Internal combustion engine and method for controlling the internal combustion engine

摘要

An internal combustion engine has an EGR passage provided with an EGR control valve and a catalyst for purifying the EGR gas. When the internal combustion engine operates in a low-temperature combustion mode in which the amount of EGR gas supplied to a combustion chamber is larger than that of EGR gas with which the amount of soot produced reaches a peak, and almost no soot is produced, a controller reduces an opening amount of the exhaust gas recirculation control valve so as to increase an exhaust gas temperature, and reduces an opening amount of the throttle valve so as to suppress an increase in the amount of the EGR gas, thereby to reduce reductions in the temperature of the EGR gas and the temperature of the catalyst.