The compression burner has a compression chamber (1) and an outlet port (4) for the compressed, ignitable gas or fuel mixture or flame front. A pipe leads away from the outlet port. There is an external igniter (6) for the gas or mixture in the compression chamber or in the outlet pipe. This pipe is connected to the inlet manifold of an IC engine, so that the intake air to the engine can be pre-heated. Alternatively, it may be connected to the exhaust of the engine near the catalyser, for burning off soot particles. The piston of the burner is driven by an electric motor (5). The burner may also be used for supplementary car heating.
