IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO.

6, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 1525

Design and Testing of a Belt-Driven Induction

Starter–Generator
Shaotang Chen, Senior Member, IEEE, Bruno Lequesne, Fellow, IEEE, Rassem R. Henry, Senior Member, IEEE,
Yanhong Xue, and Jeffrey J. Ronning

Abstract—The advent of higher voltages in automobiles

constitutes an opportunity for new electrical features and sys-
tems. In that regard, a combined starter–generator would have
several important benefits, most notably it would enable the
turning off of the engine at idle and provide efficient, high power
generation, both resulting in improved fuel economy. Several
ongoing starter–generator projects have focused on locating
the starter–generator around the engine flywheel. This paper
describes the design of a belt-driven alternative with an induction
machine drive. The proposed system would be easier to package
than a flywheel-mounted system, since it would not affect the
overall length of the powertrain. The paper presents various
models as well as test results from a prototype system. Some spe-
cific implementation issues, such as induction generator stability
at high speed, are also explored in some depth.
Index Terms—Alternator, automotive, belt driven, engine
starting, field orientation control, 42-V systems, generator,
induction machine, integrated starter–generator, liquid cooled,
pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) inverter, side mounted, starter,
thermal analysis, vector control, wide speed operation.

I. INTRODUCTION Fig. 1. Photograph of starter–generator on engine.

T HE automotive electric power system is presently un-

dergoing a major reexamination as 42 V is envisioned
to power at least the larger loads [1]–[7]. One scenario being
configuration [12] where the machine is mechanically driven
by a belt, chain, or gears. This approach would provide all
the benefits expected of starter–generator systems with the
considered is to combine the alternator and starter in a single
exception of engine-power assist as in hybrid vehicles.
unit capable of providing efficient, high power at the higher
This paper investigates various issues related to the design
voltage. This machine if driven by an active bridge could
and implementation of belt-driven induction starter–generators.
also crank the engine to higher speeds than conventional, thus
A previous paper [13] described the system and especially the
making it possible to turn the engine off at idle. This alone
mechanical drive, explaining the selection and design of the belt
would provide a sizable mileage improvement. Much of the
drive. It also presented a model of the engine cranking process as
work so far on starter–alternators has focused on mounting the
well as cranking test results at room and cold temperature. This
machine around the flywheel [8]–[12]. This is a more compact
paper focuses on the generation part of the design. The design of
package overall, but results in a longer powertrain, a possible
an induction drive is particularly challenging in this application
issue with transverse-mounted engines. An alternative being
because of the large speed range of the engine (in a ratio on the
now considered is the so-called side-mounted starter–generator
order of 1:10 between idle and 6000 r/min, not to mention the
motoring requirement at low speeds). The paper is divided into
Paper IPCSD 02–054, presented at the 2001 International Electric Machines three sections, design description (Section II), models (Section
and Drives Conference, Cambridge, MA, June 17–20, and approved for publi- III), and test results and discussion (Section IV).
cation in the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS by the Electric
Machines Committee of the IEEE Industry Applications Society. Manuscript
submitted for review July 1, 2001 and released for publication September 3, II. DESIGN DESCRIPTION
2002.
S. Chen, B. Lequesne, and R. R. Henry are with Delphi Research Labs, A photograph of the prototype hardware described in this
Shelby Township, MI 48315 USA (e-mail: [email protected]; paper is presented in Fig. 1, and the system is shown schemati-
[email protected]; [email protected]).
Y. Xue was with the Energenix Center, Delphi Corporation, Kokomo, IN cally in Fig. 2. The study dealt with the design of the mechanical
46904 USA. He is now with Hamilton-Sundstrand, United Technologies Com- drive (presented in [13]), machine, inverter, and controller pro-
pany, Rockford, IL 61125-7002 USA (e-mail: [email protected]).. viding a single 42-V power output.
J. J. Ronning is with the Energenix Center, Delphi Corporation, Kokomo, IN
46904 USA (e-mail: [email protected]). The design target was the ability to start a European-style
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TIA.2002.805563 small engine down to 20 C, to generate 3–4 kW at most
0093-9994/02$17.00 © 2002 IEEE
1526 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 6, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002

Fig. 2. Belt-driven starter–generator system.

