Linear alternator assembly with four-stroke working cycle and vehicle having same

A vehicle comprising:

• a linear alternator assembly having:
• a cylinder block defining a cylinder and end walls of the cylinder, the cylinder having:
• inlet ports at which fluid enters the cylinder;
• exhaust ports at which fluid is exhausted from the cylinder;
• and
• a fuel port through which fuel is selectively supplied to the cylinder for combustion;
• a plurality of energizable coils surrounding the cylinder;
• a first and a second piston contained within the cylinder and defining a working volume in the cylinder between the first piston and the second piston;
• wherein the first and the second piston are magnetic or magnetizable;
• an electronic controller operatively connected to the coils and configured to selectively energize different ones of the coils to thereby move the first and the second pistons asymmetrically within the cylinder to change the working volume, energization of said different ones of the coils and combustion of the fuel establishing a four-stroke working cycle producing compressed gas;
• wherein the first piston and the second piston are movable independently of one another by said energization;
• and
• wherein only the inlet ports are selectively opened and closed by movement of the first piston and only the exhaust ports are selectively opened and closed by movement of the second piston, movement of the pistons thus controlling fluid flow in the working chamber, and the inlet ports and the exhaust ports thus being free from valves;
• wherein the cylinder, the first piston, the second piston, the inlet ports, and the outlet ports are configured so that the first piston and the second piston block the inlet ports and the outlet ports from the working chamber without blocking the inlet ports or the outlet ports from a remainder of the cylinder outward of the first and the second pistons to the end walls when in a compression stroke of the four-stroke working cycle;
• a turbine operatively connected to the exhaust ports and driven by expansion of the compressed gas expelled through the exhaust ports during the four-stroke working cycle;
• a shaft driven by the turbine;
• and
• a vehicle drive axle operatively connected with and at least partially driven by the shaft.