RECIPROCATING PISTON ENGINE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A RECIPROCATING PISTON ENGINE

The disclosure relates to a method for operating a reciprocating piston engine having a valve controller, the method comprising five operating phases (Ph, Ph, Ph, Ph, Ph), namely a regular combustion engine operation (Ph), an overrun operation (Ph), a shutdown process (Ph), a restart (Ph), as well as a transition back to the combustion engine operation (Ph). During the transition to the overrun operation, a drag torque of the reciprocating piston engine is reduced by adjusting the valve controller. During the shutdown, the drag torque is increased. In the course of the restart that interrupts the shutdown process, the drag torque is temporarily reduced.