Patent ID: 7009311

Claim:
A method for starting of an alternator ( 10 ) from an internal combustion engine ( 14 ) to charge a battery ( 32 ), wherein alternator ( 10 ) includes a field bridge ( 36 ), having first ( 72 ) and second ( 74 ) switches, and a multiphase inverter ( 30 ), having upper ( 60 , 62 , 64 ) and lower ( 66 , 68 , 70 ) halves of switches, the method comprising the steps of: providing a voltage from the battery ( 32 ) to the internal combustion engine ( 14 ); cranking the internal combustion engine ( 14 ); conducting the first ( 72 ) and second ( 74 ) switches to maximize the field current in the alternator ( 10 ); switching the first ( 72 ) and second ( 74 ) switches off to decrease the field current to zero; and turning on one of the upper ( 60 , 62 , 64 ) and lower ( 66 , 68 , 70 ) halves of switches of the multiphase inverter ( 30 ) to quicken the removal of the load from the alternator ( 10 ) to the internal combustion engine ( 14 ) to further reduce the amount of power consumed by the alternator ( 10 ) to allow the internal combustion engine ( 14 ) to reach the idling state.