Internal combustion engine

A system, comprising:

• an engine control configured to actuate one or more actuators of an internal combustion engine configured to operate in cycles, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a plurality of piston-cylinder units each assigned an ignition device, wherein each piston-cylinder unit of the plurality of piston-cylinder units, when the ignition device is activated, is configured to combust a gas-air mixture to produce a power transmitted as a torque to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine;
• wherein the engine control is configured to, in a first operating mode, operate with a first deactivated number and a first activated number of ignition devices per cycle of the internal combustion engine in dependence on a currently present power demand, wherein the first activated number of ignition devices is configured to enable the respective piston-cylinder units of the plurality of piston-cylinder units to produce the power transmitted as the torque to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine adapted to the currently present power demand;
• wherein the engine control is configured to, in a second operating mode, reduce a risk of deflagration due to an unburned gas-air mixture present in an exhaust stroke, wherein the engine control is configured to:
• after a first number of cycles of the internal combustion engine, for a second number of cycles of the internal combustion engine, to have more piston-cylinder units produce power per cycle by activating the assigned ignition devices than would be required for the currently present power demand, and to actuate at least one actuator of the one or more actuators to reduce the power produced by at least one piston-cylinder unit of the plurality of piston-cylinder units with activated ignition device;
• and
• after the second number of cycles of the internal combustion engine, for a third number of cycles of the internal combustion engine, in dependence on the currently present power demand per cycle of the internal combustion engine, to have so many piston-cylinder units produce power by activation of the assigned ignition devices that this results in the torque of the crankshaft adapted to the currently present power demand.

A system, comprising:

• an engine control configured to control operation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of piston-cylinder units each assigned an igniter configured to ignite a fuel-air mixture, wherein the engine control is configured to:
• operate in a first operating mode to control ignition of the fuel-air mixture selectively in the plurality of piston-cylinder units via a first deactivated number of igniters and a first activated number of igniters per cycle of the internal combustion engine, wherein the first activated number of igniters is configured to enable the respective piston-cylinder units of the plurality of piston-cylinder units to produce a power adapted to a currently present power demand;
• and
• operate in a second operating mode to control ignition of the fuel-air mixture selectively in the plurality of piston-cylinder units via variations in a second deactivated number of igniters and a second activated number of igniters per cycle of the internal combustion engine, wherein the variations alternate between:
• the second activated number of igniters, which enable respective piston-cylinder units of the plurality of piston-cylinder units to generate the power, being greater than required for the currently present power demand for one or more cycles, wherein the engine control is configured to control at least one actuator to reduce the power produced by at least one piston-cylinder unit of the plurality of piston-cylinder units when the respective igniter is activated;
• and
• the second activated number of igniters, which enable respective piston-cylinder units of the plurality of piston-cylinder units to generate the power, being adapted to the currently present power demand for one or more cycles.