The Novel Design and Construction of an Electromagnet Propelled Piston Engine

My project this year for Science Research was aimed to create a brand new technology for use in engines to boost their MPG "miles per gallon" capabilities. In a nutshell, I attempted to use electromagnets to assist the normal rotation of the crankshaft by pushing and pulling the pistons, in turn reducing the amount of gas necessary to make the engine run. In my design, electromagnets were mounted above the pistons and "in theory" would activate to either push or pull the pistons. To test this, I created a small scale model of an engine, using PVC and joints for a crankshaft, wooden pistons with metal tops, aluminum rods, four electromagnets (one for each piston), and mounted it all in a wooden housing. After attempting to test the electromagnets potential to push or pull the pistons, I discovered that making electromagnets with enough power to do this is very difficult and timing them perfectly will take much more research and work than time allowed.