Cooled igniter

Abstract

A combustion chamber is provided with a fuel source and an igniter for initiating combustion. The igniter projects into the combustion chamber and into proximity with the fuel source. A heated tip portion of the igniter initiates burning and is cooled by means of cooling air passing through a plurality of air passages defined by a plurality of channels near the external surface of the igniter housing and further defined by a surrounding ferrule. Certain of the channels extend axially of the housing while at least one channel extends circumferentially thereabout and intersects the former channels. An opening in the ferrule provides communication between preselected of the channels and the interior of the combustion chamber. Cooling air passes through the channels in the axial direction (relative to the igniter) and is collected by the circumferential channel whereupon it is exhausted through the ferrule opening generally normally to the igniter housing and toward the downstream direction therefrom within the chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.