Internal combustion engine with at least two exhaust gas turbochargers

Claim 1

A cylinder-piston internal combustion engine which includes two exhaust gas turbocharger means arranged in parallel for both supplying the cylinder of the internal combustion engine with charging air when there is a large supply of exhaust gases, each exhaust gas turbocharger means including an exhaust gas turbine for driving a charging air compressor means, and means for switching off at least one of the exhaust gas turbocharger means when only a small amount of exhaust gas is available so as to increase a pressure of the charging air, characterized in that a check valve means is disposed in a suction line of the compressor means of the exhaust gas turbocharger means which can be switched off for allowing a flow of air in the suction line in a direction of the compressor means but preventing a flow of air in an opposite direction, said check valve means being adapted to be automatically opened and closed by a suction effect of the compressor means of the exhaust gas turbocharger means which can be switched off, and in that means are provided for communicating the exhaust gas turbocharger means which can be switched off with the remaining exhaust gas turbocharger means so that a pressure produced by the compressor means of the remaining exhaust gas turbocharger means acts on both a pressure and suction side of the compressor means of the exhaust gas turbocharger means which can be switched off.