Patent ID: 7950356

Claim:
An internal combustion engine, comprising: a first cylinder having a first piston and a second piston slidably disposed therein; an intake port arranged to admit a reactant into the first cylinder between the first and second pistons; an exhaust port axially spaced from the intake port and arranged to exhaust a reaction product from the 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; 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; and a control system coupled to the first and second converters, the control system configured to, control the application of electrical energy to the first converter so that the first converter drives and positions the first piston to occlude the intake port during an exhaust stroke of a four-stroke cycle; and control the application of electrical energy to the second converter so that the second converter drives and positions the second piston to occlude the exhaust port during an intake stroke of the four-stroke cycle.