Patent ID: 7506508

Claim:
A method for operating a compressor for an internal combustion engine, the compressor comprising a compressor wheel ( 8 ) rotatably supported in an inlet duct ( 19 ) of the compressor ( 5 ), a coaxial auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) arranged in the inlet housing ( 19 ) so as to be axially movable between a coupled position with the compressor wheel ( 8 ) and a decoupled position, wherein, in the coupled position, the compressor wheel ( 8 ) and the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) are rotationally fixedly connected, and, in the decoupled position, the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) is decoupled from the compressor wheel ( 8 ), and an adjustable guide vane structure ( 21 ) for variably adjusting the effective inlet flow cross section to the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) arranged in the compressor inlet duct ( 19 ) upstream of the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ), said method comprising the steps of: at low engine loads and low engine speeds, moving the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) into the coupled position with the compressor wheel ( 8 ) and moving the guide vane structure ( 21 ) into the blocking position, at low engine loads and mid-range engine speeds, moving the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) into the coupled position with the compressor wheel ( 8 ) and moving the guide vane structure ( 21 ) into an opening position, and at high engine loads, decoupling the auxiliary rotor wheel ( 10 ) from the compressor wheel ( 8 ).