Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.

Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.