Patent ID: 7690358

Claim:
A method for controlling a valve with a valve drive, which is configured as a piezoactuator, with a valve member, a valve body and a valve seat, the method comprising the steps of: determining and generating an actuating signal to load the piezoactuator such that the valve member is controlled from a position away from the valve seat into the valve seat, as a function of a pilot control value, which is a function of at least one operating variable, and an output value of a regulator, determining a first value, which is characteristic of the electrical energy supplied to the piezoactuator on arrival of the valve member on the valve seat, determining a second value, which is characteristic of the electrical energy supplied to the piezoactuator on completion of the loading process of the piezoactuator, determining an actual value, which is characteristic of a sealing force, with which the valve member is pressed onto the valve seat as a function of the first and second values, supplying the actual value and a predetermined setpoint value to the regulator, which generates the output value as a function thereof, adjusting a pilot control value assignment instruction as a function of the output value and at least one operating variable and, when a predetermined condition is met, the pilot control value assignment instruction is used to determine the pilot control value.