Free piston engine
AssigneeSplit Cycle Technology Limited
InventorsAlfred R. Mayne, Alan P. Casey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A free piston engine wherein a combustion piston directly drives a pumping piston to pump hydraulic fluid to and fro to a linear to rotary motion pump/motor converter which is in the form of a "split cycle" machine.
Claims20
A method of converting linear piston motion to rotary output motion in a free piston engine comprising:
- providing at least one free piston formed by a combustion piston and a pumping piston;
- providing at least one hydraulic motor;
- and
- pumping a hydraulic fluid by the action of the pumping piston to the at least one hydraulic motor, which motor converts the motion of the hydraulic fluid to rotary output motion and wherein the motor is a "split-cycle" machine.
A free piston engine comprising at least one free piston formed by a combustion piston and a pumping piston, wherein the pumping piston pumps hydraulic fluid via a fluid circuit to at least one hydraulic motor to convert the motion of the hydraulic fluid to rotary motion and wherein the motor is a "split-cycle" machine.
A free piston engine hydraulically connected to at least one "split-cycle" machine, the free piston engine comprising:
- a cylinder head;
- a piston contained within the cylinder head;
- a hydraulic cylinder;
- and
- a piston rod contained within the hydraulic cylinder at one end and connected to the piston at its other end;
- wherein the piston rod forms a pumping piston which is configured to pump hydraulic fluid by a fluid circuit to the at least one "split-cycle" machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.