Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas control apparatus provided in an exhaust passageway of the internal combustion engine and a fuel supply apparatus configured to supply fuel to the exhaust gas control apparatus, the control apparatus comprising:

• an electronic control unit configured to:
• (a) control the supply of fuel by the fuel supply apparatus as a regeneration control such that a temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus is increased and a particulate matter accumulated on the exhaust gas control apparatus is burned;
• (b) execute increasing the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus at a first temperature increase speed as the regeneration control when the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus is in a first temperature range;
• (c) execute increasing the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus at a second temperature increase speed as the regeneration control when the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus is in a second temperature range, the second temperature increase speed being slower than the first temperature increase speed, the second temperature range being higher than the first temperature range;
• (d) execute burning the particulate matter by maintaining the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus in a third temperature range as the regeneration control when the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus is in the third temperature range, the third temperature range being higher than the second temperature range;
• and
• (e) control the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus during an idle operation so as to be equal to or smaller than the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus at a time when the internal combustion engine enters an idle operation state as a temperature increase suppression control when the temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus during the regeneration control is in the second temperature range and the internal combustion engine is in the idle operation state.