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.

A variable-displacement engine comprises an engine block, power shaft and rotating cylinder block. Pistons and connecting rods mounted in the cylinder block connect to a wobble plate having a rotating ring portion and non-rotating ring portion connected to allow relative rotation therebetween while constraining the portions to remain parallel. The wobble plate defines an inclination plane, pivot axis and wobble plate angle . A piston control mechanism includes axial lift, control lever supported by the lift and by an axially fixed anchor bearing, and links connecting the control lever to the wobble plate. Axial movement of the lift changes the axial position of the control lever pivot and changes the control lever angle, in turn changing, via the connecting links, the wobble plate angle and the axial position of the wobble plate pivot axis. This changes the piston displacement of the engine while maintaining substantially constant compression ratio.