Patent ID: 8899042

Claim:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine, comprising: supplying fresh air from a fresh air system to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine; removing an exhaust gas from the at least one combustion chamber through an exhaust gas system; recycling the exhaust gas through an exhaust gas recycling system into the fresh air system; configuring at least one valve in the fresh air system upstream of the at least one combustion chamber, the at least one valve having an adjustable closure time correlated to a rotation rate of a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine; actuating the at least one valve in at least one predetermined operating point of the internal combustion engine such that at least one environmental parameter is at a predetermined condition according to the closure time of the at least one valve; and setting the closure time of the at least one valve such that the respective predetermined conditions of at least two environmental parameters are each between respective minimum and maximum values, wherein the at least two environmental parameters have an inverse relationship.