Patent attributes
An internal combustion engine has an intake duct, which opens into at least one inlet of at least one cylinder. It also has a tank purging valve, which is configured to control the initiation of a tank purging flow into the intake duct at an inlet point upstream of the respective inlet of the respective cylinder. A main path is configured in the intake duct and a recirculation path is configured there with a recirculation control element, a recirculation inlet from the main path into the recirculation path and a recirculation outlet from the recirculation path into the main path. The recirculation outlet is disposed in the main path upstream in relation to the recirculation inlet. A cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined as a function of an opening angle of the tank purging valve and an opening angle of the recirculation control element.