Internal combustion engine utilizing dual compression and single expansion process

Method of operating an internal combustion engine comprising a compressor cylinder and first and second power cylinders, each of the power cylinders in fluid communication with the compressor cylinder, each of the compressor cylinder and the first and second power cylinders including a respective piston rotatably coupled to a common crankshaft, the method comprising:

• receiving a charge within the compressor cylinder during a first stroke of the piston respective to the compressor cylinder every crankshaft revolution;
• transferring the charge within the compressor cylinder to alternating ones of the first and second power cylinders during a second stroke of the piston respective to the compressor cylinder every crankshaft revolution, said transferring providing a first compression of the charge;
• and
• providing a second compression and an ignition of the charge within the one of the first and second power cylinders having received the charge, the second compression and ignition of the charge occurring once every two crankshaft revolutions in each of the first and second power cylinders.

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a crankshaft;
• a compressor cylinder having a respective inlet, first and second outlets, and a respective piston slideably movable within the compressor cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft, the compressor cylinder providing a first stage of compression to a charge when the charge is transferred from the compressor cylinder during every revolution of the crankshaft;
• a first power cylinder having a respective volume smaller than the volume of the compressor cylinder, a respective inlet in fluid communication with the first outlet of the compressor cylinder, a respective outlet and a respective piston slideably movable within the first power cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft, the first power cylinder providing a second stage of compression of the charge within the first power cylinder every two revolutions of the crankshaft;
• a second power cylinder having a respective volume smaller than the volume of the compressor cylinder, a respective inlet in fluid communication with the second outlet of the compressor cylinder, a respective outlet and a respective piston slideably movable within the second power cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft, the second power cylinder providing a second stage of compression of the charge within the second power cylinder every two revolutions of the crankshaft;
• an external exhaust gas recirculation system coupled to the outlet of one of the first and second power cylinders and comprising at least one of
• a short route port providing an exhaust gas path from said one of the first and second power cylinders back to the corresponding inlet of said one of the first and second power cylinders, and
• a long route port for providing an exhaust gas path from said one of the first and second power cylinders to the inlet of the compressor cylinder;
• a short route heat exchanger fluidly coupled to said short route port, said short route heat exchanger providing at least one of heating and cooling to the exhaust gas entering the corresponding power cylinder;
• a long route heat exchanger fluidly coupled to said long route port, said long route heat exchanger providing at least one of heating and cooling to the exhaust gas entering the inlet of the compressor cylinder;
• and
• a compressed charge heat exchanger disposed between one of the first and second outlets of the compressor cylinder and the inlet of the corresponding one of the first and second power cylinders, said compressed charge heat exchanger providing at least one of heating and cooling to the charge transferred from the compressor cylinder.