Instead of sparking the ignition when the piston is close to top dead center (when the air is compressed), that spark occurs as the piston is pulling away, when the air pressure is at its most turbulent, creating much faster ignition and more power.

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"Drawing a mass down within the blade of the piston itself compresses the air, " he said.

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Incoming cooler ambient air from the other end of the piston causes the helium to contract and move the piston to generate AC power.

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Conventional four-stroke engines produce power by moving a piston up and down using rapid explosions of fuel and air in a cylindrical chamber.

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