Method for controlling an engine braking device of an internal combustion engine and an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle

1. A method for controlling an engine braking device ( 16 ) of an internal combustion engine ( 10 ) of a motor vehicle during an up-shift process of a transmission device ( 26 ) connected to the internal combustion engine ( 10 ), the engine having a first and a second cylinder bank ( 12 a , 12 b ), an engine braking device ( 16 ) acting selectively on the first and the second cylinder banks ( 12 a , 12 b ) for independently engaging or disengaging braking operation of the individual cylinder banks, the method comprising the steps of:

a) sensing an up-shift process demand;

b) blocking the fuel supply to the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) and simultaneously

c) putting the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) into braking mode by means of an engine braking device ( 16 ) acting on the first cylinder banks ( 12 a );

d) and, at the same time, increasing the fuel supply to the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ), so as to compensate for the power loss of the first cylinder bank,

e) disengaging a gear of the transmission device ( 26 ) and concurrently

f) blocking the fuel supply to the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ) for a rapid slow down of the engine to a predetermined speed permitting upshifting, and re-powering all the cylinders.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising

g) putting also the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ) into the braking mode.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the putting of the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ) into the braking mode according to step g) is carried out simultaneously with the blocking of the fuel supply to the second cylinder bank ( 12 a , 12 b ) according to step f).

4. A method for controlling an engine braking device ( 16 ) of an internal combustion engine ( 10 ) of a motor vehicle, the engine having a first and a second cylinder bank ( 12 a , 12 b ), an engine braking device ( 16 ) acting selectively on the first and the second cylinder banks ( 12 a , 12 b ) for independently engaging or disengaging braking operation of the individual cylinder banks, the method comprising, during an up-shift process of a transmission device ( 26 ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ), the steps of:

a) disengaging a gear of the transmission device ( 26 );

b) blocking the supply of a fuel to the cylinders of the first and second cylinder banks ( 12 a , 12 b ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ); and simultaneously

c) putting the first and second cylinder banks ( 12 a ) into braking operation by means of an engine braking device ( 16 ) acting on the first cylinder bank and the second cylinder bank;

d) determining a speed difference between gearwheels of the transmission device ( 26 ) or of a crankshaft ( 20 ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) and an input shaft ( 24 ) of the transmission device ( 26 ) to be shifted; and,

e) upon reaching a predetermined first target difference value of the speed difference, simultaneously

f) taking the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) out of the braking operation;

g) engaging a higher gear of the transmission device ( 26 ) and

h) supplying fuel to the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ).

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein, after step h), fuel is supplied to the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) by means of the fuel supply device ( 18 ) in a further step i) as soon as a switch-off down time of the engine braking device ( 16 ) of the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) has ended.

6. A method for controlling an engine braking device ( 16 ) of an internal combustion engine ( 10 ) of a motor vehicle, during an up-shift process of a transmission device ( 26 ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) the engine having a first and a second cylinder bank ( 12 a , 12 b ), an engine braking device ( 16 ) acting selectively on the first and the second cylinder banks ( 12 a , 12 b ) for independently engaging or disengaging braking operation of the individual cylinder banks, the method comprising the steps of:

a) disengaging a gear of the transmission device ( 26 );

b) blocking the supply of a fuel to the first and second cylinder bank ( 12 a , 12 b ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ); and simultaneously

c) putting the first and the second cylinder bank ( 12 a , 12 b ) into braking operation by means of engine braking device ( 16 ) acting on the individual cylinder banks;

d) determining a speed difference between gearwheels of the transmission device ( 26 ) or of a crankshaft ( 20 ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) and an input shaft ( 24 ) of the transmission device ( 26 ) by means of a speed determination device ( 27 );

e) reaching a predetermined first target difference value of the speed difference;

f) taking the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ) out of the braking operation;

g) reaching a predetermined second target difference value of the speed difference;

h) taking the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) out of the braking operation;

i) engaging a higher gear of the transmission device ( 26 ) and

j) supplying fuel to the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ).

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first target speed difference in step e) is chosen in such a manner that the second target speed difference in step g) is reached during a switch-off down time of the engine braking device ( 16 ) of the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ).

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein taking the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) out of the braking operation according to step h) and at least one of the engagement of a higher gear of the transmission device according to step i) and the supply of fuel to the second cylinder bank ( 12 b ) according to step j) are carried out simultaneously.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein, after step j), fuel is supplied to the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) by means of the fuel supply device ( 18 ) in a further step k),as soon as a switch-off down time of the engine braking device ( 16 ) of the first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) has ended.

10. An internal combustion engine ( 10 ) for a motor vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with a first cylinder bank ( 12 a ) and a second cylinder bank ( 12 b ), an engine braking device ( 16 ) acting on individual cylinder banks, a fuel supply device ( 18 ) acting on individual cylinder banks and a shiftable transmission device ( 26 ), which comprises shiftable gearwheels and an input shaft ( 24 ) that can be coupled to a crankshaft ( 20 ) of the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) by means of a clutch ( 22 ), the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) being designed to carry out a method according to claim 1 .