motor when the engine is to be started; a clutch mechanism configured to shut off a power transmission from the engine to the power transmission mechanism when the engine is to be started; and a clutch control unit configured to bring the clutch mechanism into a connected state when a rotational speed of the rotator has reached a given rotational speed at which the engine can be started.