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Starter motor- Definition

A Starter motor is a DC Electric motor with gear and engaging

mechanism used to crank the engine & to produce the
minimum speed & Torque required by the engine for ignition
of fuel and air and to attain the engine to its self sustaining
speed.

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Motor- Principle of operation

Whenever a current carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field, it exerts a

mechanical force, whose direction is given by Fleming's left hand rule.
The magnitude of force is proportional to magnetic strength (B), Current flowing
through conductor (I) & Length of conductor (L) placed in magnetic field.
F= B.I.L
Magnet
Conductor in Magnetic fi
Conductor current

Conductor
has magnetic
flux lines
around it
Opposes
north and
south fields
which causes
loop of wire
to turn.

Has north
and south
pole.
Magnetic
lines of
force
move from
north to
south
pole.

As current
travels
through
conductor
and fields,
conductor
moves.

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Motor- Principle of operationContinuation.

DC motors interaction of magnetic fields to convert electrical energy to mechanical

energy
Current is applied to field and armature
Conductor tends to move from weak magnetic field to strong magnetic field.
For armature to continue rotating, the current flow must be reversed.

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Types

Starter motors can be classified based on the

following categories,
Mechanism of its Pinion engaging
with Ring gear
Torque transmission
Method of Excitation of flux
Operating Voltage (12V / 24V)
Operating duty

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Types- Continuation..
Mechanism of its Pinion engaging with Ring gear

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Construction
Following figure shows the constructional details of a
Direct drive Starter motor

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Construction- Continuation..

Following figure shows the constructional details of a Gear

reduction Starter motor

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Construction- Continuation..

Following figure shows the constructional details of Solenoid

switch

Function of Solenoid switch

It moves the drive pinion outwards so that
it engages in the engines ring gear and
It closes the switch which completes the
Starter motors primary electric circuit

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Construction- Continuation..

10

Following figure shows the constructional details of

Armature
assembly
Function
of Drive assembly
Its job is to carry the loop of current carrying conductors & to transmit the force of each conductor in
to Twisting moment / Torque at its output shaft, This Torque is then transmitted to Pinion and hence it
cranks the Engine.ar is moving faster than the pinion

Made of Laminated
Core
Solid Steel Shaft
Commutator
Lap and Wave
Wound

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Construction- Continuation..

11

Following figure shows the constructional details of Field

winding assembly
Function of Field winding / Permanent magnet assembly
Its job is to concentrate flux North & South poles, all
around Armature conductors, to make magnetic flux
interaction.

Iron Core & Windings concentrate magnetic field

Fields have north and south pole based on direction windings are wound around pole shoes

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Construction- Continuation..

12

Following figure shows the constructional details of Drive

assembly
Function of Drive assembly

Its job is to transmit the drive to the pinion when

the Starter motor is driving the ring gear, but to
disengage the pinion from the pinion drive shaft as
soon as the ring gear is moving faster than the
pinion
The one-way clutch therefore prevents the armature
of the Starter motor from being accelerated to
excessive speeds once the engine has started.

Overrunning clutches for Starter motors can be either frictional (roller & multi-plate
types) or positively interlocking (spur-gear type) in design.
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ConstructionContinuation..
Pinion is a small spur gear with less no. of teeth, mounted on

13

Starter
Drive assy.
Geararmature
tooth thro.
terminology
Gear (Ring gear) is a larger spur gear with the large number of
teeth mounted on Engine flywheel.
Pitch circle is an imaginary circle thro. Which two gears mesh
together
Module is the ratio between Pitch circle diameter to the No. of
Teeth of a gear.
Addendum is the height by which a tooth projects beyond the
pitch circle or pitch line; also, the radial distance between the
pitch circle and the addendum circle
Dedendum is the depth of a tooth space below the pitch circle or
pitch line; also the radial distance between the pitch circle and the
root circle
Whole length = Addendum + Dedendum
Circular Pitch is the length of the arc of the pitch circle from one
point on a tooth to the same point on the adjacent tooth. It is the
circle on which spacing or tooth profiles is established & from
which the tooth proportions are constructed.

