Engine with at least one of non-sinusoidal motion and embedded pistons

A power mechanism comprising:

• a cylinder having a closed end wall and an open end;
• a first piston being at least partially disposed within the cylinder, the first piston having an end wall with an aperture that is proximal to the closed end wall of the cylinder and an open end that extends past the open end of the cylinder, the first piston being movable with respect to the cylinder;
• a second piston being disposed within the first piston and being movable therein, the second piston having a closed end wall that is proximal to the end wall of the first piston and the first piston acting as a cylinder for the second piston;
• and
• a shared working fluid that is disposed between the closed end wall of the cylinder and the closed end wall of the second piston;
• wherein, during use, at least one of the first and second pistons move causing the working fluid to transition between an end wall of the cylinder where the working fluid receives heat input from a heating source and expands and the end wall of the second piston vessel where the working fluid provides heat output to an external cooling source and contracts, thereby providing a net work output.

An engine assembly comprising:

• a drive mechanism comprising:
• a support having an axis of rotation and a cam that is disposed about the axis of rotation and has a non-circular shape to generate non-sinusoidal motion of a piston that is coupled to the drive mechanism so that the piston is adapted to move in a prescribed non-sinusoidal manner to dwell for a portion of a cycle;
• an output shaft rotatably coupled to the axis of rotation;
• and
• a cam follower slidingly engageable with the cam and connectable to a drive input, the cam follower travelling in a non-sinusoidal manner due to the cam having a non-circular shape,
• wherein an angular velocity of rotation for the output shaft is based on the cam follower moving about the cam;
• a power mechanism comprising:
• a cylinder having a closed end wall and an open end;
• a first piston being at least partially disposed within the cylinder, the first piston having an end wall with an aperture that is proximal to the closed end wall of the cylinder and an open end that extends past the open end of the cylinder, the first piston being movable with respect to the cylinder;
• a second piston being disposed within the first piston and being movable therein, the second piston having a closed end wall that is proximal to the end wall of the first piston and the first piston acting as a cylinder for the second piston;
• and
• a shared working fluid that is disposed between the closed end wall of the cylinder and the closed end wall of the second piston;
• wherein, during use, at least one of the first and second pistons move causing the working fluid to transition between an end wall of the cylinder where the working fluid receives heat input from a heating source and expands and the end wall of the second piston vessel where the working fluid provides heat output to an external cooling source and contracts, thereby providing a net work output;
• a first connecting rod for coupling the first piston of the power mechanism to the cam groove of the drive mechanism;
• and
• a second connecting rod for coupling the second piston of the power mechanism to the second cam groove of the drive mechanism.