METHOD FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE DRIVE TRAIN WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING SEVERAL CYLINDERS WHICH CAN BE SHUT OFF SELECTIVELY, AND VEHICLE DRIVE TRAIN

摘要

The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine having several cylinders, in which pistons connected to a common crankshaft (102) are operating. According to the invention, load adjustment is at least partly achieved in that the cylinders are selectively fired according to a predefined programme. Changes in angular speed of the crankshaft, which may result from the selective firing of the cylinders, are reduced by coupling a movable balancing mass component (14) to the crankshaft in such a manner that the kinetic energy of the balancing mass component increases in phases, in which the angular speed of the crankshaft would increase without being coupled to the balancing mass component, and decreases in phases in which the angular speed of the crankshaft would decrease without being coupled to the balancing mass component. Furthermore, an electric machine (122) is provided which compensates remaining fluctuations in rotational speed following the balancing of the rotational non-uniformities of the crankshaft by means of the balancing mass component.