This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines. More particularly it relates to increased levels of usable electrical energy production and fuel efficiency within a relatively fixed speed, cam-track style Engine/Generator when combined with the secondary injection or injections of a rapidly expanding medium (usually water) into the engines combustion chambers during and after the combustion process has been initiated. The injection of said medium causing reduced fuel consumption, increased cylinder pressure, an extended usable piston stroke length, and increased usable energy production, while reducing the temperature of the combustion gases in order to control or eliminate the production of the pollutant, NOx and to further reduce thermal pollution exhausted into the atmosphere.

System for the reversible transformation of a reciprocating motion in a rotary motion, which may include one or more actuating devices adapted to cooperate with a rotor which has a spiral shaped section, and has at least one interaction surface for interacting with said one or more actuating devices. Each actuating device of said plurality of actuating devices is an internal combustion cylinder and piston device. Each actuating device is associated with a rod which incorporates a slider with a follower which engages with said at least one interaction surface of said rotor.

The present invention provides a system for the reversible transformation of a reciprocating motion in a rotary motion, which comprises one or more actuating devices (11) adapted to cooperate on at least one interaction surface of a spiral profiled rotor (3), the system it is characterized in that each actuating device of said plurality of actuating devices (11) comprises hydraulic or internal combustion cylinders; the arrangement being such that each actuating device (11) urges a tubular slidable rod coupled to a respective cylinder, said tubular rod being associated with a slider (5), the slider (5) being adapted to transmit the thrust of said tubular rod (6) on said at least one interaction surface of the spiral profiled rotor (3) creating a torque on said rotor (3).

A modular internal combustion engine (10) comprising a cam crank (74) having a piston stroke guide pattern (76) to control the stroke motion profile of the piston (70), which can be expanded by replacing the crank shaft (22) with a longer crank shaft (22), and installing a supplemental engine block (18) with a supplemental cam crank assembly (75).

A modular internal combustion engine (10) comprising a cam crank assembly (75) having a cam crank (74), an intake cam (90) and an exhaust cam (92), the cam crank (74) having a piston stroke guide pattern (76) to control the stroke motion profile of the piston (70), which can be expanded by replacing the crank shaft (22) with a longer crank shaft (22), and installing a supplemental engine block (18) with a supplemental cam crank assembly (75).

A internal combustion engine (10) comprising a cam crank assembly (75) having a planetary gear assembly (2900), an intake cam (90) and an exhaust cam (92), the planetary gear assembly (2900) having drive gear (2910) rotationally secureable to the crank shaft (22), a piston gear (2912) rotationally engaged with the drive gear (2910), and a piston assembly (70) rotationally attached to the piston gear (2912).

A modular internal combustion engine (10) comprising a cam crank assembly (75) having a cam crank (74), an intake cam (90) and an exhaust cam (92), the cam crank (74) having a piston stroke guide pattern (76) to control the stroke motion profile of the piston (70), which can be expanded by replacing the crank shaft (22) with a longer crank shaft (22), and installing a supplemental engine block (18) with a supplemental cam crank assembly (75).

The invention provides a fluid working machine comprising: a cylinder block (1) having an axial bore (4); a crankshaft (2) which extends within the axial bore (4) and is rotatable about an axis of rotation (3); and first and second valve cylinder devices (13) provided in the cylinder block (1) arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the axial bore (4), the first and second valve cylinder devices (13) being axially offset from each other, the first and second valve cylinder devices (13) being offset from each other about the axis of rotation (3), and the first valve cylinder device having an axial extent which overlaps the axial extent of the second valve cylinder device, wherein the first and second valve cylinder devices (13) comprise first valves (14) having respective first working fluid ports (48, 49), the said respective first working fluid ports (48, 49) of the first valves (14) of the first and second valve cylinder devices (13) being in fluid communication with each other via a common conduit (50, 52) extending within the cylinder block (1).

A modular internal combustion engine (10) comprising a cam crank (74) having a piston stroke guide pattern (76) to control the stroke motion profile of the piston (70), which can be expanded by replacing the crank shaft (22) with a longer crank shaft (22), and installing a supplemental engine block (18) with a supplemental cam crank assembly (75).

The invention provides a fluid working machine comprising: a crankshaft (2) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation (3); adjacent first and second groups (5, 6, 8, 10) of valve cylinder devices (13) spaced from each other about the axis of rotation (3), one or each of the first and second groups (5, 6, 8, 10) of valve cylinder devices having first, second and third valve cylinder devices (13) arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the crankshaft (2), the first and third valve cylinder devices being axially offset from each other, the second valve cylinder device being axially offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices and the second valve cylinder device being offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices about the axis of rotation, wherein the second valve cylinder device has an axial extent which overlaps with the axial extent of one, or the axial extents of both, of the first and third valve cylinder devices.