An internal combustion engine has a crankshaft with at least one throw being formed as a complete disc over at least a portion of its thickness. Permanent magnets are attached to the disc of the at least one throw in an annular array. Electromagnets are attached to the engine block, a brace coupled to the engine block, and/or an oil pan mounted to the engine block. The brace may include one or more circular structures surrounding the discs of the throws, and may support the electromagnets. The electromagnets are positioned opposite the permanent magnets. A control system selectively provides electrical current to the electromagnets to affect the motion of the crankshaft, and may further selectively activate and deactivate at least one of the cylinders by stopping fuel flow, spark, and/or intake valve actuation.

An internal combustion engine has a crankshaft with at least one throw being formed as a complete disc over at least a portion of its thickness. Permanent magnets are attached to the disc of the at least one throw in an annular array. Electromagnets are attached to the engine block, a brace coupled to the engine block, and/or an oil pan mounted to the engine block. The brace may include one or more circular structures surrounding the discs of the throws, and may support the electromagnets. The electromagnets are positioned opposite the permanent magnets. A control system selectively provides electrical current to the electromagnets to affect the motion of the crankshaft, and may further selectively activate and deactivate at least one of the cylinders by stopping fuel flow, spark, and/or intake valve actuation.

A cylinder for opposed-piston engines includes a liner with a bore and longitudinally displaced intake and exhaust ports near respective ends thereof. An intermediate portion of the liner between the exhaust and intake ports contains a combustion chamber formed when the end surfaces of a pair of pistons disposed in opposition in the bore are in close mutual proximity. A compression sleeve encircles and reinforces the intermediate portion of the liner. An annular grid of pegs disposed between the intermediate portion and the compression sleeve supports the compression sleeve against the liner and defines a turbulent liquid flow path extending across the intermediate portion in a direction that parallels the longitudinal axis of the liner.

A cylinder housing for a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, includes a first cylinder which is delimited by a first cylinder barrel and a second cylinder which is delimited by a second cylinder barrel. The cylinders differ from one another with respect to their respective inner contour formed by the respective cylinder barrels.

A cylinder housing for a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, includes a first cylinder which is delimited by a first cylinder barrel and a second cylinder which is delimited by a second cylinder barrel. The cylinders differ from one another with respect to their respective inner contour formed by the respective cylinder barrels.

A method for processing an inner wall of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine includes providing a cylinder and processing an inner wall of the cylinder. The cylinder extends along a cylinder axis. The inner wall of the cylinder is processed in such a manner that at least one first structural region and one second structural region are formed along the cylinder axis. A geometry of the first structural region differs in design from a geometry of the second structural region.

A cylinder head, where a pivot member configured to pivotably support a rocker arm is fastened with a bolt, is provided. The cylinder head includes a bottom wall part forming an inner bottom surface of a cam chamber that is a space where the rocker arm is disposed, and a side wall part forming an internal surface continuously rising from the inner bottom surface. A bolt hole into which the bolt is inserted is formed in the inner bottom surface. The side wall part has a protrusion protruding inward in the cam chamber from the internal surface at a position separated from the inner bottom surface, and a support hole configured to support the pivot member is formed in the protrusion.

A four-stroke opposed piston engine contains a drive train containing two outer crank shaft gears, and two inner synchro gears, wherein the inner synchro gears are twice the diameter of the outer crank shaft gears. Additionally, novel piston faces are presented that when fixed on opposed pistons, create annular cavities that form advantageous combustion chambers when the pistons are at top dead center.

Internal combustion engines having a split crankshaft are disclosed. The engines may also have non-circular, preferably rectangular, cross-section pistons and cylinders. The pistons may include a skirt with a field of pockets that provide a ringless, non-lubricated, seal equivalent. The pistons also may have a domed piston head with depressions thereon to facilitate the movement of air/charge in the cylinder. The engines also may use multi-stage poppet valves in lieu of conventional poppet valves. The engines may use the pumping motion of the engine piston to supercharge the cylinder with air/charge. The engines also may operate in an inverted orientation in which the piston is closer to the local gravitationally dominant terrestrial body's center of gravity at top dead center position than at bottom dead center position.

Improved combustion monitoring in an internal combustion engine is provided by an optical port passing through a side wall of the combustion chamber where a front surface of the port may be cleaned by wiping action of piston rings passing across that surface. A thin film of oil distributed by the rings reduces the adhesion of fouling deposits.