Turbocompound free piston linear alternator

Method for controlling a free piston linear alternator having a pair of opposed pistons 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 in response to a combustion event;
• returning each piston inward from the respective outer dead center position to the respective inner dead center position in preparation for a subsequent combustion event;
• providing intake air for eventual combustion within the combustion chamber from an intake system fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber;
• expelling an exhaust gas feedstream from the combustion chamber into an exhaust system;
• transforming a pressure from the exhaust gas feedstream within the exhaust system into a mechanical output utilizing a power turbine;
• the mechanical output powering a forced induction device configured to charge the intake air within the intake system to increase the pressure of the intake air prior to being received at the combustion chamber;
• and
• generating electric current to be stored as energy in a battery when each piston translates within a cylinder between the respective inner dead center position and the respective outer dead center position, each piston comprising one of a permanent magnet and a winding interacting with the other one of the permanent magnet and the winding located on a wall of the cylinder to generate the electric current as each piston translates.

A free piston linear alternator comprising:

• a pair of pistons and a combustion chamber disposed between the pistons, said pistons axially opposed from each other within a cylinder and each including a respective first element configured to interact with a respective second element located on a wall of the cylinder to generate electric current stored as energy in a battery when each of the pistons linearly translates within the cylinder;
• a return mechanism configured to return the pistons to respective first positions from respective second positions after combustion, the return mechanism comprising one of
• a pair of bounce chambers, each bounce chamber disposed between a respective piston and a respective outer end of the cylinder, each bounce chamber comprising substantially constrained air configured to return the respective piston to the respective first position from the respective second position, and
• a pair of return members, each return member disposed within a respective outer chamber, each outer chamber disposed between a respective piston and a respective outer end of the cylinder, each return member configured to return the respective piston to the respective first position from the respective second position after combustion;
• an intake system fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber for providing intake air for eventual combustion within the combustion chamber;
• and
• an exhaust system fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber and comprising a power turbine device transforming exhaust gas feedstream pressure into a mechanical output, the mechanical output powering one of a torque generator, an electrical generator and one of a turbocharger and a supercharger configured to charge intake air within an intake system to increase the pressure of the intake air prior to being received at the combustion chamber.