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An Elevated Expansion-Ratio Internal Combustion Engine has a substantially standard repeating four-stroke sequence for each of a plurality of cylinders. The head of each cylinder has an intake valve, a combustion-gas exhaust valve, and a vapor return valve. A return manifold for vapor connects from

An Elevated Expansion-Ratio Internal Combustion Engine has a substantially standard repeating four-stroke sequence for each of a plurality of cylinders. The head of each cylinder has an intake valve, a combustion-gas exhaust valve, and a vapor return valve. A return manifold for vapor connects from respective ones of the cylinders via a plurality of valve assemblies, each of which includes the return valve, into a passage ahead of a beginning portion of an intake manifold. Each valve assembly also has a discharge valve coupled to the return valve via a holding tank for cylinder vapor or gas. Valve stems of the discharge and return valves are coaxial in a single section valve housing or spaced-apart in a two-section valve housing. A quantity of the vapor is received into the holding tank during the compression stroke, and subsequently transferred via the discharge valve to the return manifold.

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What is claimed is: 1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder, a cylinder head, and a piston movable with reciprocating motion within the cylinder, the piston motion providing a succession of four strokes including an induction stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke and an exhau

What is claimed is: 1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder, a cylinder head, and a piston movable with reciprocating motion within the cylinder, the piston motion providing a succession of four strokes including an induction stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke and an exhaust stroke, wherein a maximum spacing of the piston from the cylinder head defines a maximum volume of a combustion chamber of the engine, wherein the engine is a gasoline engine or a diesel engine; wherein the compression stroke serves to compress a quantity of gas within the combustion chamber in preparation for the power stroke, the compression-stroke gas being a mixture of air and fuel in the gasoline engine, or air without fuel in the diesel engine, the compression stroke providing a reduction in volume of the gas characterized by a compression ratio; the power stroke provides for an expansion in volume of a quantity of gas within the cylinder, characterized by an expansion ratio, the gas in the power stroke being a mixture of air, fuel, and products of combustion; the engine further comprises a return manifold, and a valve assembly operative to receive from the cylinder a portion of the quantity of the gas contained within the cylinder during the compression stroke and subsequently to discharge the cylinder gas into the return manifold; and wherein the valve assembly has a housing disposed within the cylinder head, and further comprises a holding tank with return valve and discharge valve located within the housing of the valve assembly, the return valve providing fluidic communication between the holding tank and the cylinder, and the discharge valve providing fluidic communication between the holding tank and the return manifold. 2. An engine according to claim 1, wherein each of the return valve and the discharge valve has a valve head and a valve stem supporting the valve head, the valve stems being coaxial. 3. An engine according to claim 2, wherein the valve stems can be displaced relative to each other and to the valve housing by a sliding motion along a common shaft axis. 4. An engine according to claim 3, wherein the valve stem of the return valve is an inner stem disposed within the discharge valve stem that is an outer valve stem of the coaxial arrangement of the valve stems, and distal ends of the inner and the outer valve stems engage with cams of a camshaft of the engine that serve to drive the valve stems toward the engine cylinder upon rotation of the camshaft, and wherein an inner one of the coaxial valve stems is higher than an outer one of the coaxial valve stems to provide clearance from respective ones of the cams. 5. An engine according to claim 4, wherein the valve assembly further comprises two return springs, a first of the return springs contacting the outer valve stem and a second of the return springs contacting the inner valve stem, for retracting the valve stems away from the engine cylinder upon further rotation of the camshaft. 6. An engine according to claim 5, wherein the first return spring encircles the outer valve stem in a recess between the outer valve stem and the housing of the valve assembly, and is compressed by a ridge on the outer surface of the outer valve stem and a ridge on the housing. 7. An engine according to claim 5, wherein each of said valve stems is provided with a window, the second return spring extends from a shelf on one side of the housing of the valve assembly through the windows of respective ones of the valve stems to a further shelf on the opposite side of the housing, and the second valve spring engages with the upper end of the window of the inner valve stem to urge the inner valve stem against its cam. 8. An engine according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the holding tank is equal to approximately one half of the volume of the engine cylinder. 9. An engine according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the holding tank is preset to a value within a range of ten percent of the combustion chamber volume to a value of ninety percent of the combustion chamber volume for gasoline engines and within a range of three percent of the combustion chamber volume to fifty percent of the combustion chamber volume for diesel engines. 10. An engine according to claim 1, wherein the return manifold and the valve assembly constitute a means for reducing the compression ratio to values less than their respective typical values and/or raising the expansion ratio to values greater than their respective typical values; wherein the typical values for gasoline engines is approximately 8:1-10:1, and the typical values for diesel engines is approximately 15:1-22:1. 11. An engine according to claim 1, wherein the reducing means is operative to receive a portion of the quantity of the gas from the cylinder during a first interval of time within the compression stroke and to discharge the quantity of gas to the return manifold during a second interval of time subsequent to the first interval of time. 12. An engine according to claim 1, wherein each of the return valve and the discharge valve has a valve head and a valve stem supporting the valve head, the valve stems of the return and the discharge valves being located transversely of each other in a spaced-apart arrangement and being displaceable relative to each other; and the valve stem of the return valve passes outside of the holding tank to an entrance of the holding tank for controlling a passage of engine gases into the holding tank, and the valve stem of the discharge valve enters an exit of the holding tank for controlling a passage of engine gases out of the holding tank. 13. An engine according to claim 12, wherein the housing of the valve assembly has a first section, and a second section disposed between the first section and the cylinder, and wherein the holding tank is located along an interface between the first section and the second section of the housing. 