Fig. 3. Starter–generator cross section.

speeds, and at least 1 kW at 6000 engine r/min. Cranking at
speeds of at least 400 r/min was required at room temperature B. Mechanical Drive
for smooth restarts, and the system had to be packageable in a
vehicle of corresponding size. Three main packaging options with three different drives
were considered, a chain drive at the transmission side, a
gear drive at the transmission side, and a belt drive at the
A. Electrical Drive accessory side. These are compared extensively in [13], and in
the end an accessory drive-based belt system was chosen for
prototyping the first system. It results in the least amount of
Lundell motors are a possibility, and are actively pursued as a
engine, transmission or vehicle modifications. This choice was
near-term option taking advantage of the established manufac-
also made for the important reason that a larger machine could
turing base and know-how [12]. However, they need a field con-
be packaged in the vicinity of the existing alternator. This was
trol as well as an active bridge, putting them at a cost disadvan-
not the case in the vicinity of the transmission where the starter
tage compared to switched reluctance (SR), permanent-magnet
is and where a chain drive would be used.
(PM), and induction motors, especially for high power ratings.
Advantages of a belt drive over a chain drive include lower
The PM machine is the most efficient of all, because it does cost (especially if integrated with the accessory drive), no need
not require external field excitation. However, it is also the most for lubrication, more freedom in packaging and very low noise.
expensive in this case, mostly because the inverter rating must As far as gear drives are concerned, the challenge is found to be
handle the large voltage range produced by the magnets (10:1 at high speeds, and not high loads, especially when the engine
from idle to 6000 r/min). The SR machine is attractive, because is running at 6000 r/min and the machine, assuming a 3:1 gear
of the simple structure of the machine in particular. However, ratio, is running at 3 that speed. The result is a high pitch-line
it is prone to noise and vibrations. In addition, it is still an velocity, which will lead to scoring. Higher grade materials and
emerging technology, which may complicate practical develop- manufacturing processes being typically too costly in automo-
ments. The induction machine technology, by contrast, is an es- tive applications, dual-stage gears would be needed that require
tablished technology, with good efficiency and smooth torque. transmission modifications difficult to realize especially for a
These led to its selection for this project. Nevertheless, the pres- prototype.
ence of rotor losses is a drawback for the induction motor. The prototype design consisted of a poly-V belt, with eight
A preliminary study was also made comparing liquid-cooled ribs. In the interest of time, a passive, rather than active, ten-
and air-cooled machine designs. Underhood, engine coolant is sioner was used for the belt. Active tensioners may be prefer-
conveniently available for cooling, though it may be at an ele- able in later developments because the slack side of the belt
vated temperature (up to 130 C) due to engine operation. In changes depending on motoring and generating modes. Both
the end, the choice is a matter of tradeoff between cost and poly-V and timing “cog” belts were considered. Timing belts
packaging. In this case, space was limited and liquid cooling may have problems at high speed due to their height and weight,
was therefore necessary. The final design was a liquid-cooled which result in increased centrifugal forces, noise and wear.
four-pole three-phase machine with 36 stator slots and 26 die-
casted aluminum rotor bars (see Fig. 3). The stack length was III. MODELS
110 mm, and the stator and rotor stack diameters were 138 and
80 mm, respectively. The air gap was 0.5 mm. A. Electrical Drive Model
The inverter used five MOSFETs in parallel, rated 100 V/76 A 1) Model Description: The electric drive model is a general
each. The output was limited to 9.5 kVA (210 A phase rms). A model with the machine phase voltages and currents trans-
field-orientation controller was used to drive the machine for formed into equivalent direct-quadrature (d-q) components.
both starting and generating [14]. It was implemented on a Mo- The machine equations used in the model can be found in
torola DSP 56000 chip with an Analog Devices, Inc. machine [14]. The MOSFETs are assumed ideal. Concerning overall
control coprocessor. control, field-oriented control was the chosen method for both
CHEN et al.: DESIGN AND TESTING OF A BELT-DRIVEN INDUCTION STARTER–GENERATOR 1527

(a)

Fig. 5. Effect of large and small engine speed variations.

