A system may be used for determining a parameter relating to a piston in an engine. The parameter may be the piston position, speed, etc., which may be determined at a reference point in a cylinder. The system may be controlled based on the determined parameter. The engine may be a linear reciprocating engine, opposed piston engine, etc. The system may include a first sensor provided on a base connected to the engine, and a second sensor provided on the base. The first sensor may be configured to generate a signal in response to a component coupled to the piston being in a region of the first sensor. The second sensor may be configured to generate a signal in response to a component coupled to the piston interacting with the second sensor. The system may include an energy transformer configured to transform motion of the engine to electrical power.

A reciprocating linear/rotational motion conversion device has a main shaft, a linear motion guiding mechanism, a sector gear and a rack frame. The sector gear is fixedly connected with the main shaft. A rack pair is arranged on the inner wall of the rack frame. The rack pair comprises a first gear rack and a second gear rack separately arranged on both sides of the sector gear. The reciprocating linear/rotational motion conversion device further includes a reversing mechanism fixedly connected with the main shaft. A cylinder device contains the reciprocating linear/rotational motion conversion device, connecting rods, pistons and cylinder bodies. The cylinder body is sleeved on the piston, and a cylinder head is arranged on one end of the cylinder body.

Various exemplary embodiments relate to an engine including a cylindrical cassette that converts linear into rotational motion. The linear motion is provided by a normal cylinder and valve mechanism driving pistons in a reciprocating motion, and the rotational motion is transmitted to an output shaft. Further embodiments relate to methods of converting linear motion to rotational motion by using a cylindrical cassette.

A motion conversion apparatus (110) comprises a rodrack assembly (110) and a gearshaft member (150). The rodrack assembly (110) comprises a first gear connection member (120) and two guide members (140). The gearshaft member (150) comprises a second gear connection member (160) configured to engage with the first gear connection member (120), and a guiding surface arrangement (170) configured to contact the guide members (140). The rodrack assembly (110) is configured to provide rotation of the gearshaft member (150) about a rotational axis (A) by reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly (110) along a first spatial dimension (D1) orthogonal to the rotational axis (A), and/or the gearshaft member (150) is configured to provide reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly (110) along the first spatial dimension (D1) by rotational motion of the gearshaft member (150) about the rotational axis (A). The guiding surface arrangement (170) is configured to simultaneously contact each guide member (140) during at least a portion of the reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly (110).

A motion conversion apparatus (400, 500) comprises at least one set including a rodrack assembly (110) between two gearshaft member end sections (155), and a gearshaft member mid section (156) between the two gearshaft member end sections (155). The rodrack assembly (110) comprises a first gear connection member (120) and two guide members (140). The gearshaft member mid section (156) comprises a second gear connection member (160) configured to engage with the first gear connection member (120). The two gearshaft member end sections (155) each comprise a guiding surface arrangement (170) configured to contact the two guide members (140). The rodrack assembly (110) is configured to provide rotation of the gearshaft member mid section (156) about a rotational axis (A) by reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly (110) along a first spatial dimension (D1) orthogonal to the rotational axis (A), or vice versa.

A system may be used for determining a parameter relating to a piston in an engine. The parameter may be the piston position, speed, etc., which may be determined at a reference point in a cylinder. The system may be controlled based on the determined parameter. The engine may be a linear reciprocating engine, opposed piston engine, etc. The system may include a first sensor provided on a base connected to the engine, and a second sensor provided on the base. The first sensor may be configured to generate a signal in response to a component coupled to the piston being in a region of the first sensor. The second sensor may be configured to generate a signal in response to a component coupled to the piston interacting with the second sensor. The system may include an energy transformer configured to transform motion of the engine to electrical power.

A system may be used for determining a parameter relating to a piston in an engine. The parameter may be the piston position, speed, etc., which may be determined at a reference point in a cylinder. The system may be controlled based on the determined parameter. The engine may be a linear reciprocating engine, opposed piston engine, etc. The system may include a first sensor provided on a base connected to the engine, and a second sensor provided on the base. The first sensor may be configured to generate a signal in response to a component coupled to the piston being in a region of the first sensor. The second sensor may be configured to generate a signal in response to a component coupled to the piston interacting with the second sensor. The system may include an energy transformer configured to transform motion of the engine to electrical power.

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.

In some aspects, reciprocating engines can include a drive mechanism for generating a rotational motion output from reciprocating piston assembly, where the drive mechanism includes an axially translating y-axis component to reciprocate along a y-axis with the piston assembly; an x-axis component: i) configured to reciprocate substantially perpendicularly to the y-axis, ii) having an internal ring gear, and iii) having an orbital engagement component substantially concentric with the internal ring gear; an output shaft assembly having an output pinion gear engaging tangentially with the internal ring gear; and a stationary engagement component substantially concentric with the output shaft assembly, the stationary engagement component interfacing with the orbital engagement component, the interfacing between the stationary engagement component and the orbital engagement component applying a force to the x-axis component to maintain contact between the internal ring gear and the output pinion gear.

A bearing guide device of a combustion piston for a variable compression ratio engine. The movement of the combustion piston from a top dead center to a bottom dead center drives the movement of a synchronized roller made up of a cylindrical body and a pinion from a first position to a second position relative to first and second racks. According to the disclosure, the first and/or second racks have a different circular pitch than the pinion so that the flanks of the teeth of the pinion engage with the flanks of the teeth of the first and second racks only when the pinion is in the first or second position.