Fuel supply device for internal combustion engine and control method therefor

A fuel supply device for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a reforming catalyst which induces an isomerization reforming reaction and a decomposition reforming reaction of a source fuel at a different reaction ratio depending on a catalyst temperature of the reforming catalyst;
• means for varying the catalyst temperature;
• means for supplying an isomerized fuel generated by the isomerization reforming reaction and a decomposed fuel generated by the decomposition reforming reaction respectively to the internal combustion engine;
• means for determining whether a request for increasing a reaction ratio of the isomerization reforming reaction exists;
• means for controlling the catalyst temperature varying means to lower the catalyst temperature below a predetermined temperature when the request for increasing the reaction ratio of the isomerization reforming reaction has been determined to exist;
• means for determining whether a request for increasing a reaction ratio of the decomposition reforming reaction exists;
• and
• means for controlling the catalyst temperature varying means to raise the catalyst temperature above the predetermined temperature when the request for increasing the reaction ratio of the decomposition reforming reaction has been determined to exist.

A control method for a fuel supply device which supplies fuel to an internal combustion engine, the fuel supply device comprising a reforming catalyst which induces an isomerization reforming reaction and a decomposition reforming reaction of a source fuel at a different reaction ratio depending on a catalyst temperature of the reforming catalyst, a catalyst temperature varying mechanism which varies the catalyst temperature, and a fuel supply mechanism which supplies an isomerized fuel generated by the isomerization reforming reaction and a decomposed fuel generated by the decomposition reforming reaction respectively to the internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

• determining whether a request for increasing a reaction ratio of the isomerization reforming reaction exists;
• controlling the catalyst temperature varying mechanism to lower the catalyst temperature below a predetermined temperature, when the request for increasing the reaction ratio of the isomerization reforming reaction has been determined to exist;
• determining whether a request for increasing a reaction ratio of the decomposition reforming reaction exists;
• and
• controlling the catalyst temperature varying mechanism to raise the catalyst temperature above the predetermined temperature when the request for increasing the reaction ratio of the decomposition reforming reaction has been determined to exist.