Opposed free piston linear alternator

Method for controlling a free piston linear alternator having a cylinder including a pair of scavenging chambers, a pair of opposed pistons, a pair of bounce chambers each disposed between respective ones of the pistons and a respective outer end of the cylinder, and a combustion chamber disposed between the opposed pistons, comprising:

• driving each piston outward from a respective inner dead center position to a respective outer dead center position with a combustion event within the combustion chamber;
• generating a respective return force within each respective bounce chamber to return each piston inward from the respective outer dead center position to the respective inner dead center position in preparation for a subsequent combustion event;
• and
• generating electric current when each piston translates between the respective inner dead center position and the respective outer dead center position, each piston comprising one of a permanent magnet and a winding of the linear alternator interacting with the other one of the permanent magnet and the winding of the linear alternator located on a wall of the cylinder.

A free piston linear alternator comprising:

• a cylinder including a pair of bounce chambers;
• a pair of scavenging chambers;
• a pair of pistons having respective head and slide portions, each piston axially opposed from the other and generating electric current when linearly translating within the cylinder;
• a combustion chamber disposed between proximate ends of the slide portions;
• each scavenging chamber disposed between a cylinder outer wall, an outer wall of the slide portion of the respective piston and a proximate end of the head portion of the respective piston;
• and
• each bounce chamber disposed between a respective outer end of the cylinder and respective distal ends of the head portion of the respective piston, each bounce chamber comprising substantially constrained air.