Patent ID: 7275522

Claim:
A method for controlling a valve having a valve drive, which is in the form of a piezoelectric actuator, comprising a valve element, a valve body and a valve seat, the method comprising the steps of: moving the valve element into the valve seat from a position remote from the valve seat by means of a charging process of the piezoelectric actuator at a prescribable first time, determining a first value which is characteristic of the electrical power which is supplied to the piezoelectric actuator when the valve element meets the valve seat, determining a second value which is characteristic of the electrical power which is supplied to the piezoelectric actuator when the charging process of the piezoelectric actuator is concluded, determining an actual difference value from the difference between the second value and the first value, supplying a difference between a setpoint difference value, which can be prescribed, and the actual difference value to a controller, and determining an actuating signal for charging the piezoelectric actuator as a function of the actuating variable of the controller.