(b)
Fig. 4. Drive simulation, starting. (a) At 36 V (room temperature). (b) At 18 V voltage standard [3], [6]. Within the scheme modeled here, some
(cold temperature). improvements should be expected from adjusting the controller
gains. Alternatively, new control schemes should be developed
starting and generating. A partial model of the battery, based aimed specifically at avoiding overvoltages during load dump.
on [15] and [16], was included for the generating mode. During A possibly more challenging issue for induction generators
starting, the battery discharge rate must also be taken into is the effect of engine speed variations, both large and small.
account and this need be added in the future for further model Large speed transients are to be expected since engines may de-
developments. The model also includes the proportional–in- celerate at a rate 10 000 r/min /s. Engine speeds also vary nor-
tegral (PI) controller that regulates the voltage and current to mally by a few percent, i.e., on the order of the machine slip,
the battery. A couple of machine design software programs within each engine cycle, as a result of the compression/firing
(SPEED software [17] and a Delphi-developed program [18]), cycles. Fig. 5 shows both aspects of this issue, with a change
not further described here, were also used to design the motor from 850 to 5850 r/min at a constant rate of 10 000 r/min /s
and provide equivalent circuit parameters for the drive model. and cyclical engine-speed variations at all speeds. The latter
2) Starting Simulation: The model was used in combination were exaggerated at 5% in the sample run (2% is more typ-
with an engine cranking model [13], [15], [16] to predict starting ical). From the preliminary analysis illustrated by this figure, it
performance. Fig. 4 shows the rise of machine torque multiplied appears that the system should be able to control the generator
by gear ratio of 3 versus time with full battery voltage available output even during the fastest engine transients as no overcurrent
(room temperature) and half the voltage available, as is the case is observed. The system seems also able to handle the cyclical
in cold conditions. In both cases, the torque reaches over 120 engine speed variations quite well at most speeds, especially at
N m, as necessary to crank the engine. In cold conditions, how- idle. At high speed, however, some oscillations in battery cur-
ever, the torque drops quickly as the engine starts to pick up rent and machine torque can be observed. They do not seem
speed, because of the voltage limitation. Also, a delay on the to be due to the cyclical engine speed variations, since a sim-
order of 50 ms, too short to be of consequence, was predicted ilar run, but without cyclical speed variations, did not remove
in both cases for initial magnetization of the induction machine these oscillations (result not shown). Instead, these current and
(see Fig. 4). speed variations should be attributed to the more difficult ma-
3) Generating Simulation: Strict standards are presently chine control at high speed. Instability at high speed was also
being developed for higher voltage systems (Sciworx/MIT observed during the tests. These issues will be discussed in fur-
Consortium [3], [6]), and it is therefore critical to investigate ther detail in Section IV-B.
the effect of various transients on generated voltage stability.
In that respect, the “load dump” scenario, considered the worst B. Thermal Model
possible for the Lundell, may not be the worst for other drive The finite-element software ANSYS [19] was used to model
types. For this reason, in addition to a load dump case, the the thermal performance of the machine. The model was
effects of engine-speed variations were investigated. created for both transient and steady-state thermal analysis and
The results of a load dump simulation were presented in [13]. was three-dimensional, modeled as the smallest symmetrically
It showed that the voltage during the transient reaches, but does repeating segment of the machine. Material properties for
not exceed, 60 V, a 50% excursion over the normal 42-V bat- all components of the machine were input including specific
tery voltage. This result is a clear improvement over the 285% heat, density, and thermal conductivity as well as all relevant
voltage spike (from 14 to 40 V) experienced with Lundell ma- dimensional information. The estimated losses, provided by
chines. However, if the MOSFET breakdown voltage is 60 V, the electromagnetic model [18], were also input as well as cal-
the model indicates little or no voltage safety margin during culated convection effects of the liquid cooling jacket, the latter
transients, and does not meet the present 58-V dynamic over- resulting for this particular design in a convection coefficient
1528 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 6, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002

