High efficiency internal combustion engine

A system for use in generating power in an internal combustion engine from combustion of a fuel admixed with an oxidizing medium and operating cyclically with intentional ignition of a fuel or with self-ignition of a fuel, the system comprising:

• a variable-volume combustion chamber configured to periodically changing a volume of said chamber from a minimum volume to a maximum volume;
• a controller controlling a flow of a fuel and an oxidizing medium into the chamber by an intake mechanism;
• wherein the combustion chamber is a first combustion chamber of a plurality of combustion chambers, the intake mechanism comprising a low pressure intake valve controlled by the controller and upstream of a collector, said collector upstream of a plurality of high pressure intake valves of the plurality of combustion chambers,
• said collector comprising an interior receiving a flow of the fuel and the oxidizing medium from said intake mechanism and toward said plurality of high pressure intake valves, said interior insulated by thermal insulation to regulate a temperature and flow rate of the fuel and the oxidizing medium from said intake mechanism to said plurality of high pressure intake valves;
• the plurality of high pressure intake valves allowing fluid communication between the plurality of combustion chambers and an exterior of the plurality of combustion chambers, and the controller controlling the low pressure intake valve to control the flow of the fuel and the oxidizing medium to the plurality of high pressure intake valves to provide resistance to the flow of the fuel and the oxidizing medium to the plurality of high pressure intake valves.

An internal combustion engine system that converts thermal energy from an exhaust of an engine to mechanical energy comprising:

• a heat exchanger thermally coupled to an exhaust from an internal combustion process, the heat exchanger receiving a heat transfer fluid therein;
• a generator coupled to said heat exchanger;
• wherein the heat transfer fluid expands and evaporates in the generator in response to heat from the exhaust of the internal combustion process, the expansion of the heat transfer fluid vapor converting thermal energy of the heat transfer fluid to mechanical energy;
• and
• wherein the mechanical energy from said engine and the mechanical energy from said generator comprise a single mechanical power output.

A method for use in generating power in an internal combustion engine comprising:

• coupling a heat exchanger to an exhaust of an internal combustion engine;
• thermally coupling the heat exchanger to a power generator and flowing heat transfer fluid through the exchanger to the generator;
• generating electrical power by the generator from heat energy transferred by a vapor of the heat transfer fluid from the exhaust to the generator;
• and
• wherein the mechanical energy from the engine and the mechanical energy from the generator comprise a single mechanical power output.