Self-sustaining fuel purging fuel injection system
AssigneeFuel Systems Textron Inc.
InventorsJerome R. Bradley, Theodore R. Koblish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel-injector system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes first and second fuel injectors rendered operative to discharge fuel to the combustor during a high power regime of engine operation and rendered non-operative during a lower power regime of engine operation. The first and second fuel injectors include respective first and second fuel discharge passages in fuel flow communication to one another and to the combustor via associated fuel discharge lips to sustain a flame region. The first and second fuel injectors are operatively associated with respective first and second air discharge means having air discharge lips for discharging air to the combustor for sustaining the flame region therein.
Claims6
A method of fueling a combustor of a gas turbine engine, comprising,
- supplying fuel to first and second fuel discharge means said first and second fuel discharge means being connected in fuel flow relation and communicated to the cumbustor for discharge of fuel to the combustor for sustaining a flame region in the combustor, supplying pressurized air to first and second air injector means cooperatively associated with the respective first and second fuel discharge means for discharge to the combustor for sustaining said flame region, and
- establishing different pneumatic pressures at the first and second fuel discharge means during discharge of the pressurized air to the combustor such that, in the event of interruption in the fuel supply to the first and second fuel discharge means during operation of the engine, the different pneumatic pressures established at the first and second fuel discharge means subject fuel residing therebetween to a pressure differential effective to purge the resident fuel into the combustor rapidly enough for the purged fuel to be ignited by said flame region.
A method of fueling a combustor of a gas turbine engine, comprising,
- supplying fuel to interconnected first and second fuel discharge means during a high power regime of engine operation to render said fuel discharge means operative to discharge fuel to the combustor for sustaining a flame region in the combustor,
- supplying pressurized air to first and second air injector means cooperatively associated with the respective first and second fuel discharge means during the high and lower power regimes of engine operation for sustaining said flame region, establishing different pneumatic pressures at the first and second fuel discharge means during discharge of the pressurized air to the combustor such that, when the fuel supply to the first and second fuel discharge means is interrupted during a lower power regime of engine operation to render said fuel discharge means non-operative, the different pneumatic pressures established at the first and second fuel discharge means subject the fuel residing therebetween to a pressure differential effective to purge the resident fuel into the combustor rapidly enough for the purged fuel to be ignited by said flame region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.