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

An electrical generator system, said system comprising:

• a generator device that generates AC power that includes a permanent magnet generator (PMG);
• an internal combustion (IC) engine coupled to the generator device that drives the generator device;
• a starting device coupled to the IC engine, the starting device including the PMG;
• the PMG electrically connected to a brushless DC (BLDC) controller that electronically commutates windings of the PMG to drive the PMG as a brushless DC motor to start the IC engine;
• a portable universal battery pack coupled to the starting device that provides DC power to the starting device;
• and
• the BLOC 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.

A method for operating a portable generator that includes a permanent magnet generator (PMG) having first and second windings, said method comprising:

• starting the generator using a portable universal battery pack that provides DC power to operate a brushless DC controller (BLDC) connected to the PMG to commutate the second windings of the PMG to drive the PMG as a motor that rotates an internal combustion (IC) engine to start the IC engine, 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
• driving the PMG with the IC engine after the IC engine is started and outputting AC power from the first windings of the PMG;
• and
• wherein energizing the second windings of the PMG includes providing pulse width modulated current to the second windings utilizing the BLDC electrically connected to the PMG, the BLDC including a H-Bridge circuit adapted to generate the pulse width modulated current.

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

• a starting device for rotating the IC engine including a permanent magnet generator (PMG) electrically connected to a brushless DC controller (BLDC), the BLDC electrically connected to the battery pack;
• the PMG comprising first windings for generating AC power and second windings for driving the PMG as an electric motor;
• 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.

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

• a starting device for rotating the IC engine including a permanent magnet generator (PMG) electrically connected to a brushless DC controller (BLDC), the BLDC electrically connected to the battery pack;
• 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;
• the PMG comprising first windings for generating AC power and second windings for driving the PMG as an electric motor
• the BLDC 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.