FUEL HEATING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To heat fuel at an early stage while stabilizing the starting operation of an internal combustion engine by preventing empty burning of a fuel heating device at starting of the internal combustion engine. SOLUTION: The fuel heating device 3 for heating fuel supplied from a fuel supply pipe 2 to an internal combustion engine includes a heater housing 8 provided in the fuel supply pipe 2 for sectioning a heating chamber 7, a heater 9 provided in the heating chamber 7, an ECU 10 for controlling energization to the heater 9, and a fuel pressure sensor 25 for sensing the fuel pressure PF in the heating chamber 7. At the starting of the internal combustion engine, the ECU 10 judges whether or not air is introduced in the heating chamber 7 by an amount to cause empty burning based on the fuel pressure PF sensed by the fuel pressure sensor 25 (step S36). In the case the fuel pressure PF is at or higher than a predetermined threshold value, that is, the residual air in the heating chamber 7 is at or less than a predetermined amount (Yes), starting duty Ds to the heater 9 is set based on the cooling water temperature TW and the ethanol concentration KREFBS. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT