Patent ID: 7059294

Claim:
A method of operating an engine, comprising the steps of: providing an engine comprising a base member including a toroidal piston chamber; a plurality of pistons disposed for orbital rotation within the piston chamber, each piston having a front side and a rear side; and a plurality of rotatable valves, each valve being configured to alternately close and open at least a portion of the piston chamber; advancing a first piston along its orbital rotation past a first valve and advancing a second piston along its orbital rotation past a second valve; closing the first valve behind the first piston to form a first ignition chamber area located within the piston chamber between the first valve and the rear side of the first piston and closing the second valve behind the second piston to form a second ignition chamber area located within the piston chamber between the second valve and the rear side of the second piston and a first exhaust removal chamber area located within the piston chamber between the first valve and the front side of the second piston, the first exhaust chamber area including exhaust gases from a preceding ignition which occurred in the second ignition chamber area; closing a third valve ahead of the first piston to form a second exhaust removal chamber area located within the piston chamber between the third valve and the front side of the first piston, the second exhaust removal chamber including exhaust gases from a preceding ignition which occurred in the first ignition chamber area; introducing a first fuel mixture into the first ignition chamber area and a second fuel mixture into the second ignition chamber area; igniting the first fuel mixture thereby advancing the first piston further along its orbital rotation and simultaneously igniting the second fuel mixture thereby advancing the second piston further along its orbital rotation, wherein the ignition of the first fuel mixture generates exhaust gases between the first piston and the first valve and forcing the exhaust gases in the first exhaust removal chamber out of the piston chamber through a first exhaust duct and wherein the ignition of the second fuel mixture generates exhaust gases between the second piston and the second valve and forcing the exhaust gases in the second exhaust removal chamber out of the piston chamber through a second exhaust duct; and opening the third valve to permit the first piston to advance past the third valve and opening the first valve to permit the second piston to advance past the first valve.