Fig. 6. Temperature rise in machine, generating mode.

of 500 W m - C , indicating laminar flow. To increase the

transfer coefficient, for future designs, a decrease in flow area
to increase the flow velocity and, hence, increase the coolant
Reynolds number is preferred. Air-gap heat transfer is treated
in the model with an effective air-gap thermal conductivity
based on [20].
Two representative worst case scenarios were run, one corre-
sponding to cranking (described in [13]) and the other to gener-
ation. Concerning generation, the model used as heat loss input
a value of 1 kW, corresponding to a generator output of 4.5 kW.
Fig. 6 shows the temperature rise in the rotor and in the end
windings. The temperature stabilizes in the stator and the rotor
at 200 C and 243 C, respectively. The expected rotor tempera-
ture may be slightly higher than acceptable, making it necessary
to limit generation to operating points with losses slightly less
than 1 kW. According to this, then, generation outputs of up to
Fig. 7. Torque output versus speed, motoring mode.
approximately 4 kW should be feasible.
Another conclusion that may be drawn from Fig. 6 is that in
steady state, that is, for continuous duty, rotor temperature is 1) Motoring (Engine Cranking): Fig. 7 shows various tested
the limiting factor. At the same time, a closer inspection of the operating points in motoring mode (up to 2100 machine r/min).
first 100 s in the plot reveals that at first the stator windings The system could provide 36 N m up to 1200 r/min, and pro-
are hotter. The reason for this is the larger thermal mass of the gressively less at higher speeds along a constant-power curve
rotor compared to that of the stator windings. Therefore, starting typical of induction-machine operation. The various test points
and generating have contradictory requirements from a thermal correspond to varying levels of stator-current magnitude com-
point of view. During starting, which is a short-term transient, mands (Figs. 7 and 8 were shown in [13], and are repeated here
stator cooling is more important. For generation, rotor cooling is for completeness).
predominant. This issue is specific to induction machines since These test points were purposely limited in terms of temper-
neither switched reluctance or PM brushless machines have sig- ature since restarts after engine-off periods may take place with
nificant rotor losses. hot coolant ( 130 C) around the machine. Though the tests
were done at lower temperatures (coolant at 26 C), the ma-
IV. TEST RESULTS chine-winding temperature was not allowed to rise to more than
80 C (54 C rise from initial state). Since it took at least 1 min
A. Electric Drive to reach this temperature, the system should be compatible with
The electric drive was tested both directly without the belt the expected duration of a cranking event, whether the engine is
and on the engine. hot or cold. During cold cranking when the higher torque levels
CHEN et al.: DESIGN AND TESTING OF A BELT-DRIVEN INDUCTION STARTER–GENERATOR 1529

Fig. 8. Machine and inverter efficiency, motoring mode.

(a)

