Operation control apparatus and method for internal combustion engine (as amended)

An operation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the apparatus comprising:

• a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of a compression ignition type internal combustion engine;
• a first glow plug disposed in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine to expedite ignition and burning of the fuel injected into the combustion chamber from the fuel injection valve;
• an engine warm-up parameter acquisition means for acquiring a parameter associated with whether the internal combustion engine needs to be warmed;
• an engine warm-up determination means for determining whether the internal combustion engine needs to be warmed by comparing the parameter acquired by the engine warm-up parameter acquisition means and a preset engine warm-up determination parameter;
• an exhaust gas purifier disposed in an exhaust passage into which exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is introduced;
• a fuel supply valve for supplying fuel to the exhaust passage upstream of the exhaust gas purifier;
• a second glow plug disposed in the exhaust passage downstream of the fuel supply valve to cause the fuel supplied from the fuel supply valve to the exhaust passage to ignite and burn;
• a catalyst temperature acquisition means for acquiring a temperature of a catalytic converter incorporated into the exhaust gas purifier;
• a catalyst warm-up determination means for determining whether the catalytic converter needs to be warmed by comparing the temperature of the catalytic converter acquired by the catalyst temperature acquisition means and a preset catalyst warm-up determination temperature;
• and
• a control means for controlling each of an actuation of the fuel injection valve, an actuation of the fuel supply valve, a period of time in which the first glow plug is energized, and a period of time in which a second glow plug is energized based on determination results obtained by the engine warm-up determination means and the catalyst warm-up determination means,
• wherein the engine warm-up determination parameter is set in a manner corresponding to a temperature lower than the catalyst warm-up determination temperature so that if it is determined that both of the engine warm-up determination means and the catalyst warm-up determination means need to be warmed, the energization of the first glow plug starts prior to the energization of the second glow plug;
• the control means includes a second glow energizing start determination means for determining an energization start time of the second glow plug by comparing the temperature of the catalytic converter acquired by the catalyst temperature acquisition means and a preset second glow plug heating start determination temperature;
• and
• the second glow plug heating start determination temperature is set in a manner corresponding to a temperature higher than the engine warm-up determination parameter and lower than the catalyst warm-up determination temperature.