Control apparatus for an internal combustion engine

摘要

In a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine provided with an electrically heated catalyst which heats a catalyst having an ability to purify an exhaust gas by heat from a heat generation element which generates heat by the supply of electric power, provision is made for a decision unit that decides a restraint amount for energy inputted to the electrically heated catalyst through the exhaust gas so that a heat generation element internal temperature difference, which is a difference in temperature between predetermined portions in the heat generation element of the electrically heated catalyst at the time of cold starting of the internal combustion engine, falls within a predetermined temperature range; and a control unit that controls an operating state of the internal combustion engine according to the restraint amount for the input energy decided by the decision unit. With this construction, the occurrence of cracks inside the heat generation element of the electrically heated catalyst is suppressed.

主权项

1. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:
an electrically heated catalyst that is arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, and heats a catalyst having an ability to purify an exhaust gas by heat from a heat generation element which generates heat by supply of electric power, said heat generation element being a structure which supports said catalyst; an electronic controller including circuitry, the electronic controller decides a restraint amount of energy inputted to said electrically heated catalyst by the exhaust gas flowing through the electrically heated catalyst so that a heat generation element internal temperature difference, which is a difference in temperature between predetermined portions in said heat generation element of said electrically heated catalyst at the time of cold starting of said internal combustion engine and at a period of time elapsed from the cold starting, falls within a predetermined temperature range; and said electronic controller that controls an operating state of said internal combustion engine according to the restraint amount for said input energy, wherein said internal combustion engine is mounted on a hybrid vehicle which uses, as a source of power, said internal combustion engine and a motor driven by electric power supplied from an electric power supply; and said electronic controller increases the restraint amount for the energy inputted to said electrically heated catalyst in accordance with the increasing travel speed of said hybrid vehicle at the time of the cold starting of said internal combustion engine.