Patent ID: 7690456

Claim:
A method for operating a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising: converting direct current (DC) power received from a DC power storage device into alternating current (AC) real power and AC reactive power with a power inverter; operating an electric machine with the AC real power to produce torque that is used to start an engine; after the engine is started, controlling the power inverter such that the electric machine is operable in a generating mode wherein the electric machine receives at least AC reactive power from DC power received from the DC power storage device, and that DC power received from the DC power storage device is converted into AC current having a torque current component equal to zero, within a first preset tolerance, and having a magnetizing current component equal to a reference current value of the electric machine, within a second preset tolerance; and after an output voltage of the electric machine is at a preset voltage value and after an AC frequency of the electric machine is at a preset frequency value, operating the electric machine as a generator to generate AC power and operating a switch/power conditioning module to provide the generated AC power to a load.