The Thermal Compression Engine is an external combustion engine using a regenerator to achieve cycle efficiency. The Thermal Compression Engine uses thermal compression (heat addition resulting in pressure rise) rather than mechanical. By alternating flow into a constant volume, of hot and then cold fluid creates pressure rise and fall in the working fluid. This fluctuating pressure generates a reservoir of high, and a reservoir of low pressure fluid. The TCE cycle uses the high and low pressure storage to generate a fluid flow, with expansion through a turbine or other expansion device, to generate power.

An apparatus includes a circumferential array of rotatable magnetic field generating members centered on an axis of rotation and free to rotate about said axis of rotation; and wherein said rotatable magnetic field generating members are encircled by a circumferential array of radially reciprocating magnetic field generating members free to move reciprocally in a radial direction when pushed by a momentary force of fixed duration; and such that said radially reciprocating magnetic field generating members repel said repel said rotatable magnetic field generating members during the duration of said force and cause them to rotate about said axis of rotation; and such that upon rotation, and after the duration of said force, said rotatable magnetic field generating members repel said reciprocating magnetic field generating members in turn to repeat the process when said force is reapplied to said reciprocating magnetic field generating members for said duration.