Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine

In a system for igniting engine fuel, a unipolar ignition comprising:

• a voltage converter for receiving a low voltage from a system source and converting it to a high DC output voltage;
• a capacitor coupled to said voltage converter for accumulating energy delivered from said voltage converter;
• an inductor connected in series with a spark gap;
• a solid state switch interposed between said capacitor and said series connected inductor and spark gap for transferring the energy accumulated by said capacitor to said inductor and spark gap;
• a unidirectional device connected in parallel with said series connected inductor and spark gap for directing energy away from said solid state switch after said capacitor is substantially fully discharged;
• an energy sensing device responsive to a predetermined energy level at said capacitor for disabling said voltage converter so that said capacitor is not charged beyond said predetermined energy level;
• and
• a logic circuit responsive to a signal external from said unipolar ignition for initiating transfer of energy from said capacitor to said series connected inductor and spark gap by said solid state switch.

In a system for igniting engine fuel, an ignition comprising:

• an energy source;
• an energy storage device;
• a first means for transferring energy from said source to said energy storage device;
• an ignitor plug in series with an inductive device;
• a second means for transferring energy from said energy storage device to said inductive device and said ignitor plug;
• and
• a sensor incorporated into said inductive device for providing a diagnostic signal having electrical characteristics that represent the electrical and magnetic events occurring at the gap of the ignitor plug during the period of energy transfer to a spark across a gap of the ignitor plug.

In a system for igniting fuel for a turbine engine, an ignition system comprising:

• a voltage converter for receiving a low voltage from a system source and converting it to a high DC output voltage;
• a capacitor coupled to the voltage converter for accumulating energy delivered from the voltage converter;
• means including a switch for transferring the energy accumulated by the capacitor to the spark gap device in order to generate a spark across a gap of the spark gap device;
• and
• said means including means for initiating ignition of the fuel of by repeatedly generating sparks at the gap of the spark gap device for a predetermined period of time and thereafter continuing the repetition of sparks at an average rate that is less than the average rate of the sparks during the predetermined time period.