Disclosed is an actuator including a cylinder volume having a first portion, and an actuator piston disc displaceable in the cylinder between inactive and active positions, an inlet channel between a pressure fluid inlet and the first portion of the cylinder volume, a first inlet valve body in the inlet channel, an outlet channel between the first portion of the cylinder volume and a pressure fluid outlet, and an outlet valve body in the outlet channel. The slave piston is displaceable in a bore between inactive and active positions. The first inlet valve body includes a seat valve body having an inactive position closing the inlet channel, the slave piston, in moving from inactive to active positions, rams the first inlet valve body, displacing it to an active position at which the inlet channel is open, the outlet valve body being connected to and jointly displaceable with the slave piston.

Disclosed is an actuator including a cylinder volume having a first portion, and an actuator piston disc displaceable in the cylinder between inactive and active positions, an inlet channel between a pressure fluid inlet and the first portion of the cylinder volume, a first inlet valve body in the inlet channel, an outlet channel between the first portion of the cylinder volume and a pressure fluid outlet, and an outlet valve body in the outlet channel. The slave piston is displaceable in a bore between inactive and active positions. The first inlet valve body includes a seat valve body having an inactive position closing the inlet channel, the slave piston, in moving from inactive to active positions, rams the first inlet valve body, displacing it to an active position at which the inlet channel is open, the outlet valve body being connected to and jointly displaceable with the slave piston.

An internal combustion engine according to the invention comprises at least two engine blocks which are coupled to one another and each of which includes at least two cylinders, each cylinder being connected to a common drive shaft via a transmission and a clutch. If there is a problem with one engine block, same can be disconnected from the drive shaft so that the engine can continue to operate by means of the other engine block.

An internal combustion engine according to the invention comprises at least two engine blocks which are coupled to one another and each of which includes at least two cylinders, each cylinder being connected to a common drive shaft via a transmission and a clutch. If there is a problem with one engine block, same can be disconnected from the drive shaft so that the engine can continue to operate by means of the other engine block.

Variable displacement systems, utilizing a phase relationship controller to determine and control the volumetric displacement of liquid and gas compression systems, including applications of said systems to continuously variable, constant speed power transmissions and to variable compression-ratio internal combustion engines.

Variable displacement systems, utilizing a phase relationship controller to determine and control the volumetric displacement of liquid and gas compression systems, including applications of said systems to continuously variable, constant speed power transmissions and to variable compression-ratio internal combustion engines.

A method for improving the efficiency of an internal combustion engine changes the volume in a piston chamber of an expander device. The expander device generally operates at a fixed expander device speed to perform work on an expander shaft. The expander shaft is connected to a first end of a piston in the piston chamber.

The energy conversion device includes liquid dielectric as a capacitor. The energy of the liquid dielectric capacitor is consumed inside the capacitor for use in engines, welding, or producing buoyancy gas, or consumed outside the capacitor for use as an on-board capacitor for a vehicle. The liquid dielectric capacitor is considered a dielectric breakdown-inducing igniter as an alternative to the conventional spark plug. In order to utilize the principle of this igniter as an energy source for an engine, a welding device or a gas production device for a buoyancy bag used to lift off seabed resources, an electric charge is applied to a liquid dielectric thin layer, then the thickness of the liquid dielectric thin layer is brought close to zero to cause dielectric breakdown, or the thickness of the liquid dielectric thin layer is increased to create a high voltage source for an on-board capacitor for a vehicle.