The application, scooped up by our buddy Todd at TechFlash, describes a machine that would have pistons, and would even burn some kind of fuel (a "reactant" ignited by sparkplug), but would be aided by electromagnets to speed up the recovery process, and do away with the need for alternating pistons. Basically, the piston would fire, then be rapidly slammed back into closed position by the magnetic force. Theoretically, the piston could operate entirely without fuel, using magnetism on both ends to rapidly repel and attract.

Gates & Co. even introduced a sketch of a piston engine with spark plugs on both sides, for rapidly firing the thing back and forth, or alternately using magnetism to slide the piston back and forth. (This is presumably how some motors work already—engineers?)

The neatest configuration, to me, is the one with two pistons, end to end, with a single combustion chamber and sparkplug. The fuel burns shoving both outward, and the electromagnetic mechanism slams them back together.

It's actually a great patent to read, especially if you're mechanically minded. I am sure there's plenty I missed here, so have a look. [TechFlash]

The kit comes with 50 parts for kids to assemble into a battery operated simulation of a jet engine. They can also control thrust, turbine speed and jet sounds using the control panel. The way I see it, $30 is a small price to pay to educate our youth—especially if those youth grow up to become successful engineers. Daddy wants a flying, fuel-friendly vehicle before he kicks the bucket. [Discovery Store via 7 Gadgets via DVICE]

Unlike its conventional counterpart, the free-piston engine doesn't have a mechanical connect between the piston and a crankshaft. Instead, magnets at the center of the piston's rod move past metal coils to create an electrical current. The engine's configuration allows it to combust fuel quicker, improving efficiency, emissions and easily optimized for different fuels.

The bad news: they're hard to control (variations in combustion cycles can cause poor performance) and they're incredibly loud (the quick explosions need to be muffled somehow). But automakers such as GM and Volvo are already investigating putting the engines in future vehicles. Lets hope their forays into this don't take as long as their exploration of fuel cell options. [Technology Review via Treehugger]

According to Ikeda, the material is not very efficient at converting light into energy, but he is confident that it will improve in time. He also noted that the material is about 4 times more elastic than human muscle, and it maintained its strength during a test despite contracting and expanding every 7 seconds for 30 hours. He hopes that one day the technology will come of age to the point that we will all be driving around in light-powered plastic automobiles. Maybe—if by "we" he means our grandchildren and great grandchildren. [Pink Tentacle via DVICE]

As of now, Dyson uses the patented Dyson Digital Motor in both the aforementioned vacuums and air blade. A lightweight motor that turns 10,000 times a minute—a stat that's said to put Formula 1 cars to shame—James Dyson believes that the technology could be modified to create a pretty decent electric car engine. And he has his engineering staff on the task.

Other details are scarce, but Dyson will probably not create a car, preferring to partner with a major auto manufacturer instead. And he also feels that solar power is a viable option, given that most of us park our cars for eight hours a day. [Independent via core77] [Source image from Time]

UPDATE: Dyson is now denying any plans "to create an electric car." Whether or not that includes an engine can be your semantical debate.

Laurie's obsession with motors is not confined to the burnout though. His exhibition entitled "Art of the Motor" also features devices that "replicate" the sound of muscle cars— like the Boom tube (basically a lawnmower engine with an exhaust attached) and "Wild Thing," which gives the same treatment to a chainsaw. [Station Gallery via Hack a Day]

Apparently jet engines are quite expensive, keeping the technology out of my sweet 1996 Suzuki Sidekick. However, if shrunk down small enough, these engines can produce relatively massive amounts of power at a reasonable price.

MIT researchers are developing a turbine engine built from 6 silicon wafers powered by liquid butane that can produce between 10 and 100 watts of electricity. If successful, a laptop could run for 15-30 hours between refuelings, and justify rocking out to Danger Zone on a daily basis (as if we needed a reason). But as for bringing our own jet engines onto jets, we may find our laptops grounded. – Mark Wilson

That's One Speedy Laptop [via scifitech]

Stare at it long enough, and it starts looking like a lemon that's been cut in half. Will it be a lemon? Wait a couple of years to find out, because the Aptera's designer, Accelerated Composites, says the three-wheeled fuel miser will hit the road by the end of 2008 at a sticker price of less than $20K. – Charlie White

The Race to 100 MPG [Popular Science, via Sci Fi Tech]

We've heard things like this before, to a hail of incredulous comments and cries of "bullshit!". We've also heard of a guy in Australia who actually showed his water-powered scooter running on Australian TV but wouldn't reveal how it was done. And here it is again, and now they're saying we'll see a prototype by 2009. This seems too good to be true. Will the oil companies buy this out and kill it? Is this another fable, a la David Mamet's The Water Engine?

Water Engine for Real? Scientists Say H20-to-Hydrogen System Could Be Ready by Decade's End [Jalopnik]

"The MYT (Massive Yet Tiny) Engine, is a breakthrough of immense proportions that will spawn the next industrial revolution and will rocket the internal combustion engine into the next milenium. Please spread the word."

Got the NOS Mower, Brah! [Jalopnik]