An aspect of the present disclosure is a process for generating work, in particular via a combustion cycle. The process comprises the steps of compressing an oxidator, e.g. air. The process further comprises mixing the oxidator with a reductor, in particular a fuel, e.g. hydrocarbons such as petrol, kerosene, and diesel and causing the mixture to ignite, e.g. by means of a spark or (compression) heat. The process further comprises allowing the ignited mixture to expand, generating work, exchanging heat between the expanded and combusted mixture and the compressed oxidator, and exhausting the expanded and combusted mixture.