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Construction- Continuation..

14

Gear tooth terminology

Working depth is the depth of engagement of two mating gears
Circular tooth thickness is the distance of the arc along the pitch circle from one side of a
gear tooth to the other
Centre Distance is the distance between the centers of the pitch circles of the gear & pinion.
Base Circle is the circle at the bottom of the tooth spaces.
Clearance is the amount by which the tooth space is cut deeper than the working depth
Backlash is the amount by which the width of a tooth space exceeds the thickness of the
engaging tooth on the pitch circles
Contact ratio is the ratio of the arc of action in the plane of rotation to the circular pitch, & is
sometimes thought of as the average number of teeth in contact. This ratio is obtained most
directly as the ratio of the length of action to the base pitch.
Diametral pitch is the ratio of the number of teeth to the number of inches in the pitch
diameter in the plane of rotation.
Pressure angle is the angle between a tooth profile and a radial line at its pitch point.

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15

Operating sequence

Operating sequence of a Pre engaged Starter motor

has shown below,

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Operating sequenceContinuation..

16

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Operating sequenceContinuation..

17

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Starter motor Performance

measurement

18

Starter motor performance

output on Test bed can be
measured as per Standards:
1.SAE J544
2.IS:3141-2007

Ref. attached snap shot for test

set up

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Starter motor Performance

(Typical)

19

Starter motor performance curve as seen in Supplier

offer drg.

This is the performance curve of a 12V, DC

permanent magnet Gear reduction Starter motor
meant for Maximmo vehicle application with 1.4kW
peak power output, tested at an ambient
temperature of 20 C
Motor tested with a DC power source and its internal
resistance with supply cables, matches with a Lead
acid Battery having internal resistance of 15 milli
Ohms
Motor tested as per test spec. SAE J544 either
continuous run method or discrete point Torque
method.

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Starter motor Design / Selection

The Design or Selection of Starter motor

involves, selecting suitable Starter motor having
sufficient power to start the engine even at low
engine ambient temperature and it should
produce the required no. of Starts before fails to
operation.

The output power of Starter motor is decided by

the cranking torque and minimum cranking speed
requirement of engine at the minimum engine
operating temperature. The Starter motor power
should be well sufficient to start the engine at this
condition.
The following are the parameters to be
considered while selecting Starter motor for
particular application.
1.Engine displacement Volume
2.Compression ratio
3.No. of Cylinders
4.Operating Temperature
5.Additional load driven by engine
6.Battery
7.Supply cables Resistances

Sl.
No.
1.

Operating
Parameters
Engine
Displacement
Volume

2.

Compression
ratio

3.

No.
Cylinders

4.

Operating
Temperature

5.

Additional
load
driven
by engine

6.

Battery

7.

Starter circuit
cables
Resistance

of

20

Effect on Cranking power

Higher the volume, higher the cranking power
required
Higher the ratio, higher the cranking power required.
For the same Engine Displacement volume, Diesel
engine requires powerful Starter motor than Gasoline
engine
For same engine Displacement volume, single
cylinder engine requires powerful Starter than multi
cylinder engine
Lower the Temperature, higher the engine frictional
resistance and higher the battery internal resistance
which reduces the Starter terminal voltage and its
reduces Starter output power
If additional loads like hydraulic power steering pump
or air compressors coupled with the engine, it will
increase the cranking torque requirement.
Batteries having high internal resistance will reduce
Starter terminal voltage and hence its output power
Lengthier or less cross sectional area of cable
increases the cable resistance and the Voltage drop
and hence it reduces the Starter power

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Starter motor Design / Selection

21

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Starter motor Performance

LIST OF REFERENCE STANDARDS:
measurement
1.
IS 3141- Specification of Starter motor

22

for

Automotive application
2.
IS 13226- Starter motor circuit Resistance
measurement procedure
3.
SAE J544- Testing procedure for Electric Starter
motor
4.
SAE 543- Starting motor pinion & Ring gear
guidelines
5.
SAE J1253- Low Temperature Cranking load
requirement of Engine
6.
SAE J541- Voltage drop for Starting motor circuits
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Starter motor Performance

