In a starter, current is passed through a solenoid to use the generated electromagnetic force when pushing a pinion gear toward a ring gear, so that the ring gear is engaged with the pinion gear. For this purpose, the starter includes an electromagnetic solenoid, a spring for urging the pinion gear in a direction opposite to that of the electromagnetic solenoid, a connecting member connected to the pinion gear, a stopper for limiting movement of the connecting member to a predetermined position. Being urged by the spring, the pinion gear is disengaged from the ring gear, and the connecting member is retracted to a predetermined position. The starter includes a control circuit that implements control of passing a predetermined current through the solenoid after the disengagement but before retraction of the connecting member to the predetermined position.

A vehicle propulsion system includes an engine configured to be selectively activated to provide torque to propel the vehicle and a starter module coupled to the engine and configured to start the engine from an inactive state. The starter module includes a brushless electric machine to generate an output torque to crank start the engine. The starter motor also includes a pinion gear coupled to the electric machine, where the pinion gear is actuatable to selectively engage a cranking input of the engine. A controller assembly is programmed to cause actuation of the pinion gear to engage the cranking input of the engine and transfer a cranking torque to activate the engine.

An engine starting system is provided which is used with a vehicle equipped with a gear driving starter which is energized to bring a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear of an engine mounted in the vehicle and also to rotate the pinion gear to crank the engine. The engine starting system works to terminate energization of the starter after the starter is energized to start the engine. The engine starting system executes combustion control to control combustion of fuel in the engine so as to develop a first firing event where the fuel is first fired in the engine after the energization of the starter is terminated. This minimizes the gear noise when the engine is being cranked and ensures the stability in starting the engine.

A starter includes a three-phase switched reluctance electric motor including a rotor and a stator, a pinion gear, a power inverter that is connected to the stator, and a rotational position sensor. The rotor includes a quantity of rotor poles that is between 6 and 16, and the stator includes a quantity of stator poles that is between 8 and 24. An outer diameter of the electric motor is less than 85 mm. An active length of the motor is less than 50 mm. An airgap distance between the rotor and the stator is between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. A ratio between a rotor pole arc and a stator pole arc is at least 1.0:1. A ratio between a stator diameter and a rotor diameter is at least 2.0:1, and a ratio between a stator pole height and a rotor pole height is at least 2.5:1.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting engine cranking speed, fueling, and spark initiation to increase fuel vaporization during cold-start conditions. In one example, a method may include, during engine cold-start, cranking the engine at a lower speed relative to a nominal cranking speed while injecting fuel and disabling spark for a number of engine cycles, and after the completion of the number of engine cycle increasing the cranking speed and initiating spark.

A starter is installed in a vehicle. In the starter, a crank shaft is driven by a motor which rotates a pinion gear in a state where a ring gear connected to the crank shaft is in engagement with the pinion gear. Thus, an engine is started. The starter sets a start-up period depending on the type of the start-up trigger that generates a start-up request for the engine, and sets a current supplied to the motor on the basis of the set start-up period. Thus, at least either of a rotation speed and an output torque of the motor is controlled. This control is implemented by a control circuit.

Disclosed is a method for managing the starting of a combustion engine of a hybrid drive system including a combustion engine and an electric machine, as well as a drive shaft, the electric machine producing torque to start the combustion engine and drive the drive shaft at least during an initial phase of the start. In a transient starting phase, the combustion engine drives the drive shaft and the electric machine is stopped. The electric machine is regulated, during the initial phase and transient phases, with a first engine speed setpoint. The transient phase begins when the drive shaft reaches the first engine speed setpoint and remains steady. Torque control produced by the electric machine during the transient starting phase being configured so that the electric machine is stopped as soon as the control determines that the torque produced by the electric machine is tending toward zero torque.

A vehicle engine electric starter motor can bring a vehicle engine crankshaft up to a desired spinning speed prior to igniting the accompanying vehicle engine by way of multiple speed ratios. The vehicle engine electric starter motor includes a planetary gearset assembly. The planetary gearset assembly receives rotational drive input from an armature shaft, and transmits rotational drive output to an engine flywheel. Amid use of the vehicle engine electric starter motor, the vehicle engine electric starter motor can provide a first speed ratio by way of the planetary gearset assembly between the rotational drive input and the rotational drive output in a first mode of operation. And the vehicle engine electric starter motor can provide a second speed ratio by way of the planetary gearset assembly between the rotational drive input and the rotational drive output in a second mode of operation.

An interior permanent magnet electric machine includes a stator having a plurality of teeth disposed around a circumference oriented radially towards a center defining slots interposed between each of the teeth, and a conductive winding wrapped around at least one of the teeth of the stator to receive an electrical current. The electric machine also includes a rotor which is rotatable relative to the stator. The rotor defines a plurality of openings configured to hold permanent magnets near an outer portion of the rotor and a number of spokes interposed between mass reduction cutouts located closer to a center of the rotor relative to the permanent magnets. Each of the permanent magnets defines a magnetic pole and each of the spokes is circumferentially aligned with one of the magnetic poles.

An engine starter system includes a starter including a multi-phase brushless electric motor and an electronic commutator assembly. A controller includes an instruction set that is executable in response to a command to execute an engine starting event. Operation includes determining a desired starting profile, controlling the starter to engage a rotatable member of the engine, and monitoring the rotational speed of the electric motor via a rotor position sensing circuit. The starter inverter is dynamically controlled to control the electric motor to spin the rotatable member of the internal combustion engine responsive to the desired starting profile, including dynamically controlling the starter inverter to control the electric motor to control the spin of the engine responsive to the desired starting profile to prevent occurrence of an engine speed flare event during the engine starting event.