Opposed piston engine

A barrel engine comprising

• a driveshaft having a first driveshaft end and a second driveshaft end and disposed along a driveshaft axis;
• a first cam mounted on the driveshaft, the first cam having a circumferential shoulder of a first cam diameter and a first curvilinear shape with a first frequency, wherein the first curvilinear shape of the circumferential shoulder of the first cam is a first segmented polynomial shape, the circumferential shoulder of the first cam having at least two lobes formed by the first segmented polynomial shape, each lobe of the first cam characterized by a peak positioned between a first trough and a second trough and a lobe wavelength between the two troughs, the peak of each lobe having a maximum amplitude for its lobe, each lobe of the first cam having an ascending portion and a descending portion;
• a second cam mounted on the driveshaft spaced apart from the first cam, the second cam having a circumferential shoulder of a second curvilinear shape, wherein the second curvilinear shape of the circumferential shoulder of the second cam is a second segmented polynomial shape which second segmented polynomial shape has a second frequency the circumferential shoulder of the second cam having at least two lobes formed by the second segmented polynomial shape, each lobe of the second cam characterized by a peak positioned between a first trough and a second trough and a lobe wavelength between the two troughs, the peak of each lobe having a maximum amplitude for its lobe, each lobe of the second cam having an ascending portion and a descending portion;
• a plurality of cylinder assemblies, each cylinder assembly having a cylinder defined along a center cylinder axis and positioned between the first and second cams, each cylinder having a first cylinder end and a second cylinder end, the center cylinder axis of each cylinder assembly being parallel with but spaced apart from the driveshaft axis, wherein a chamber is defined within each cylinder between its first and second cylinder ends;
• a first reciprocating assembly disposed in the first cylinder end of each cylinder assembly and an opposing second reciprocating assembly disposed in the second cylinder end of each cylinder assembly, the first reciprocating assembly of each cylinder assembly engaging the curvilinear shaped shoulder of the first cam and the second reciprocating assembly of each cylinder assembly engaging the curvilinear shaped shoulder of the second cam, each reciprocating assembly movable within its respective cylinder assembly between an inner dead center position in which the reciprocating assembly is substantially extended in the chamber of its cylinder assembly away from its corresponding cam and an outer dead center position in which the reciprocating assembly is substantially retracted in the chamber of its cylinder assembly away from the inner dead center position;
• each reciprocating assembly comprising a head and a cam follower assembly, wherein the cam follower assembly engages a cam;
• each cam follower assembly comprising a cam follower body having a first cam follower end and a second cam follower end with an opening formed in the cam follower body between the first and second cam follower ends, wherein each of the cam follower end engages the curvilinear shaped shoulder of a cam so that the shoulder of a cam extends into the opening;
• and
• a first axial hydraulic passage formed in the driveshaft and extending from a driveshaft end and a second axial hydraulic passage formed in the driveshaft and extending from a driveshaft end, a first radial passage formed in the driveshaft in fluid communication with the first axial hydraulic passage and a second radial passage formed in the driveshaft in fluid communication with the second axial hydraulic passage;
• the first cam rotatably mounted on the driveshaft, the first cam having a first hub with the circumferential cam shoulder of the first cam extending around a periphery of the first hub;
• a first radially extending lug formed along the driveshaft adjacent the first cam hub, the first radial passage terminating in a first ported lug outlet formed in the first lug and the second radial passage terminating in a second ported lug outlet formed in the first lug and spaced apart from the first ported lug outlet;
• a first pressure chamber formed between the first lug and the first cam hub and a second pressure chamber spaced apart from the first pressure chamber and formed between the first lug and the first cam hub, the first ported lug outlet in the first lug in fluid communication with the first pressure chamber and the second ported lug outlet in the first lug in fluid communication with the second pressure chamber.

A barrel engine comprising:

• a driveshaft having a first driveshaft end and a second driveshaft end and disposed along a driveshaft axis;
• a first cam mounted on the driveshaft, the first cam having a first circumferential shoulder of a first cam diameter and a first curvilinear shape with a first frequency;
• a second cam mounted on the driveshaft spaced apart from the first cam, the second cam having a second circumferential shoulder of a second curvilinear shape;
• a
• a cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly defined along a center cylinder axis and positioned between the first and second cams, the cylinder assembly having a cylinder wall extending between a first cylinder end and a second cylinder end, the center cylinder axis of the cylinder assembly being parallel with but spaced apart from the driveshaft axis, wherein a chamber is defined within the cylinder assembly between its first and second cylinder ends;
• a first reciprocating assembly disposed in the first cylinder end of the cylinder assembly and an opposing second reciprocating assembly disposed in the second cylinder end of the cylinder assembly, the first reciprocating assembly of the cylinder assembly engaging the shoulder of the first cam and the second reciprocating assembly of the cylinder assembly engaging the shoulder of the second cam, each reciprocating assembly axially movable within the chamber;
• wherein each reciprocating assembly comprises a head interconnected with a cam follower assembly engaging one of the first or second cams;
• and
• a radial adjustment mechanism comprising a first hydraulic passage formed in the driveshaft and extending axially from a driveshaft end and a second hydraulic passage formed in the driveshaft and extending axially from a driveshaft end, a first radial passage formed in the driveshaft in fluid communication with the first hydraulic passage and a second radial passage formed in the driveshaft in fluid communication with the second hydraulic passage;
• the first cam rotatably mounted on the driveshaft, the first cam having a first hub with the circumferential cam shoulder of the first cam extending around a periphery of the first hub;
• a first radially extending lug formed along the driveshaft adjacent the first cam hub, the first radial passage terminating in a first ported lug outlet formed in the first lug and the second radial passage terminating in a second ported lug outlet formed in the first lug and spaced apart from the first ported lug outlet;
• a first pressure chamber formed between the first lug and the first cam hub and a second pressure chamber spaced apart from the first pressure chamber and formed between the first lug and the first cam hub, the first ported lug outlet in the first lug in fluid communication with the first pressure chamber and the second ported lug outlet in the first lug in fluid communication with the second pressure chamber.