Method for operating an internal combustion engine having an exhaust-gas catalytic converter

A computer unit (140) configured to operate an internal combustion engine (110) having at least two combustion chambers (1-6) and at least one exhaust-gas catalytic converter (130), by:

• detecting a beginning of a load operation phase (220) of the internal combustion engine (110) that adjoins a coasting phase, wherein the internal combustion engine (110) is not fed any fuel during the coasting phase, and fuel is fed during the load operation phase;
• determining (230) that combustion chamber of the at least two combustion chambers (1-6) of the internal combustion engine (110) in which an ignition of the fed fuel first takes place at the beginning of the load operation phase, as the first combustion chamber;
• selecting (240) one of the combustion chambers of the at least two combustion chambers (1-6) that is not determined as the first combustion chamber, as the purging combustion chamber, wherein an exhaust gas of the purging combustion chamber is directed into the same exhaust-gas catalytic converter (130) as an exhaust gas of the first combustion chamber;
• and
• feeding (250) a first fuel quantity into the purging combustion chamber such that the first fuel quantity, prior to igniting the fuel in the purging combustion chamber, is expelled so as to be partially or fully non-combusted in the direction of the exhaust-gas catalytic converter (130).

A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to operate an internal combustion engine (110) having at least two combustion chambers (1-6) and at least one exhaust-gas catalytic converter (130), by:

• detecting a beginning of a load operation phase (220) of the internal combustion engine (110) that adjoins a coasting phase, wherein the internal combustion engine (110) is not fed any fuel during the coasting phase, and fuel is fed during the load operation phase;
• determining (230) that combustion chamber of the at least two combustion chambers (1-6) of the internal combustion engine (110) in which an ignition of the fed fuel first takes place at the beginning of the load operation phase, as the first combustion chamber;
• selecting (240) one of the combustion chambers of the at least two combustion chambers (1-6) that is not determined as the first combustion chamber, as the purging combustion chamber, wherein an exhaust gas of the purging combustion chamber is directed into the same exhaust-gas catalytic converter (130) as an exhaust gas of the first combustion chamber;
• and
• feeding (250) a first fuel quantity into the purging combustion chamber such that the first fuel quantity, prior to igniting the fuel in the purging combustion chamber, is expelled so as to be partially or fully non-combusted in the direction of the exhaust-gas catalytic converter (130).