Opposed free piston linear alternator

Method for controlling a free piston linear alternator having a cylinder including a pair of scavenging chambers, a pair of opposed, a pair of bounce chambers each disposed between respective ones of the pistons and a respective outer end of the cylinder, and a combustion chamber disposed between the opposed pistons, comprising:

• driving each piston outward from a respective inner dead center position to a respective outer dead center position with a combustion event within the combustion chamber, each piston having a respective slide portion and a respective head portion including a proximate end and a distal end;
• drawing intake air into the respective scavenging chambers when the pistons translate from the respective inner dead center positions to the respective outer dead center positions, each scavenging chamber disposed between an outer wall of the cylinder, an outer wall of the respective slide portion and the proximate end of the respective head portion;
• generating a respective return force within each respective bounce chamber to return each piston inward from the respective outer dead center position to the respective inner dead center position in preparation for a subsequent combustion event;
• and
• generating electric current when each piston translates between the respective inner dead center position and the respective outer dead center position, each head portion of the pistons comprising a permanent magnet disposed thereon interacting with a winding of the linear alternator located on a wall of the cylinder to generate the electric current;
• and
• cooling each permanent magnet utilizing the drawn intake air within each adjacent respective scavenging chamber.

A free piston linear alternator comprising:

• a cylinder including a pair of pistons having respective head and slide portions including a proximate end and a distal end, each piston axially opposed from the other;
• a pair of bounce chambers each disposed between respective distal ends of the head portion of the respective piston and a respective closed outer end of the cylinder, each bounce chamber comprising substantially constrained air;
• a combustion chamber disposed between the proximate ends of the slide portions;
• a pair of scavenging chambers configured to draw intake air when the pistons linearly translate away from the combustion chamber, each scavenging chamber disposed between an outer wall of the cylinder, an outer wall of the respective slide portion and the proximate end of the respective head portion;
• and
• each of the respective head portions of the pistons including a first element of a linear alternator disposed thereon to maximize heat transfer from the respective first element to the intake air drawn into the adjacent respective scavenging chamber, the respective first element interacting with a respective second element located on the outer wall of the cylinder to generate electric current when each of the pistons linearly translate.