TABLE I
MAXIMUM GENERATED POWER VERSUS ENGINE SPEED

are actually needed, longer cranking events would also be fea-

sible.
The machine was sized to provide up to 40 N m of torque, but
the current sensor used in this particular inverter did not allow
(b)
testing beyond 210-A line rms (36 N m). The maximum speed
at that torque level was about 1200 r/min, limited by the battery Fig. 9. Output power and efficiency at idle. (a) Output power. (b) Drive
efficiency.
voltage drop, down to 32 V, due to the large current draw. Re-
duced battery voltages are expected in cold conditions, further
limiting cranking speed. However, since the machine can pro- generation data point were taken due to stability and other is-
vide 36 N m up to 400 engine r/min at room temperature, ample sues addressed later. The reduced power output at higher speeds,
margin is available for cold cranking. Note also that the available which is typical of induction machines, may be a challenge in
maximum torque at zero speed is not affected by temperature as the presence of some engine-speed-dependent loads such as en-
it is in traditional noncurrent-controlled dc starter motors. gine-valve actuation systems.
Fig. 8 plots the measured machine and inverter efficiency Fig. 9 shows various measurement points obtained at en-
versus machine speed, with stator phase current as a param- gine idle speed (850 engine r/min, or 2550 machine r/min).
eter. As was shown in Fig. 7, a given stator phase current corre- The output power, as shown in Fig. 9(a), increases with the
sponds to a given torque level, up to the base speed of 1200 r/min generated stator current and, for a given current level, is a
beyond which lower torques are reached. Because cranking is function of the slip. As the motor current density is a function
intermittent and does not affect mileage, the machine was de- of the allowable temperature rise, the output power from the
signed with a somewhat high degree of saturation and high mag- machine is thermally limited. If a 50 C rise is considered the
netizing inductance, causing the relatively low efficiency seen limit on the basis that the engine coolant, which is used to
in the figure. The curves shown in Fig. 8 correspond to torque dissipate the machine heat, may reach 130 C during extreme
levels between 10–36 N m, or approximately 25%–100% of full engine conditions, then, an output power of 3.4 kW would be
output torque. The best machine efficiency is obtained with the maximum on a continuous basis. Higher power outputs would
lower of these four torque values because lower torque levels be feasible on an intermittent basis, for instance, 92 C (66 C
correspond to lower saturation levels and lower Joule losses. rise) was reached for an output of 3.9 kW. It should be noted,
With torque levels closer to zero, efficiency would obviously though, that extrapolating temperature rises from the measured
drop. conditions with coolant at 26 C to underhood conditions at
2) Generating Results: The maximum generated power ob- 130 C is only approximate, but no test was performed at
served during the tests is recorded in Table I. The system was elevated temperatures.
capable of 3–4 kW up to 3000 engine r/min, and less at higher For a given stator current magnitude, the machine effi-
speeds. The system was also run at 6000 engine r/min, but no ciency can be also be optimized by varying the slip, and the
1530 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 6, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002

(a)

Fig. 11. Comparison test models, idle speed.

(b)
Fig. 10. Output power and efficiency at 1500 engine r/min. (a) Output power.
(b) Drive efficiency.

Fig. 12. Comparison test models, 1500 engine r/min.

best obtained efficiency is plotted in Fig. 9(b) for various
power levels [13]. Machine efficiency is between 79% at 4
kW and 87% at 800 W. The overall electric drive efficiency Compared to design expectations based on calculations and
(machine and inverter), also plotted in Fig. 9(b), varies between modeling, the measured output power, as well as efficiency,
75.6%–81.5%. The belt drive efficiency is expected to be in were in line with calculations, as seen in Figs. 11 and 12. The
the upper nineties ( 97 ), making for an overall efficiency of figures compare the actual machine output power and efficiency
between 73%–79% to produce up to 4 kW. These numbers are at idle and 1500 engine r/min, respectively, for various levels of
much higher than those of current production Lundell alterna- line current, with predictions from the two models mentioned
tors (generally between 50%–60% [3]). The difference is due earlier [17], [18]. The data points are very close though some-
in large part to the difference between induction and Lundell what less so at the higher current levels where saturation is more
technology, though some implementation differences, such as of a factor.
the thinner laminations used in this prototype as compared with
those of production Lundells, also play a role. B. Stability Issues at Higher Speeds
Similar data are shown in Fig. 10 for 4500 machine (1500 Drive operation was observed to be trouble free at lower
engine) r/min operation. Compared to operation at idle, higher speeds, however, with increasing speeds, difficulties in con-
machine efficiencies and, consequently, lower temperature rises trolling the machine currents (current collapse in one or more
were observed. Electric power generation would be at least 81%, phases) were occasionally observed.
and at least 78% with the mechanical drive efficiency taken into It is known that, with field-oriented vector control, induc-
account. The higher efficiency compared to idle is explained tion machines must operate within a specific region in the -
by lower current densities in both stator and rotor. Also, iron plane. This is illustrated in Fig. 13 with both calculated and test
and mechanical losses, which increase with frequency and rotor data for the experimental system, at 4500 machine r/min. On
velocity, are still low at this speed compared to Joule losses. the one hand, the machine current cannot exceed the maximum
Therefore, a higher power output, on the order of 3.8 kW would allowable motor winding current for that speed (circles of
be sustainable on a continuous basis. radii , see Fig. 13). On the other hand, the allowable and
CHEN et al.: DESIGN AND TESTING OF A BELT-DRIVEN INDUCTION STARTER–GENERATOR 1531

