Patent ID: 8151745

Claim:
A method of operating an internal combustion engine including a first piston and a second piston slidably disposed in a first cylinder; a first converter operable with the first piston to convert mechanical energy of the first piston to electrical energy, and electrical energy to mechanical energy of the first piston; and a second converter operable with the second piston to convert mechanical energy of the second piston to electrical energy, and electrical energy to mechanical energy of the second piston, the method comprising: introducing a reactant into the first cylinder between the first and second pistons via an intake port while the second piston occludes an exhaust port; applying electrical energy to at least one of the first converter and the second converter to position the first piston and the second piston to compress the reactant; triggering the reactant, thereby transforming chemical potential energy to mechanical energy of at least one of the first and second pistons; converting the mechanical energy of at least one of the first piston and the second piston to electrical energy via at least one of the first converter and the second converter; and expelling a reaction product from the first cylinder via the exhaust port while the first piston occludes the intake port.