Control apparatus for direct-injection engine

A control apparatus for a direct-injection engine, which comprises a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, and an exhaust gas purifying catalyst inserted in an exhaust path, and divisionally injects fuel in at least two injections including trailing injection that begins to inject after a middle period of a compression stroke, and leading injection earlier than the trailing injection within a period from an intake stroke to an ignition timing before the catalyst warms up, comprising:

• an intake flow control valve for forcibly changing an intake flow strength in the combustion chamber;
• and
• a controller for setting an air-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber to be λ≈1 before the catalyst warms up, and operating said intake flow control valve to divisionally inject fuel at least during a former period from engine start until the catalyst, which is halfway through catalyst temperature rise, is partially activated, before the catalyst warms up, and to set the intake flow strength in the former period to be lower than that in a latter period halfway through the catalyst temperature rise after the former period.