meter adequately diagram u201c d u201d of fig3 shows as a function of time t ruling signal rs 2 that results if the present method is applied when t lt t 2 the shape of the curve of ruling signal rs 2 corresponds to that of target mass flow rate m target during the interval t 1 u2266 t u2266 t 2 ruling signal rs 2 assumes the value of critical ruling signal rs crit which corresponds to minimum mass flow rate m min that can be metered by the actuator for t u2267 t 2 ruling signal rs 2 has the value of critical ruling signal rs crit during a first time interval t 1 and is equal to zero during a second time interval t 2 the second time interval t 2 is then again followed by a first time interval t 1 during which rs 2 is equal to rs crit and so on this means that for t gt t 2 time intervals t 1 and t 2 alternate with rs 2 equal to rs crit or equal to zero respectively time intervals t 1 and t 2 are chosen so that the integral of rs 2 between t t 2 and very large time values t u221e is equal to the integral of rs 1 between t t 2 and very large time values t u221e a comparator not shown uses the periodic signal generated by the saw tooth shaped signal generator not shown to determine pulses or the pulse width modulated signal not shown that is used to control the actuator and that determines the state x sg2 of the actuator the behaviour of which is shown in diagram u201c e u201d.