Electrically activated valve actuator for an internal combustion engine

A method for electrically controlling a valve actuator in a two-stroke or four-stroke combustion engine, wherein the valve actuator comprises a solenoid, a plunger and a spring, wherein the spring of the valve actuator keeps the plunger in a home position when the solenoid is not activated, wherein the engine has at least one cylinder with at least one freely controllable engine valve with a valve disc with a corresponding valve stem and a valve spring, wherein a distance is provided between a lower end of the plunger and an upper end of the valve stem, and wherein air is supplied to, or exhaust gases are evacuated from, a combustion chamber past a lower part of the valve stem with the valve disc via at least one channel in the cylinder, wherein the valve actuator is activatable to open the engine valve, the method comprising:

• activating the solenoid such that opening of the engine valve is initiated after activation of the solenoid as a result of a following acceleration of the plunger that brings the lower end of the plunger to strike the upper end of the valve stem for initial opening of the engine valve, wherein:
• movement of the plunger continues until the movement of the plunger is interrupted when the plunger reaches a stop in the solenoid, and
• an opening movement of the engine valve continues until a force from the valve spring stops the opening movement of the engine valve and starts a closing movement of the engine valve towards a valve seat.