Regenerative valve hydraulic actuator

A regenerative valve hydraulic actuator for a reciprocating piston compressor or engine which comprises at least one piston connected to transmission means to reciprocate in a cylinder closed by a compressor or engine cylinder head, said piston, said cylinder and said engine cylinder head forming a compression or combustion chamber into which opens at least one intake line and at least one exhaust or discharge line, one or both of said two lines being connected to said compression or combustion chamber by a line orifice that a valve can block when it rests on a valve seat the regenerative valve hydraulic actuator comprising:

• at least one high-pressure hydraulic feed pump that can admit a hydraulic fluid from a low-pressure accumulator or a fluid tank via a low-pressure feed line to discharge said hydraulic fluid to a high-pressure accumulator via a high-pressure feed line;
• at least one actuator which comprises an actuator cylinder capped by an actuator cylinder head, said actuator cylinder being attached directly or indirectly to the compressor or engine cylinder head whereas said actuator cylinder and the actuator cylinder head form with an actuator piston an actuator hydraulic chamber, said actuator piston being mechanically connected by transmission means to the valve, said transmission means being such that if the actuator hydraulic chamber is subjected to a pressure exerted by the hydraulic fluid, the actuator piston tends to move said valve away from the valve seat with which it cooperates;
• at least one valve return device which exerts on the valve a force opposite that which the actuator is able to produce, said valve return device therefore tending to return the valve into contact with the valve seat with which it cooperates;
• at least one valve lifter hydraulic valve that can open or close a high-pressure lifter line which connects the high-pressure accumulator to the actuator hydraulic chamber;
• at least one lifter check valve placed in an inertial lifter line that connects the low-pressure accumulator or the fluid tank to the actuator hydraulic chamber, said lifter check valve allowing the hydraulic fluid via said inertial lifter line to flow from the low-pressure accumulator or the fluid tank to the actuator hydraulic chamber, but not in a direction from the actuator hydraulic chamber to the low-pressure accumulator or the fluid tank;
• at least one valve closure hydraulic valve that can open or close a closure and regeneration line which connects the actuator hydraulic chamber with a fluid intake which a closure and regeneration hydraulic motor includes, a fluid outlet which said regeneration hydraulic motor also includes being connected with the low-pressure accumulator or with the fluid tank by a hydraulic motor low-pressure return line;
• at least one progressive lever arm ratio lever constituting all or part of the transmission means, said progressive lever arm ratio lever exposing at least one point of application of the force of the actuator to which the actuator piston can apply directly or indirectly a driving or resisting force, at least one point of application of the force of the valve to which the valve can apply directly or indirectly a driving or resisting force, and at least one point of application of a reaction force on the engine cylinder head at which a force is applied directly or indirectly to the compressor or engine cylinder head.