Method and device for monitoring the direction of rotation of a piston engine

A method for detecting a rotation direction of a piston engine, which includes at least one cylinder, a piston movable back and forth in the cylinder, a cylinder chamber formed inside the cylinder which is delimited by an inner cylinder wall and the piston, an inlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one inlet valve, an outlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one outlet valve, and t least one triggerable throttling device situated in the inlet channel, the method comprising:

• measuring a pressure prevailing in the inlet channel when the inlet valve is open;
• comparing the measured pressure with a predefinable threshold value to provide a comparison result;
• and
• determining the rotation direction of the piston engine based on the comparison result;
• wherein the throttling device is closed at least for a time that the pressure is measured.

A device for detecting the rotation direction of a piston engine, which includes at least one cylinder, a piston movable back and forth in the cylinder, a cylinder chamber formed inside the cylinder which is delimited by an inner cylinder wall and the piston, an inlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one inlet valve, an outlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one outlet valve, at least one triggerable throttling device situated in the inlet channel, the device comprising:

• a control arrangement to control the piston engine;
• a measuring arrangement tor measure a rotational speed;
• a triggering arrangement to trigger the throttling device;
• and
• a measuring arrangement to measure a pressure in the inlet channel when the inlet valve is open and the throttling device is closed;
• wherein the control arrangement causes the throttling device to close when a rotary motion is detected, measures a pressure in the inlet channel after a predefinable measuring period, compares the measured pressure with a predefinable threshold value to provide a comparison result, and determines the rotation direction of the piston engine based on the comparison result.

A computer program executable on a processor arrangement, comprising:

• computer program code for detecting a rotation direction of a piston engine, which includes at least one cylinder, a piston movable back and forth in the cylinder, a cylinder chamber formed inside the cylinder which is delimited by an inner cylinder wall and the piston, an inlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one inlet valve, an outlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one outlet valve, and t least one triggerable throttling device situated in the inlet channel, by performing the following:
• measuring a pressure prevailing in the inlet channel when the inlet valve is open;
• comparing the measured pressure with a predefinable threshold value to provide a comparison result;
• and
• determining the rotation direction of the piston engine based on the comparison result;
• wherein the throttling device is closed at least for a time that the pressure is measured.

A computer memory medium having a computer program executable on a processor arrangement, comprising:

• computer program code for detecting a rotation direction of a piston engine, which includes at least one cylinder, a piston movable back and forth in the cylinder, a cylinder chamber formed inside the cylinder which is delimited by an inner cylinder wall and the piston, an inlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one inlet valve, an outlet channel which opens into the cylinder chamber via at least one outlet valve, and t least one triggerable throttling device situated in the inlet channel, by performing the following:
• measuring a pressure prevailing in the inlet channel when the inlet valve is open;
• comparing the measured pressure with a predefinable threshold value to provide a comparison result;
• and
• determining the rotation direction of the piston engine based on the comparison result;
• wherein the throttling device is closed at least for a time that the pressure is measured.