Control apparatus and control method for internal combustion engine

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising a controller configured to:

• carry out a removal treatment of removing, through combustion, particulate matters deposited on an element portion of a particulate matter sensor that is arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, by raising a temperature of the element portion;
• detect a first particulate matter amount as an amount of particulate matters, which are deposited on the element portion of the particulate matter sensor before start of the removal treatment, on a basis of an output of the particulate matter sensor before start of the removal treatment;
• detect a heat generation amount that results from combustion of the particulate matters during the removal treatment;
• detect a second particulate matter amount as an amount of particulate matters, which are deposited on the element portion before start of the removal treatment, in accordance with the heat generation amount;
• and
• determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the particulate matter sensor, on a basis of a difference between the first particulate matter amount detected and the second particulate matter amount,
• wherein the controller is configured to prohibit start of the removal treatment until the amount of particulate matters deposited on the element portion reaches a reference amount, wherein the reference amount in a case where the controller determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the particulate matter sensor is larger than a reference amount of particulate matters in other cases.