Fuel nozzle with catalytic glow plug

Claim 1

A nozzle for delivering and igniting a fuel within a gas turbine combustor comprising: a fuel nozzle body including at least one fuel inlet connection at a fuel inlet end of said fuel nozzle body; a fuel tip assembly at the discharge end of the fuel nozzle body; a swirler cap, including a plurality of swirler blades, disposed in an annulus around the fuel tip assembly; fuel discharge holes for discharging fuel from the interior of the fuel tip assembly onto the swirler blades; means for admitting a supply of pressurized air to said swirler cap for mixing with said fuel; a casing axially centered within the fuel nozzle body and the fuel tip assembly; a glow plug igniter positioned within the casing; said igniter including a coil of electrically resistive material; said coil being centered in said annulus; said coil being a base metal; said base metal being an electrically resistive material of a type capable of being heated by electrical power flowing therethrough; a catalyst material coating said base metal; mean of applying electrical power to said coil for heating said coil; and said catalyst being of a type capable of reacting with the fuel and air emerging from said swirler cap to produce combustion, whereby fuel discharged from the nozzle may be ignited.