A head assembly for an internal combustion engine includes an electromagnetic valve actuation system. The head has an intake or exhaust passage defined therein. A valve is disposed in the passage and is operable to selectively open and close the passage. The head has a cooling passage defined therein for passage of a cooling fluid. An electromagnetic actuator has a piston in mechanical communication with the valve and a coil in fluid communication with the cooling passage. The electromagnetic actuator is operable to move the valve between a closed and an open position.

A valve arrangement for the measured supply of gaseous fuel in internal combustion engines with a plurality of electromagnetically operable control valves of an individual cross-section, with the control valves being embodied as seat valves, allowing the allocation of the valve arrangement to an internal combustion engine, and the valve arrangement comprising a nominal cross-section for providing a predetermined volume flow, with the seat valves being designed such that a sum of the individual cross-sections is at least equivalent to the nominal cross-section, an effective cross-section due to a valve stroke of all seat valves is equivalent to the nominal cross-section, and the effective cross-section is smaller or equivalent to the sum of individual cross-sections.

Reciprocating apparatuses such as a displacer in a Stirling engine or Vuilleumier (thermally-driven) heat pump and such as a poppet valve in an internal combustion engine have been known to be built with a mechatronic actuator. The reciprocating element has two springs in compression biased against each other. It has been found that conventional springs in compression introduce losses. A spring is disclosed in which a portion of the coil is wound in a clockwise direction and a portion is wound in a clockwise direction. Also, in reciprocation, the spring is in compression at one end of travel and in tension at the other end of travel.