摘要 |
<p>A barrel-type piston-actuated internal combustion engine or pump has a drive shaft with an attached drive cam rotatably disposed within a housing. The drive cam has cam surfaces on at least one side facing a piston and cylinder. A cam follower, attached to a piston rod, is in contact with and follows the cam surfaces of the drive cam, such that rotation of the drive shaft with the drive cam results in linear reciprocating motion of the piston rod and its associated piston, and vice versa. The cam surfaces of the drive cam are cyclical in the circumferential direction in accordance with a non- sinusoidal function that controls the motion of the piston within its cylinder. The cam surfaces, and thus the piston motion, are designed and tailored to achieve desired combustion characteristics, in the case of an internal combustion engine, or pumping characteristics in the case of a pump.</p> |