Internal combustion machine, water craft, and method for operating the power supply system of a ship using an internal combustion engine

1. A method operating a watercraft power supply or an internal combustion engine, comprising an exhaust end and a charger fluid end and a charger system including an exhaust gas turbocharger configured to charge the combustion engine, the exhaust gas turbocharger having a compressor arrangement on the charger fluid end and having a turbine arrangement on the exhaust end, a supercharger, a primary end of which is connected to the charger fluid end, and a secondary end of which is connected to the exhaust end, and an electric machine coupled to the internal combustion engine, wherein the supercharger is configured to be driven directly by the electric machine via a mechanical drive coupling:

wherein the method includes operating the engine in each of the following operating modes:

a starter mode, wherein the combustion engine is driven by the electric machine;

a generator mode, wherein the electric machine is driven by the combustion engine;

an electroboost mode, wherein the electric machine and the combustion engine drive a propeller;

a silent running mode, wherein only the electric machine drives the propeller while the combustion engine and the supercharger do not supply drive power to the propeller;

an interval mode wherein the combustion engine drives the propeller, and the electric machine drives the supercharger in repeating time intervals.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein in the interval mode, the supercharger is driven by the electric machine, and the time intervals are greater than zero and less than 1 minute, and the propeller is driven at a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine in a rotation speed range above 500 RPM and up to 1600 RPM, and with a torque range between 500 Nm and 3000 Nm.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein, in the interval mode, the internal combustion engine is operated during a time interval at a rotation speed between a lower rotation speed threshold and an upper rotation speed threshold, and the internal combustion engine is operated between a lower torque threshold and an upper torque threshold.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the lower rotation speed threshold is an idle speed of the internal combustion engine.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a supercharger drive is activated in the interval mode in response to at least one of:

an actuation of a mode button of the controller,

a measured deficiency of charge air, and

a speed selection.

6. An internal combustion engine having:

a combustion engine with an exhaust end and a charger fluid end and a charger system including:

an exhaust gas turbocharger configured to charge the combustion engine, the exhaust gas turbocharger having a compressor arrangement on the charger fluid end and having a turbine arrangement on the exhaust end,

a supercharger, a primary end of which is connected to the charger fluid end, and a secondary end of which is connected to the exhaust end, and

an electric machine configured to be a motor/generator, the electric machine coupled to the combustion engine, wherein the electric machine is configured to be driven by the combustion engine as a generator, or is configured to drive the combustion engine as a motor, and wherein the supercharger is configured to be driven directly by the electric machine via a mechanical drive coupling, wherein the mechanical drive coupling has a propeller gearing, wherein a drive shaft of the electric machine is coupled to the same on an input end thereof.

7. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein a drive shaft of a propeller and a crankshaft of the combustion engine are coupled to the propeller gearing on an output end.

8. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein the mechanical drive coupling, has one of a gearing and a mechanical compressor, wherein a drive shaft of the supercharger is coupled to the same on the output end thereof, and a drive shaft of the electric machine is coupled to the same on the input end thereof.

9. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 wherein a drive shaft of a propeller is coupled to the propeller gearing on an output end thereof.

10. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein a drive shaft of the supercharger and a crankshaft of the combustion engine are coupled to a motor gearing on the output end.

11. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein, the electric machine is configured to be selectively driven as a motor and as a generator, wherein the electric machine is configured to function as one of a starter motor and an electric drive when driven as a motor, and wherein the electric machine is configured to carry out the function of a current generator for one of an on-board power supply and a battery when driven as a generator.

12. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein the supercharger is configured to be driven directly by the electric machine in chronologically bounded intervals of time.

13. An internal combustion engine according to claim 12 , wherein the intervals of time are greater than zero and less than 1 minute.

14. An internal combustion engine according to claim 13 , wherein the intervals of time are greater than zero and less than 30 seconds.

15. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein the engine is configured to be operated in at least one of a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of the operating modes including:

a starter mode, wherein the electric machine drives the combustion engine;

a generator mode, wherein the combustion engine drives the electric machine;

an electroboost mode, wherein the electric machine and the combustion engine drive a propeller; and

a silent running mode, wherein only the electric machine drives the propeller while the combustion engine and the supercharger do not supply drive power to the propeller;

an interval mode, wherein the combustion engine drives the propeller, and the electric machine drives the supercharger in time intervals.

16. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein the supercharger is configured to be driven directly by the electric machine via a mechanical drive coupling, wherein a battery supplies power to the electric machine.

17. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein the secondary end of the supercharger is connected to the exhaust end upstream of the turbine assembly.

18. A watercraft having an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a combustion engine with an exhaust end and a charger fluid end and a charger system including:

an exhaust gas turbocharger configured to charge the combustion engine, the exhaust gas turbocharger having a compressor arrangement on the charger fluid end and having a turbine arrangement on the exhaust end,

a supercharger, a primary end of which is connected to the charger fluid end, and a secondary end of which is connected to the exhaust end; and

an electric machine configured to be a motor/generator, the electric machine coupled to the combustion engine, wherein the electric machine is configured to be driven by the combustion engine as a generator or is configured to drive the combustion engine as a motor, and wherein the supercharger is configured to be driven directly by the electric machine via a mechanical drive coupling;

wherein the engine is configured to be operated in an interval mode with repeating time intervals.

19. A watercraft according to claim 18 , wherein a propeller of the watercraft is configured to be driven with at least one of:

(a) a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine in a rotation speed range above 500 RPM up to 1600 RPM, and

(b) a torque in a torque range between 500 Nm and 3000 Nm,

in a time interval which is less than 1 minute.