Abstract: A hydraulic valve actuation system with controlled valve seating velocity and method therefor are proposed. The system includes an actuator with a housing and a drive assembly formed from a drive piston within the housing and an adjustment pin. In an internal combustion engine application, the adjustment pin contacts and moves an engine valve that controls air and fuel entering an engine cylinder. The actuator provides velocity dampening of the drive piston, via an annulus-shaped fluid communication path defined by at least one surface of the drive piston and at least one opposing surface of a damping chamber formed within the housing. The dampening hydraulically cushions the impact of a bottom of the drive piston against a bottom stop of the actuator during opening of the engine valve, which reduces noise and engine wear. In another example, the system is configured to control an engine valve seating velocity.

Abstract: Actuators with printed actuator coils facilitate efficient manufacturing and reliable operation. The printed actuator coils are in coil segments on multiple layers on a multilayer printed circuit board, which may contain a printed actuator coil for one or more additional actuators, and/or electronic circuitry, such, as may be used for control of the actuator(s).

Abstract: Hydraulic internal combustion engines having at least one combustion piston not mechanically connected to a crankshaft or any other combustion piston, but instead acting on hydraulic plungers through valving that is electronically controlled to control the piston position and velocity, typically through an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a combustion or power stroke and an exhaust stroke. Electronically controlled fuel injection and electronically controlled engine valves provided great flexibility in the operating cycles that may be used, with the engine pumping hydraulic fluid to a high pressure accumulator for use in hydraulic motors or other hydraulic equipment. Embodiments using high pressure air injection to sustain combustion are also disclosed.

Abstract: Hydraulic internal combustion engines having at least one combustion piston not mechanically connected to a crankshaft or any other combustion piston, but instead acting on hydraulic plungers through valving that is electronically controlled to control the piston position and velocity, typically through an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a combustion or power stroke and an exhaust stroke. Electronically controlled fuel injection and electronically controlled engine valves provided great flexibility in the operating cycles that may be used, with the engine pumping hydraulic fluid to a high pressure accumulator for use in hydraulic motors or other hydraulic equipment. Embodiments using high pressure air injection to sustain combustion are also disclosed.

Abstract: Pressure balanced spool poppet valves with printed actuator coils minimize valve leakage and facilitate efficient manufacturing and reliable operation. The spool poppet valves may be configured like a conventional spool valve, but further include a poppet valve at one end of the spool to proved much better sealing when the poppet valve is closed. Various features are disclosed, including pressure balancing for high pressure operation. The printed actuator coils for the spool poppet valves are formed by the interconnection of conductive coils on each of multiple layers of a multiple layer printed circuit board, which circuit board may have a hole there through for accommodation of mechanical and/or magnet requirements, and may include similar printed actuator coils for one or more additional spool poppet valves as well as electronic devices associated with the operation thereof.