The present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and discloses a double-cylinder internal combustion engine. The double-cylinder internal combustion engine of the present invention adopts a curved groove ball bearing mechanism to replace crank-connecting rod mechanisms since traditional internal combustion engines have a complicated structure, high material requirements, high processing difficulty, and the inertia effect and noises thereof are hard to be eliminated. Two inner rings of the curved groove ball bearing mechanism are fixedly connected, and a valve mechanism and an ignition mechanism are driven through a gear pair, so that the two sets of cylinders and pistons reciprocate in opposite directions to automatically balance reciprocating inertia thereof. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has simple motion forms which only consist of the rotary motion and the reciprocating motion, and low noises are produced. The inertia of the reciprocating motion is automatically offset, causing small vibrations.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and discloses a double-cylinder internal combustion engine. The double-cylinder internal combustion engine of the present invention adopts a curved groove ball bearing mechanism to replace crank-connecting rod mechanisms since traditional internal combustion engines have a complicated structure, high material requirements, high processing difficulty, and the inertia effect and noises thereof are hard to be eliminated. Two inner rings of the curved groove ball bearing mechanism are fixedly connected, and a valve mechanism and an ignition mechanism are driven through a gear pair, so that the two sets of cylinders and pistons reciprocate in opposite directions to automatically balance reciprocating inertia thereof. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has simple motion forms which only consist of the rotary motion and the reciprocating motion, and low noises are produced. The inertia of the reciprocating motion is automatically offset, causing small vibrations.

A combination for an opposed-piston engine includes an intake piston and an exhaust piston, each with a top land height. The intake piston top land height is less than the exhaust piston top land height.

A combination for an opposed-piston engine includes an intake piston and an exhaust piston, each with a top land height. The intake piston top land height is less than the exhaust piston top land height.

An engine driving apparatus includes an engine, a starter motor, and a starter motor controller. The engine includes a plurality of cylinders. When any one of the plurality of cylinders enters a compression stroke, another one of the cylinders enters an expansion stroke. The starter motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. The starter motor controller is configured to control the starter motor. Before restarting the engine, the starter motor controller performs pre-restart control for adding torque to the crankshaft by using the starter motor to open an exhaust valve of the cylinder in the expansion stroke.

In some aspects, reciprocating engines can include a first reciprocating mechanism that includes an axially translating y-axis component configured to reciprocate substantially along a y-axis with a reciprocating motion of a piston assembly relative to a base to which the y-axis component is slidingly attached. The first reciprocating mechanism can include an x-axis component slidingly coupled to and translating with the y-axis component along the y-axis, the x-axis component being: i) configured to reciprocate substantially perpendicularly to the y-axis relative to the y-axis component, ii) comprising an orbital output component, and iii) comprising an orbital linking component disposed substantially concentric with the orbital output component. The first reciprocating mechanism can include a stationary output component and a stationary linking component that are substantially concentric and disposed in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the x-y plane.

The present invention provides an internal combustion engine that comprises at least one axial geometric cylinder axis and one axial geometric central axis, both geometric axes being orthogonal to one another; a first cylinder coaxial to the cylinder axis; a second cylinder coaxial to the cylinder axis provided opposite the first cylinder; a central body comprising a hole that is axially aligned with the central shaft, a first cylindrical recess and a second cylindrical recess configured to couple the second cylinder; a central drive shaft arranged in the hole of the central body; a first piston provided in the first cylinder, said first piston being connected to the central drive shaft by means of a first pair of connecting rods; and a second piston provided in the second cylinder opposite the first piston, said second piston being connected to the central drive shaft by means of a second pair of connecting rods.

A homogeneous charge compression ignition free-piston linear generator is disclosed. The linear generator includes a housing having cylinders at opposite ends. A double-ended piston assembly is to move linearly in the housing to convert kinetic energy of the piston assembly into electrical energy, and to enable conversion of electrical energy into kinetic energy of the piston assembly. Sensors measure one or more states of the cylinders and/or piston assembly, and a controller controls the linear generator based on the sensor data.

A homogeneous charge compression ignition free-piston linear generator is disclosed. The linear generator includes a housing having cylinders at opposite ends. A double-ended piston assembly is to move linearly in the housing to convert kinetic energy of the piston assembly into electrical energy, and to enable conversion of electrical energy into kinetic energy of the piston assembly. Sensors measure one or more states of the cylinders and/or piston assembly, and a controller controls the linear generator based on the sensor data.

There is presented various embodiments disclosed in this application, including an improved crankshaft system using a load connecting member which provides a greater maximum torque angle than a conventional system, thereby improving efficiency and power.