The reasons for these may be explained by considering the

current regulation control. At high speed, because of the wide
speed range needed for this application, the machine requires
for the field current component to be very small, as seen
in Fig. 14. The control of such a low field current component
can be a challenge for current regulators. For example, the ma-
chine field current must be maintained at a value less than 10 A
at 13 500 r/min, very close to the current sensor and A/D con-
verter resolution and noise level. The same regulator must also
in excess of 200 A during starting. Given such different current
levels to be controlled, it is very easy for the current to fluc-
tuate around and across the boundary of the nominal operating
Fig. 13. Nominal operating region at 4500 machine r/min. region thus leading to loss of control.
Dynamic instability, or small stability margins, are another
possible explanation. These, if present, would add to the diffi-
culty of controlling the generator within a small operating re-
gion at high speed. For instance, a recent publication [21] has
confirmed that an induction generator may lose stability at high
speeds when operating within its steady-state nominal region.
This is because the system poles of the field orientation control
can actually change with slip and cause dynamic instability.
Looking, therefore, at induction machine technology as a can-
didate for automotive generation, it can be concluded that cur-
rent-regulator design will be particularly critical, and that the
operating region and stability margin are both smaller at higher
speeds. It is possible in principle to design the machine con-
troller to avoid instability (this was reported in [22] with a 1:5
speed range). However, these issues can be expected to be worse
Fig. 14. Nominal operating region at 13 500 machine r/min. in the starter-generator case as compared with a generation-only
machine, because of the wider speed range which makes for
components are also constrained by the need to generate at a smaller operating regions at high speed, and because of the
fixed dc-bus voltage, the latter expressed as the need to satisfy larger range of current values that must be controlled. Design
the steady-state equations of the induction machine and the in- options, such as a higher base speed, or separate current sensors
verter transfer function. Specifically, the machine field current and converters for low and high current levels, are possible, but
component must be kept within a voltage limit boundary line, would result in a higher cost. Other machine types, such as per-
as shown in Fig. 13, while the torque component has little manent magnet or switched reluctance drives, are expected to be
impact on the generating voltage. Physically, this can be under- less vulnerable to these issues, though controlling a wide range
stood since a higher field current will produce a higher equiv- of current levels will need to be address in all cases.
alent back electromotive force (EMF) and the voltage across
the machine windings may exceed the maximum equivalent ac C. Thermal Results
voltage of the battery converted by the pulsewidth-modulation The thermal behavior of the machine was observed with
(PWM) inverter. Fig. 13 shows calculations performed for phase thermocouples placed inside of the stator windings half way
current levels up to 50 A, along with test data for a phase cur- down the stack length during machine construction, as well
rent kept constant at 51.2 A, the latter with the angle between as in each end-winding bundle. No temperature reading was
the current vector and the axis changed gradually from made in the rotor. Such readings would have been possible only
66.9 toward 0 . It was observed that after several stable test with a special setup beyond the scope of the present study. The
points (shown in Fig. 13 as cross-hairs), when the angle was set maximum steady-state temperature rise in the end windings is
to 51.9 , current regulation was lost indicating that it reached plotted versus total machine loss in Fig. 15. The point clusters
the nominal operating limit for this current level. shown represent various experimental points taken over a series
Similar calculations show that the nominal operating of tests, and include both motoring and generating points up
region gets progressively smaller with speed, see Fig. 14 to a machine speed of 4500 r/min. All points fall below the
(13 500 r/min). This was also generally observed during the solid line drawn in the figure. This line corresponds therefore
tests, however, two other observations specific to higher speeds to the maximum temperature rise, namely, 70 C per kilowatt
were also made: 1) the actual operating regions was smaller of machine loss, consistent with the simulation results.
than the calculated one and 2) the stability of the operating
points near the voltage limit boundary was inconsistent. The D. Test Results on Engine
cross-hair points in the figure were observed to be stable at The system was tested on an engine for both cranking tests
least once, but not repeatedly. (at room temperature and at 20 C) and generation. Cranking
1532 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 6, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002

