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US 5,628,180 AGranted
Ignition methods and apparatus for combustors
AssigneeSimmonds Precision Engine Systems, Inc.
InventorDennis M. DeFreitas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for igniting fuel in a combustor includes an injector having an electrostatic fuel atomization nozzle and an igniter. The injector produces an initial combustion process that ignites the main fuel supply from a fuel nozzle. Alternatively, a main fuel nozzle is provided which includes a plurality of electrostatic fuel nozzles disposed about a centrally located igniter. In one embodiment, the igniter is a laser igniter.
Claims16
An ignition system for a combustor comprising:
- means for providing a main air/fuel mixture to the combustor;
- and a plasma injector comprising a nozzle for producing an atomized fuel spray and a laser igniter, said nozzle and said igniter being disposed in a common housing having an outlet that opens to the combustor;
- said igniter being disposed for igniting with laser energy the atomized fuel spray by focussing said laser energy to a focal point in said atomized fuel spray within said housing to produce a plasma that extends beyond said housing outlet into the combustor to ignite said main air/fuel mixture.
A method for igniting fuel in a combustor comprising the steps of:
- a. using a nozzle to atomize fuel provided from a fuel supply to produce an atomized fuel spray within a housing that is open to the combustor;
- b. using a laser igniter to focus laser energy to a focal point in said atomized fuel spray within the housing to ignite the atomized fuel spray to produce a plasma;
- c. extending the plasma beyond the housing into the combustor;
- and
- d. using the plasma to ignite in the combustor fuel from a main fuel.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.