Fuel nozzle with modulating primary nozzle

Claim 2

A fuel nozzle comprising a nozzle body assembly defining therewithin a fuel inlet passage communicating with a discharge orifice via a spin chamber and a plurality of spin passages for discharge of the fuel from said orifice as a generally conical spray; and a pressure responsive flow modulating member movable in said assembly to decrease the flow of fuel through at least one of said spin passages in response to increase in fuel pressure in said inlet passage above a predetermined value, thus to decrease the discharge rate of fuel from said orifice and to increase the angle of the fuel spray therefrom.

Claim 3

The nozzle of claim 1 wherein said member, when moved in said assembly by increasing fuel pressure as aforesaid, throttles a passage leading from said inlet passage to said one spin passage.

Claim 4

The nozzle of claim 1 wherein spring means in said assembly biases said member so as to resist movement thereof until the fuel pressure exceeds such predetermined value.

Claim 5

The nozzle of claim 1 wherein said member has opposite sides thereof exposed to fuel pressure in said inlet passage and to a lower gas turbine reference pressure when said nozzle is installed in a gas turbine or the like.

Claim 6

The nozzle of claim 1 wherein said nozzle has a constant K As/ DoDs, wherein As is the effective area of the spin passages and Do and Ds are the diameters of the discharge orifice and spin chamber respectively, such that with fuel pressures less than such predetermined value the fuel spray angle is minimum and the discharge coefficient of the nozzle is maximum to facilitate engine starting and such that as said member moves under the influence of increasing fuel pressure the value As, and thus K, decreases to result in increase in the fuel spray angle and in decrease in the discharge coefficient of the nozzle to minimize smoking and/or unburned hydrocarbons as the engine reaches its rated power.

Claim 7

A dual orifice fuel nozzle comprising a nozzle body assembly defining therewithin primary and secondary fuel inlet passages respectively communicating with coNcentric primary and secondary discharge orifices via respective primary and secondary spin chambers and spin passages for discharge of fuel from said orifices as generally conical sprays; and a pressure responsive flow modulating member movable in said assembly to decrease the flow in said primary spin passage in response to increase in fuel pressure in said primary inlet passage above a predetermined value, thus to decrease the discharge rate of fuel from said primary orifice and to increase the angle of the fuel spray therefrom.

Claim 8

A dual orifice fuel nozzle comprising a nozzle body assembly defining therewithin primary and secondary fuel inlet passages respectively communicating with coNcentric primary and secondary discharge orifices via respective primary and secondary spin chambers and spin passages for discharge of fuel from said orifices as generally conical sprays; and a pressure responsive flow modulating member movable in said assembly to decrease the flow in said primary spin passage in response to increase in fuel pressure in said primary inlet passage above a predetermined value, thus to decrease the discharge rate of fuel from said primary orifice and to increase the angle of the fuel spray therefrom.

Claim 9

The nozzle of claim 6 wherein said member, when moved as aforesaid, throttles a passage leading from said primary inlet passage to said primary spin passage.

Claim 10

The nozzle of claim 6 wherein spring means in said assembly biases said member so as to resist movement thereof until the fuel pressure exceeds such predetermined value.

Claim 11

A fuel nozzle comprising a nozzle body assembly defining therewithin a fuel inlet passage communicating with a discharge orifice via a spin chamber and a spin passage for discharge of the fuel from said orifice as a generally conical spray; and a pressure responsive flow modulating member movable in said assembly to decrease the flow of fuel through said spin passage in response to increase in fuel pressure in said inlet passage above a predetermined value, thus to decrease the discharge rate of fuel from said orifice and to increase the angle of the fuel spray therefrom.

Claim 12

A fuel nozzle comprising a nozzle body assembly defining therewithin a fuel inlet passage communicating with a discharge orifice via a spin chamber and a spin passage for discharge of the fuel from said orifice as a generally conical spray; and a pressure responsive flow modulating member movable in said assembly to decrease the flow of fuel through said spin passage in response to increase in fuel pressure in said inlet passage above a predetermined value, thus to decrease the discharge rate of fuel from said orifice and to increase the angle of the fuel spray therefrom.

Claim 13

The nozzle of claim 9 wherein said member, when moved in said assembly by increasing fuel pressure as aforesaid, throttles a passage leading from said inlet passage to said spin passage.

Claim 14

The nozzle of claim 9 wherein spring means in said assembly biases said member so as to resist movement thereof until the fuel pressure exceeds such predetermined value.

Claim 15

The nozzle of claim 9 wherein said member has opposite sides thereof exposed to fuel pressure in said inlet passage and to a lower gas turbine reference pressure when said nozzle is installed in a gas turbine or the like.

Claim 16

The nozzle of claim 9 wherein said nozzle has a constant K As/DoDs, wherein As is the effective area of the spin passage and Do and Ds are the diameters of the discharge orifice and spin chamber respectively, such that with fuel pressures less than such predetermined value the fuel spray angle is minimum and the discharge coefficient of the nozzle is maximum to facilitate engine starting and such that as said member moves under the influence of increasing fuel pressure the value As, and thus K, decreases to result in increase in the fuel spray angle and in decrease in the discharge coefficient of the nozzle to minimize smoking and/or unburned hydrocarbons as the engine reaches its rated power.