Labs) assisted with the detailing and the testing. The support of
some GM personnel for the use of some test facilities, particu-
larly that of M. Reynolds, is particularly appreciated.

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the first generation of 42-V systems, though it would not be 1999–01-0917.
capable of supplementing engine torque as in hybrid vehicles. [12] Delphi Automotive Systems Driving Tomorrow’s Technology (2000).
The paper also demonstrated the need for careful modeling [Online]. Available: www.delphiauto.com
[13] R. Henry, B. Lequesne, S. Chen, J. Ronning, and Y. Xue, “Belt-driven
of mechanical transients, electrical behavior and last, but starter-generator for future 42 V systems,” presented at the SAE Int.
not least, thermal behavior inside of the machine for overall Congr., Detroit, MI, Mar. 2001, SAE Paper 2001–01-0728.
system optimization. At the same time, the paper explored [14] D. W. Novotny and T. A. Lipo, Dynamics and Vector Control of Induc-
tion Motor Drives. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1996.
some of the challenges with such designs, especially in terms [15] D.-L Tang, M. C. Sultan, and M.-F Chang, “An engine and starting
of induction machine control. Both the large speed range and system computer simulation for computer-aided control systems
the difference between current levels during cranking and high design,” in Proc. ASME Winter Annu. Meeting, Advanced Automotive
Technologies, vol. DSC-13, Dec. 1989, pp. 203–222.
speed generation present difficulties that must be addressed in [16] M. C. Sultan, D.-L Tang, and M.-F Chang, “An engine and starting
a cost-effective fashion. system computer simulation,” presented at the SAE Int. Congr., Detroit,
MI, Mar. 1990, SAE Paper 900779.
[17] PC-IMD, Version 2.19, SPEED Consortium, Glasgow, U.K., 1997.
[18] R. Krefta, private communication, Jan. 1999.
[19] ANSYS Software (2000). [Online]. Available: http://www.ansys.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENT [20] C. Gazley Jr, “Heat transfer characteristics of the rotational and axial
flow between concentric cylinders,” ASME, ASME Paper 56-A-128,
The authors would like to thank their colleagues for their 1956.
[21] Y. Xue and S. Chen, “Instability issues for control system in induction
support, particularly M. Middleton, formerly of Delphi E&C, generator,” in Conf. Rec. IEEE-IAS Annu. Meeting, vol. 1, Oct. 2001,
for the cold-cranking tests, R. Krefta (Delphi E&C) for the use pp. 110–117.
of the Delphi induction machine model, and J. Walters (Delphi [22] J.-K. Seok, D.-W. Chung, S.-H. Song, S.-K. Sul, B.-K. Kwon, G.-W.
Park, W.-C. Shin, E.-S. Cho, J.-S. Lee, and C.-H. Choi, “A new approach
E&C) for help with the controller. L. Augustitus, L. Frost, and to advanced cold mill drive systems,” in Conf. Rec. IEEE-IAS Annu.
D. Brown (respectively with and formerly with Delphi Research Meeting, vol. 4, Oct. 1997, pp. 2125–2130.
CHEN et al.: DESIGN AND TESTING OF A BELT-DRIVEN INDUCTION STARTER–GENERATOR 1533

