Nissan Motor Company Limited

Shinko Electric Company, Ltd.

Takumi Yoshida

Yuzo Takakado

Hirohiko Murata

Hirotaka Kumakura

An engine-operated generator system utilizes the switching elements of an inverter transformation circuit to accomplish starting. The starter circuit includes a battery, one electrode of which is connected to one terminal of a smoothing capacitor connected between the DC terminals of the inverter transformation circuit in such a manner that the electrode and the terminal are of the same polarity. The other electrode is connected to one of the output terminals of an AC generator system through a switch which is closed to start the engine, and which is connected to a reactor forming an LC circuit. In starting the engine, the rectifier circuit is driven in an inverter transformation mode, one of the switching elements in the inverter transformation circuit which is connected between the reactor and the one terminal of the smoothing capacitor being driven in a chopper mode. The inverter transformation circuit is formed by bridge-connecting switching elements each having a flywheel diode. The same starting circuit may be used in connection with a DC generator, with or without the inclusion of a smoothing capacitor at the output of the DC generator.

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Toyohashi, Japan

Takumi Yoshida