INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH EXHAUST GAS AFTERTREATMENT AND CONTROL OF THE NITROGEN OXIDE EMISSIONS

An internal combustion engine, with an engine regulating device and an exhaust gas aftertreatment device with an SCR catalytic converter for the reduction of at least one NOcomponent, and with a catalytic converter regulating device, wherein the engine regulating device is prescribed a target value for an NOmean value of the NOcomponent of the exhaust gases, which mean value results at an outlet point of the exhaust gas aftertreatment device in relation to a predefinable time period, and the engine regulating device is configured at least in one operating mode to continuously calculate an NOreference value for the catalytic converter regulating device with consideration of Nocomponents which have already been emitted and the predefined target value, which reference value is selected in such a way that the predefined target value results at the outlet point of the exhaust gas aftertreatment device at the end of the predefinable time period when the calculated NOreference value of the catalytic converter regulating device is fed as NOsetpoint value to the regulating means.