Fuel injection control system for a turbine engine

An apparatus for delivering fuel in pulses directly into the combustion chamber of a turbine engine, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one fuel injector having means for atomizing fuel and delivering said atomized fuel in pulses directly into said combustion chamber of said turbine engine;
• a first operating sensor, said first sensor having means for receiving sensor signals generated from the revolutions per minute of said turbine engine, and a second operating sensor, said second sensor having means for receiving sensor signals generated from the exhaust gas temperature of said turbine engine;
• a programmable electronic control unit comprising integrated circuits for receiving and comparing the value of sensor signals from said first sensor and said second sensor of said turbine engine to the value of a desired signal, and for generating fuel injector control signals in response thereto;
• and
• a means for directing said fuel injector control signals to said fuel injector to modify the pulse duration and/or frequency of fuel injection in response to a deviation from a selected operating function caused by variable operating loads encountered by the turbine engine.

A method for delivering fuel in pulses directly into the combustion chamber of a turbine engine and having at least one fuel injector and at least one sensor for sensing operating signals from said engine, said method comprising the steps of:

• atomizing fuel and delivering said atomized fuel in pulses directly into said combustion chamber using said injector;
• sensing at least one operating sensor signal from said turbine engine using said sensor;
• directing sensor signals from said operating sensor to a programmable electronic control unit;
• at said programmable electronic control unit, comparing the value of said sensor signal to the value of a desired signal and generating fuel injector control signals in response to said sensor signal;
• and
• directing said fuel injector signals to said fuel injector to modify the pulse duration and/or frequency of fuel injection in response to a deviation from desired engine speeds caused by variable operating loads encountered by the turbine engine.