Load-handling vehicle provided with a heat engine and method for controlling the rotational speed of the heat engine of such a vehicle

A method of controlling the rotation speed of a heat engine of a load-handling vehicle having, in addition to the heat engine:

• an accelerator pedal for controlling the rotation speed of the heat engine,
• a pedal position sensor of a parameter representing the position of the accelerator pedal,
• a system for driving movement of the vehicle coupled to said heat engine,
• a handling system comprising at least one handling member such as a lifting arm, a hydraulic pump driven in rotation by the heat engine, at least one hydraulic actuator of the handling member or members and, for the or each actuator, a fluidic circuit connecting the actuator to the hydraulic pump,
• a system that can be actuated manually by the driver of the vehicle for controlling the actuator or actuators, and
• a control unit configured to acquire data supplied by the control system and accelerator pedal position data supplied by the pedal position sensor and to control each actuator as a function at least of the data supplied by the control system, wherein the control unit has a memory for storing heat engine rotation speed data associated with hydraulic pump flow rate and accelerator pedal position data, wherein said method comprises the steps of:
• determination by the control unit as a function at least of the data supplied by the control system, a hydraulic pump flow rate setpoint, and
• determination by the control unit as a function of the hydraulic pump flow rate setpoint and accelerator pedal position data supplied by the pedal position sensor, a rotation speed setpoint of the heat engine, and
• control by the control unit of the driving in rotation of the heat engine at said rotation speed setpoint so determined, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the rotation speed setpoint of the heat engine as being the stored speed value associated with the stored flow rate data and position data corresponding respectively, the one to the value of the flow rate setpoint value of the hydraulic pump, the other to the position data supplied by the pedal position sensor.