Abstract: A method for operating an engine, including, adjusting a target load, which lies below a full load; operating at least one cylinder in a first cylinder group with a first load, which is reduced with respect to the target load; operating at least one cylinder in a second cylinder group with a second load, which is increased with respect to the target load; selecting the first and second loads such that a resulting load is the target load; and selecting the first and second loads such that at least one environmental parameter value is improved, wherein the environmental parameters include at least one of a fuel consumption, a nitrogen oxide content in the exhaust gas, and a particle content in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating at least one rotating closure element in a flow channel; alternately opening and blocking the flow channel relative to a reference variable and with an adjustable phase position; flowing through a cross-section; changing a phase position; and utilizing at least one of a flow force and a flow torque to act on the closure element for at least one of temporarily accelerating and temporarily decelerating the closure element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an actuation device (5) for shifting an actuation member (4) between two end positions, in particular for controlling a gas flow in an internal combustion engine, with an armature (13) which is mounted in a stator (14) such that it can move between two end positions in a pivoting manner about a pivot axis (7) and which is connected or can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the actuation member (4), with at least one electromagnet (10), which is arranged on or in the stator (14), for generating electromagnetic attractive forces, with at least one first stator-side bearing face (18), against which a first contact face (20) of the armature (13) bears when the armature (13) is in the first end position, and with at least one second stator-side bearing face (19), against which a second contact face (21) of the armature (13) bears when the armature (13) is in the second end position.