Patent ID: 7222614

Claim:
A method of operating a four-stroke internal combustion engine having a chamber and at least one moving component partially defining the chamber and moving through successive, four-stroke power cycles, each four-stroke power cycle involving at least an intake stroke, compression stroke, an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke, aided by combustion taking place within the chamber, said method including the steps of, during each cycle of a plurality of power cycles, establishing a compression ratio for the engine which is less than 50% of the expansion ratio for the engine, wherein each cycle of the plurality of power cycles is a four-stroke power cycle; pre-compressing air outside the chamber; cooling the pre-compressed air outside the chamber; during each cycle of the plurality of power cycles, directing the cooled, pre-compressed air into the chamber through at least one inlet port; introducing fuel into the chamber; and igniting a fuel/air mixture in the chamber.