Patent ID: 7676320

Claim:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine comprising at least two cylinders each incorporating a combustion chamber, and with an exhaust tract which communicates with the combustion chambers depending on positions of at least two exhaust valves and in which there is disposed at least one exhaust gas probe whose measurement signal is indicative of an air/fuel ratio prior to combustion of an air/fuel mixture in the combustion chambers, the method comprising the steps of: in a lower partial load range of the internal combustion engine, as a function of a predefined torque request to the internal combustion engine, determining a setpoint value of a mass flow of air into the combustion chambers such that the mass flow of air is greater than is necessary for implementing the predefined torque request, and that the mass flow of air is large enough that individual exhaust packets from the combustion chambers can be differentiated from one another with the exhaust gas probe, actuating an actuator as a function of the setpoint value of the air/fuel ratio whose position affects the actual mass flow of air into the combustion chambers, and to implement the torque request, reducing engine efficiency simultaneously by actuating another actuator, detecting a measurement signal of the exhaust gas probe, determining the air/fuel ratio of the exhaust packets as a function of the measurement signal detected, and adapting at least one internal combustion engine operating parameter affecting the air/fuel ratio in at least one of the cylinders as a function of the air/fuel ratios.