USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Ronald J Laib

Oscar Biblarz

James A Miller

In a gas turbine engine of the type wherein the fuel is injected through a pray injection nozzle into a combustion chamber, the improvement is a method and apparatus for modifying the characteristics of the fuel spray from the fuel injection nozzle so that fuels of higher aromatic content can be efficiently used in the engine. An electrode is disposed within the combustion chamber to provide a high strength electrostatic field in the vicinity of the injection nozzle so that the fuel spray from the nozzle becomes charged as it leaves the nozzle. The strength of the electric field is adjusted to provide a spray characteristic which produces optimum engine performance as determined by measuring an operating parameter of the engine such as the temperature of the gases exiting from the combustion chamber. An electrode structure is disclosed in which a central conductor is covered by two concentric layers of high density insulating material except at an exposed end surface which faces the injection nozzle and is disposed on its longitudinal axis. An annular passage is provided between the two layers of insulating material through which passage an inert gas is directed to provide a protective layer to insulate the exposed conductor from the flame.

Growing community of inventors

Bonita, CA, United States of America

Ronald J Laib