General Electric Company

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

John C Scott

Kattalaicheri Srinivasan Venkataramani

Joseph C Perin, Jr

John Z Hoyer

A plasma jet igniter is used to reliably relight a jet engine at high altitudes under adverse combustion conditions. The air-fuel mixture from the primary combustion zone of the jet engine combustor may be used as the plasma medium or, alternatively, liquid fuel direct from the aircraft fuel system may be used as a fuel charge.

Aircraft engine ignition system

A cable and termination for high voltage and high frequency current carrying applications includes an inner conductor having a sheath of braided metallic wire and a cylindrical core of flexible material extending within the sheath and supporting the sheath to prevent reduction in diameter of the sheath in response to tensile forces applied to the cable. The core includes one or more wire filaments connected to bear a portion of tensile forces applied to the cable. The inner conductor is encased in an outer insulation assembly which includes a conducting layer, spaced from the sheath and connected for ground return. The cable includes a termination assembly having a socket, connected to the sheath and wire filaments, for receiving an inner conductor of a complementary termination assembly. The socket includes a shank portion for receiving the pin of a complimentary termination assembly and which is fitted within the outer insulation assembly, and a bell portion which abuts the outer insulation assembly and is attached to the metallic wire sheath.

Cable and termination for high voltage and high frequency applications

The prevention of electrode material erosion by undercutting in the outer electrode shell of igniter electrodes of jet engine ignition systems is prevented by the application of an electrical insulation coating. The coating is applied to the surface of the outer electrode shell which faces the ceramic insulation around the center electrode where erosion patterns are known to occur. The insulation material is selected from electrical insulation substances such as oxides of aluminum, tungsten, magnesium, beryllium or zirconium by choosing a non-porous electrical insulating substance with thermal expansion characteristics approximately equalling those of the outer electrode shell. Since a typical outer electrode shell is composed of 446 stainless steel, an optimum choice for the electrical insulation coating is AL.sub.2 O.sup.3 deposited with a coating thickness of between 5 and 10 mils.

Igniter electrode life control

An improved instrumentation probe is disclosed for use within a turbomachine, including an airfoil, such as of a vane, having a portion of its airfoil leading edge removed. The probe is disposed adjacent to the airfoil to replace the removed airfoil leading edge portion and to aerodynamically form the leading edge of the airfoil.

Instrumentation probe

A removable instrumentation probe comprising a hollow member, preferably generally cylindrical, which extends through an opening in a wall. The member includes a band which projects outwardly from the member and is comprised of a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart tapered or curved segments which engage the interior of the wall opening to facilitate assembly and removal of the probe.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

John C Scott