Patent ID: 8714117

Claim:
A free piston linear alternator comprising: a cylinder including a pair of outer chambers, a pair of opposed pistons and a combustion chamber disposed between the opposed pistons, each piston including a respective first end adjacent to the combustion chamber and a respective second end opposite to the combustion chamber and adjacent to respective ones of the outer chambers; each of the outer chambers defined by a wall of the cylinder, the respective second end of adjacent ones of the pistons, and a respective outer end of the cylinder; the pistons axially opposed from each other and independently generating electric current when each of the pistons linearly translate; a pair of return members, each return member disposed within a respective one of the outer chambers between the respective second end of adjacent ones of the pistons and the respective outer end of the cylinder, each of the return members configured to store energy when compressed between adjacent ones of the pistons and the respective outer end of the cylinder when each of the pistons linearly translate from a respective first position to a respective second position away from the combustion chamber after combustion, and utilize the stored energy to return adjacent ones of the pistons from the respective second position to the respective first position toward the combustion chamber; and each of the outer chambers including: a respective inlet port for drawing intake air when the corresponding piston linear translates from the respective second position to the respective first position toward the combustion chamber, and a respective outlet port for directing the drawn intake air into a common intake manifold coupling each respective outlet port to an inlet of the combustion chamber when the corresponding piston translates from the first position to the second position away from the combustion chamber.