Igniter for gas turbine engine
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsRichard Freer, Kian Mccaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve having an inner surface spaced from the glow plug heater rod to provide a gap between the inner surface and the glow plug heater rod, the gap extending radially relative to said axis.
Claims20
A method of operating an igniter of a gas turbine engine, the igniter extending through an igniter aperture of a combustor liner enclosing a combustion chamber, a collar being secured to the combustor liner and extending from the combustor liner, the method comprising:
- receiving a mixture of air and fuel to be ignited in a flow circulation area around a heating section of a glow plug heater rod of the igniter, the glow plug heater rod extending along an axis and terminating in a rod end, the flow circulation area being annular, extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod and radially between the glow plug heater rod and a sleeve relative to the axis, and communicating with the combustion chamber, the sleeve having an inner surface continuously extending around the flow circulation area to block fluid communication between the flow circulation area and an environment outside the flow circulation area through the sleeve in a radial direction relative to the axis, the sleeve extending through the collar;
- preventing compressed air from flowing in the combustion chamber via the igniter aperture with a substantially cylindrical outer surface of the sleeve being in abutment against an inner surface of the collar;
- igniting the mixture of air and fuel with the heating section of the glow plug heater rod;
- and
- impeding fluid circulation of the ignited mixture of the air and the fuel from flowing between the sleeve and the glow plug heater rod towards a base of the igniter.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a casing;
- a combustor liner within the casing and spaced apart therefrom, the combustor liner delimiting a combustion chamber and defining an igniter aperture, the igniter aperture bounded by a peripheral face;
- a collar secured to the combustor liner and extending from the combustor liner;
- an igniter, the igniter having a base connected to the casing and a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve having an inner surface spaced from the glow plug heater rod to provide a gap between the inner surface and the glow plug heater rod, the gap being annular, extending radially and circumferentially relative to the axis, and being opened to the combustion chamber,
- wherein a substantially cylindrical outer surface of the sleeve is in abutment against an inner surface of the collar to limit a flow of compressed air from a compressor of the gas turbine engine from entering the combustion chamber.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a casing;
- a combustor liner within the casing and spaced apart therefrom, the combustor liner delimiting a combustion chamber, the combustor liner defining an igniter aperture;
- a collar secured to the combustor liner and extending from the combustor liner, the collar extending about a whole circumference of the igniter aperture;
- and
- an igniter having a base connected to the casing, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around a full circumference of the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve extending through the collar and through the igniter aperture, a portion of an outer surface of the sleeve being in abutment against an inner surface of the collar to limit a flow of compressed air from a compressor of the gas turbine engine from entering the combustion chamber via the igniter aperture, the portion of the outer surface of the sleeve that is in abutment against the inner surface of the collar being substantially cylindrical, the sleeve having an inner surface spaced from the glow plug heater rod to provide a gap between the inner surface of the sleeve and the glow plug heater rod, the gap being annular and extending radially and circumferentially relative to the axis, the inner surface of the sleeve continuously extending around the gap to block fluid communication between the gap and an environment outside the gap through the sleeve in a radial direction relative to the axis, the gap fluidly communicating with the combustion chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.