Double acting piston engines

A linear reciprocating piston engine comprising:

• a cylinder;
• a piston located within the cylinder, the piston separating upper and lower combustion chambers of the cylinder;
• a separation plate disposed across a lower end of the cylinder to seal the lower combustion chamber;
• and
• a connecting rod extending through a sealed opening of the separation plate and connecting the piston to a crankshaft;
• wherein movement of the piston along a longitudinal axis of the cylinder causes the connecting rod to turn the crankshaft, the separation plate being configured to accommodate movement of the connecting rod in a transverse direction, relative to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder;
• and wherein the separation plate is curved to project into the cylinder and distribute combustion forces to edges of the separation plate.

A linear reciprocating piston engine comprising:

• a cylinder;
• a piston located within the cylinder, the piston separating upper and lower combustion chambers of the cylinder;
• a separation plate disposed across a lower end of the cylinder to seal the lower combustion chamber;
• and
• a connecting rod extending through a sealed opening of the separation plate and connecting the piston to a crankshaft;
• wherein the piston comprises oil outlets disposed in a cylindrical outer face of the cylinder, said oil outlets communicating with an oil gallery extending through the connecting rod;
• and wherein each oil outlet is configured to regulate the oil film thickness on the cylinder wall.

A linear reciprocating piston engine comprising:

• a cylinder;
• a piston located within the cylinder, the piston separating upper and lower combustion chambers of the cylinder;
• a separation plate disposed across a lower end of the cylinder to seal the lower combustion chamber;
• and
• a connecting rod extending through a sealed opening of the separation plate and connecting the piston to a crankshaft;
• wherein the separation plate is located in a guide configured to allow the separation plate to move to accommodate transverse movement of the connecting rod, relative to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder, the guide comprising internal oil galleries configured to provide pressurised oil to support the separation plate on a hydrostatic oil bed.