Patent ID: 6951101

Claim:
A method for controlling the filling process of a hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) from an associated lubricant or operating material supply system ( 4 ), comprising at least one operating material source ( 6 ), a cooling device ( 11 ), where the hydrodynamic clutch comprises at least two blade wheels that together form a toroidal working space, to which at least one supply line ( 30 ) and one discharge line ( 32 ) are assigned; the method comprising: presetting a set variable for a variable characterizing at least indirectly the functional state of the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ), which serves as an input variable of a control device ( 8 ) assigned to the associated lubricant and operating material supply system ( 4 ) comprising a pressure balance that controls an adjustment device for influencing the operating material supply of the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) such that at least three basic functional states of he hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) can be set, where the set variable for actuating the adjustment device is generated from the set value of the variable characterizing at least indirectly the functional state of the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) in dependence of a variable characterizing at least indirectly the pressure in the discharge line ( 32 ) of the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ), and in a first functional state, the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) is empty, in a second basic functional state of the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) supplying the working space of the hydrodynamic clutch ( 2 ) with operating material from the operating material source ( 6 ), and in a closed circuit, resupplying operating material from the working space to the working space via the cooling device ( 11 ).