14. An engine according to claim 13, wherein the valve stem of the return valve passes within both the first section and the second section of the housing to reach the entrance of the holding tank, wherein the valve stem of the discharge valve passes within only the first section of the housing to reach the exit of the holding tank, and wherein the location of the holding tank at the interface of the first and the second sections of the housing permits insertion of the discharge valve into the housing via the exit of the holding tank during construction of the housing. 15. An engine according to claim 14, wherein the valve stems of both the return valve and the discharge valve exit the first housing section in a direction facing a camshaft of the engine, and wherein each of the return-valve stem and the discharge valve stem are provided with a common form of valve-retraction spring, located on a side of the first housing section facing the camshaft, for urging the respective valve stem in a direction toward the camshaft. 16. An engine according to claim 14, wherein the valve stems of both the return valve and the discharge valve exit the first housing section in a direction facing a camshaft of the engine, and wherein each of the return-valve stem and the discharge valve stem is provided with a valve-retraction spring, located at an interface between the first housing section and the second housing section, for urging the respective valve stem in a direction toward the camshaft. 17. A valve assembly for an engine having a cylinder, a cylinder head, and a reciprocating piston within the cylinder, wherein the valve assembly is configured for incorporation into the cylinder head, wherein a maximum spacing of the piston from the cylinder head defines a volume of a combustion chamber of the engine, wherein the valve assembly comprises: a housing disposed within the head of the cylinder, a holding tank with return valve and discharge valve located within the housing of the valve assembly, the return valve providing fluidic communication between the holding tank and the cylinder, and the discharge valve being operative for providing fluidic communication between the holding tank and a return manifold of the engine; wherein each of the return valve and the discharge valve has a valve head and a valve stem supporting the valve head, the valve stems of the return and the discharge valves being arranged in a coaxial arrangement and being displaceable relative to each other; the valve stem of the return valve is an inner stem disposed within the discharge valve stem, and the valve stem of the discharge valve is an outer stem disposed externally to the return valve stem; the coaxial arrangement of the valve stems positions distal ends of the inner and the outer valve stems to permit engagement with cams of a camshaft of the engine for driving the valve stems upon rotation of the camshaft; and the volume of the holding tank is preset to a value within a range of ten percent of the combustion chamber volume to a value of ninety percent of the combustion chamber volume for gasoline engines and within a range of three percent of the combustion chamber volume to fifty percent of the combustion chamber volume for diesel engines. 18. A valve assembly for an engine according to claim 17, wherein the valve assembly further comprises two return springs, a first of the return springs contacting the outer valve stem and a second of the return springs contacting the inner valve stem, for retracting the valve stems away from the engine cylinder upon further rotation of the camshaft. 19. A valve assembly for an engine according to claim 18, wherein the first return spring encircles the outer valve stem in a recess between the outer valve stem and the housing of the valve assembly, and is compressed by a ridge on the outer surface of the outer valve stem and a ridge on the housing. 20. A valve assembly for an engine according to claim 18, wherein each of said valve stems is provided with a window, the second return spring extends from a shelf on one side of the housing of the valve assembly through the windows of respective ones of the valve stems to a further shelf on the opposite side of the housing, and the second valve spring engages with the upper end of the window of the inner valve stem to urge the inner valve stem against its cam. 21. A valve assembly for an engine having a cylinder, a cylinder head, and a reciprocating piston within the cylinder, wherein the valve assembly is configured for incorporation into the cylinder head, wherein a maximum spacing of the piston from the cylinder head defines a volume of a combustion chamber of the engine, wherein the valve assembly comprises: a housing disposed within the head of the cylinder, a holding tank with return valve and discharge valve located within the housing of the valve assembly, the return valve providing fluidic communication between the holding tank and the cylinder, and the discharge valve being operative for providing fluidic communication between the holding tank and a return manifold of the engine; wherein each of the return valve and the discharge valve has a valve head and a valve stem supporting the valve head, the valve stems of the return and the discharge valves being located transversely of each other in a spaced-apart arrangement and being displaceable relative to each other; the valve stem of the return valve passes outside of the holding tank to an entrance of the holding tank for controlling a passage of engine gases into the holding tank, and the valve stem of the discharge valve enters an exit of the holding tank for controlling a passage of engine gases out of the holding tank; the spaced-apart arrangement of the valve stems positions ends of the valve stems of the return valve and the discharge valve to permit engagement with cams of a camshaft of the engine for driving the valve stems upon rotation of the camshaft concurrently with a driving of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the engine; and the volume of the holding tank is preset to a value within a range of ten percent of the combustion chamber volume to a value of ninety percent of the combustion chamber volume for gasoline engines and within a range of three percent of the combustion chamber volume to fifty percent of the combustion chamber volume for diesel engines. 22. A valve assembly for an engine according to claim 21, wherein the housing of the valve assembly has a first section, and a second section disposed between the first section and the cylinder, and wherein the holding tank is located along an interface between the first section and the second section of the housing. 23. A valve assembly for an engine according to claim 22, wherein the valve stem of the return valve passes within both the first section and the second section of the housing to reach the entrance of the holding tank, wherein the valve stem of the discharge valve passes within only the first section of the housing to reach the exit of the holding tank, and wherein the location of the holding tank at the interface of the first and the second sections of the housing permits insertion of the discharge valve into the housing via the exit of the holding tank during construction of the housing. 24. A valve assembly for an engine according to claim 23, wherein the valve stems of both the return valve and the discharge valve exit the first housing section in a direction facing a camshaft of the engine, and wherein each of the return-valve stem and the discharge valve stem are provided with a common form of return spring for urging the respective valve stem in a direction toward the camshaft.