Method for operating an internal combustion engine, and internal combustion engine

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, which has an internal combustion motor, which forms at least two combustion chambers, which are bounded by cylinders formed in a cylinder housing and by pistons guided up and down cyclically in said cylinders and in which thermodynamic cycles can be performed during operation of the internal combustion engine, wherein then a gas exchange in the combustion chambers is controlled by means of at least one intake valve () and one exhaust valve in the case of each combustion chamber, which valves are actuated by means of cams, and wherein a first operating state is provided, in which the thermodynamic cycles are performed both in a first combustion chamber and in a second combustion chamber and a second operating state is provided, in which the thermodynamic cycles are performed in the first combustion chamber and the thermodynamic cycles are not performed in the second combustion chamber, is characterized in that, in order to switch from the first operating state to the second operating state, a switch is made from the use of a first intake cam to the use of a second intake cam for the actuation of the intake valve associated with the first combustion chamber. Such a method makes it possible to realize a switchover from full operation to partial operation in manner that is as torque-neutral as possible in that the torque component that ceases because of the deactivation of the cylinder or cylinders provided therefor is compensated by the one or more cylinders that continue to actively operate, at least also in that, in the event of the switchover, the delivery ratio, i.e. the ratio of the mass of fresh gas actually contained in the cylinder after the conclusion of a charge cycle to the theoretical maximum possible mass, is increased for said cylinders and, in particular, is set as high as possible.