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OwnerIan James TOON, Robert Anthony HICKS +3inventors
InventorsIan James TOON, Robert Anthony HICKS, Michael WHITEMAN, Waldemar LAZIK, Imon-Kalyan BAGCHI
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A fuel injector includes pilot and main fuel injectors. The pilot fuel injector includes at least one pilot air swirler and the main fuel injector includes a main air blast fuel injector located between inner main and outer main air swirlers. A first air splitter is located between the pilot and inner main air swirlers and a second air splitter is located between the pilot and inner main air swirlers. The first air splitter has a downstream portion converging to a downstream end. The second air splitter has a downstream portion diverging to a downstream end. The second air splitter downstream end is downstream of the first air splitter downstream end and the ratio of the distance from the first air splitter downstream end to the second air splitter downstream end to the diameter of the second air splitter downstream end is in the range of 0.22 to 0.30.
A fuel injector comprising a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the pilot fuel injector comprising at least one pilot air swirler, the main fuel injector comprising a main air blast fuel injector located between an inner main air swirler and an outer main air swirler, a first air splitter located between the at least one pilot air swirler and the inner main air swirler and a second air splitter located between the at least one pilot air swirler and the inner main air swirler, the first air splitter comprising a downstream portion converging to a downstream end, the second air splitter comprising a downstream portion diverging to a downstream end, the downstream end of the second air splitter is downstream of the downstream end of the first air splitter, the downstream end of the second air splitter is downstream of the downstream end of a member defining the outer surface of the outer main air swirler and the ratio of the distance from the downstream end of the first air splitter to the downstream end of the second air splitter to the diameter of the downstream end of the second air splitter is in the range of 0.22 to 0.30.
A fuel injector comprising a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the pilot fuel injector comprising at least one pilot air swirler, the main fuel injector comprising a main air blast fuel injector located between an inner main air swirler and an outer main air swirler, a first air splitter located between the at least one pilot air swirler and the inner main air swirler and a second air splitter located between the at least one pilot air swirler and the inner main air swirler, the first air splitter comprising a downstream portion converging to a downstream end, the second air splitter comprising a downstream portion diverging to a downstream end, the downstream end of the second air splitter is downstream of the downstream end of the first air splitter and the ratio of the distance from the downstream end of the first air splitter to the downstream end of the second air splitter to the diameter of the downstream end of the second air splitter is in the range of 0.22 to 0.30.
A method of operating a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber comprising an igniter and at least one fuel injector, the igniter being positioned downstream of the at least one fuel injector, the fuel injector comprising a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the pilot fuel injector comprising at least one pilot air swirler, the main fuel injector comprising a main air blast fuel injector located between an inner main air swirler and an outer main air swirler, a first air splitter located between the at least one pilot air swirler and the inner main air swirler and a second air splitter located between the at least one pilot air swirler and the inner main air swirler, the first air splitter comprising a downstream portion converging to a downstream end, the second air splitter comprising a downstream portion diverging to a downstream end, the downstream end of the second air splitter is downstream of the downstream end of the first air splitter, the downstream end of the second air splitter is downstream of the downstream end of a member defining the outer surface of the outer main air swirler and the ratio of the distance from the downstream end of the first air splitter to the downstream end of the second air splitter to the diameter of the downstream end of the second air splitter is in the range of 0.22 to 0.30, the method comprising supplying pilot fuel to the pilot fuel injector and supplying main fuel to the main fuel injector, atomising the pilot fuel using a swirling flow of air from the at least one pilot air swirler, atomising the main fuel using swirling flows of air from the inner main air swirler and the outer main air swirler, producing an S shaped flow path for the pilot fuel supplied from the pilot fuel injector to the main fuel supplied by the main fuel injector, and mixing the pilot fuel with the main fuel and air flow upstream of the igniter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.