Shaotang Chen (S’93–M’96–SM’ 99) received the Rassem Henry (M’95–SM’96) received the B.S. de-
B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees from Central China Uni- gree from Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1971,
versity of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, in and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engi-
1983 and 1986, respectively, and the M.S. and Ph.D. neering from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, in
degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1984 and 1995, respectively.
in 1993 and 1995, respectively. He is currently a Senior Staff Research Engineer
He was with Central China University of Science with Delphi Research Labs, Shelby Township, MI,
and Technology from 1986 to 1991. He was a Senior after working for General Motors Research Labs
Research Engineer in the Electric and Electronics since 1985. His research interests are in the area of
Department, GM Research and Development Center, design, modeling, and controls of electromechanical
Warren, MI, from 1995 to 1999. He is currently a systems applied to automotive applications. He is
Staff Research Engineer with Delphi Research Labs, Shelby Township, MI. His the holder of 11 patents, primarily on electromechanical actuators and controls.
current research interests are in control of electric machines, electric machine Dr. Henry is an inductee in the Delphi Innovation Hall of Fame. He is also
drives, and power converters. a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan, a member of the
Dr. Chen was the recipient of a First Prize Paper Award from the IEEE Society of Automotive Engineers, and a member of the American Society of
TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS in 1999. Mechanical Engineers.

Yanhong Xue received the B.S. degree in electrical

engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing,
China, in 1978, the M.E. degree from the Research
Institute of Automation, Ministry of Metallurgical
Industry, Beijing, China, in 1982, and the M.S.
degree in electrical engineering from the University
of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1995.
In 1983, he became a Lecturer at Yunan Institute of
Technology, Kunming, China. In 1989, he was a Vis-
iting Scholar and Research Associate in the Electrical
and Computer Engineering Department, University
of Wisconsin, Madison. Beginning in 1993, he was a Senior Project Engineer
with Delphi Automotive Systems for eight years. He is currently a Senior Engi-
neer with Hamilton-Sundstrand, United Technologies Company, Rockford, IL.
His areas of interest are in electric machine drives, power electronic converter
circuits, and control techniques. He has authored several published papers on
these topics and is the holder of four patents.

Bruno Lequesne (M’85–SM’89–F’97) received the

Certified Engineer degree from the Ecole Supérieure Jeffrey J. Ronning received the Bachelor’s degree in
d’Electricité, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, in 1978, and the mechanical engineering from Kansas State Univer-
Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Uni- sity, Manhattan, in 1988.
versity of Missouri, Rolla, in 1984. His first position was as a Design Engineer
He is currently a Senior Staff Research Engineer of dehydration systems for Ronning Engineering
with Delphi Research Labs, Shelby Township, MI. Company, Overland Park, KS. In 1989, he joined the
His research interests are in the area of electrical au- General Motors Technical Center, where he worked
tomotive systems, especially dual 14-V/42-V archi- in various positions, including fluid and thermal
tecture, power generators, sensors, and related issues. analysis. In 1991 he transferred to Delphi Auto-
He is the holder of 23 patents, primarily on sensors motive Systems (then Delco Remy), Kokomo, IN,
and linear actuators. where he has supported thermal analysis of electric
Dr. Lequesne was also the recipient of several Best Paper Awards from the propulsion systems and hybrid electric vehicle propulsion system design. He is
IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS), the Electric Machines Committee of the holder of six U.S. patents. His publications include discussions of hybrid
the IAS, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. vehicle systems, thermal management, and the potential hybrid vehicle market.