Evaluation on Engine

23

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Starter motor cranking curve on

Engine

24

The cranking curve

recorded on Maximmo
vehicle with 1.4kW
Gear reduction starter
motor

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Starter motor cranking Power

requirement
Cranking Power requirement

25

The Power required to crank the engine i.e. Power delivered by the Starter
motor during cranking can be approximately calculated by the following formula,
P crank = 2** N*T/60 (kW)
where, N- Starter Pinion speed (Nc * Gear ratio)
Nc - Engine Cranking Speed (Rpm)
Gear ratio= No. of teeth on ring gear/No. of teeth on pinion
T - Starter Torque as measured from performance curve with Starter cranking
current measured while cranking the engine (Nm)
Maximmos No. of ring gear teeth 114 / no. of pinion teeth 11
Here, Gear ratio= 10.37 : 1, N= 3349 Rpm and T= 2.4 Nm
(Since Cranking current measured on Engine I=118 A, Refer Starter motor offer
drawing)
So Nominal Power to crank the engine, P = 0.85 kW at ambient temperature
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26

Failure modes..

Starter motors are often tend to misuse by Drivers due to problems with
Engine, vehicle fuel system, Operating environment, Battery, its cables &
Ignition lockset
Sl. FAILURE
CAUSE
Symptoms on Child part
N
MODE
o
1

Continuous
cranking

Thermal
loading

1. Ignition lockset contacts

sticky / Key sticky
2. Problem with fuel system

1. Burnt Armature conductor, varnish

melt out
2. Brush wear / Bush wear
3. Brush pigtail decolorize

1. Low Battery voltage

2. Vehicle Inching
3. High Engine friction
resistance
4. Flywheel / Ring gear lock

1. Burnt Armature conductor, varnish

melt out
2. Brush pigtail decolorize
3. Pinion teeth profile abrupt wear, chip
offs
4. Magnets loose on frame / Burnt field
coil
5. Melted Solenoid contacts

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27

Failure modes..
Sl
.
N
3
o

FAILURE
MODE

CAUSE

Symptoms on Child part

Over running

1. Ignition lockset contacts

sticky / Key sticky

1. Armature conductors flung out, Band

ring breakage
2. Pinion teeth wear
3. Engaging lever peg wear

Drive train
failure

1. Engine ring gear lock

2. Engine seizure
3. Vehicle started in low gear
& on sloped surface

1. Pinion teeth breakage

2. Drive shaft breakage
3. Epicyclic gear train components
breakage(Annulus, Sun gear &
pinion)

Solenoid
contact Weld
Bracket

6 breakage

1. Low Battery voltage

2. Wiring loose connections
3. More resistance on Solenoid
circuit
1. External load on Starter
brackets

1. Solenoid high current contacts weld

(T30 & T45 terminals)
2. Pinion teeth profile chip off
1. Fixing & Commutator end brackets
broken

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Diagnostics..

28

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Life Performance Requirements

The following are the DVP
tests to be done as
component level & these
tests to be done at
supplier end

Sl. No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

29

TEST TYPE

Visual Inspection
Performance Test
Insulation Resistance Test
Hot stalling Test
No Load Durability Test
Vibration Test1
Vibration Test2
Damp Heat Test
Dust Test
Thermal Shock Test
Flywheel Locked Test
High speed over run Test
Salt spray Test
Water Spray test
Demagnetization Test

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Life Performance RequirementsThe following are the

Continuation..
Sl. No
TEST TYPE
DVP tests to be done as
Vehicle / System level &
these tests can be done
either at supplier end or
at OE end

Lock Test

Hot Trip Test

2
4
5
6
7
8

9
10
11
12

30

Water wading Test

Engine Endurance Test

Continuous Cranking Test

Cold Cranking Test
Oscillation Test

Gear Train Durability Test

Vibration Test
Cranking Noise measurement Test
Field Performance Evaluation Test
Dynamic Rain shower test as vehicle

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Thank You
Visit our website at www.mahindra.com

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