Patent ID: 8224553

Claim:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder and an exhaust gas tract, which includes a component to be protected, the method comprising the steps of: determining an estimated dynamic component temperature of the component to be protected as a function of at least one operating variable of the internal combustion engine, taking into consideration the dynamic behavior of a section of the internal combustion engine, determining an estimated stationary component temperature of the component to be protected as a function of at least one operating variable of the internal combustion engine, without taking into consideration the dynamic behavior of the section of the internal combustion engine, determining an actual value for the component temperature of the component to be protected as a function of (a) the estimated dynamic component temperature, (b) the estimated stationary component temperature, and (c) one of (i) a gradient of the estimated dynamic component temperature or (ii) a gradient of a difference between the estimated dynamic component temperature and the stationary component temperature of the component to be protected, and implementing protective measures for the component to be protected as a function of the actual value for the component temperature of the component to be protected.