Method and apparatus for starting an engine using capacitor supplied voltage
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsGeorge Codina, Thomas J. Richards
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine using energy stored in a capacitor. The method and apparatus includes at least one battery for providing energy at a low voltage, an inverter for receiving the energy at the low voltage and producing energy at a high voltage, a capacitor for receiving and storing the energy at the high voltage, means for removing the low voltage source from the inverter, and at least one starter motor adapted to receive the energy at the high voltage from the capacitor and responsively start the engine.
Claims24
A method for starting an internal combustion engine using energy stored in a capacitor, including the steps of:
- providing energy at a low voltage from at least one battery to an inverter;
- boosting the energy at the low voltage to energy at a high voltage, the high voltage being greater than 100 volts;
- delivering the energy at the high voltage from the inverter to a capacitor;
- automatically removing the low voltage source from the inverter during the period of time the engine is being started;
- and
- delivering the energy at the high voltage from the capacitor to at least one starter motor to responsively start the engine.
An apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine using voltage stored in a capacitor, comprising:
- at least one battery for providing energy at a low voltage;
- a DC to DC inverter for receiving the energy at the low voltage and producing energy at a high voltage, the high voltage being greater than 100 volts;
- a capacitor for receiving and storing the energy at the high voltage;
- means for automatically removing the low voltage source from the inverter during the period of time the engine is being started;
- and
- at least one starter motor adapted to receive the energy at the high voltage from the capacitor and responsively start the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.