Internal combustion engine configured for use with solid or slow burning fuels, and methods of operating or implementing same

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a crankshaft;
• a cylinder having a plurality of cylinder wall portions that define therewithin an internal cavity;
• a piston positioned within the internal cavity of the cylinder, the piston including a piston head having a first side facing an internal end face of a first one of the cylinder wall portions and a second side coupled at least indirectly to the crankshaft,
• wherein the cylinder includes first, second, third, and fourth ports formed respectively at first, second, third, and fourth locations along the plurality of cylinder wall portions along a part of the internal cavity;
• and
• an assembly having a combustion chamber, a transfer mechanism, an input port coupled at least indirectly to the first port, and an output port coupled at least indirectly to the second port, wherein the combustion chamber further includes a wall at least partly defining a first region of the combustion chamber within which solid fuel material can be situated and combusted,
• wherein the assembly also includes first and second passageways therewithin, wherein the first passageway at least indirectly couples the input port with an input location of the first region, wherein the second passageway at least indirectly couples the input port with a second region in a manner that bypasses the first region, wherein the second region is at least indirectly coupled with each of an output location of the first region and the output port,
• wherein the assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the diverter valve and during an operation of the internal combustion engine, a first amount of compressed air exiting the part of the internal cavity via the first port proceeds via the input port and the first passageway to the first region, a second amount of the compressed air proceeds via the second passageway so as to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products exiting the first region and the second amount of the compressed air proceeds via the output port and the second port to the part of the internal cavity, and
• wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the solid fuel material from a first location to the combustion chamber, wherein a first pressure within the combustion chamber is higher than a second pressure at the first location.