Fuel injector assembly with first and second fuel injectors and inner, outer, and intermediate air discharge chambers

Claim 1

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine, comprising an injector body means having a longitudinal axis and defining an inner air discharge chamber with an inner air discharge end, a first fuel discharge chamber disposed outboard of the inner air discharge chamber in a direction transverse to said axis and converging at an acute angle toward said axis and terminating in a first fuel discharge end downstream of said inner air discharge end, an intermediate air discharge chamber disposed outboard of the first fuel discharge chamber in said transverse direction and converging at an acute angle toward said axis and terminating in an intermediate air discharge end, a second fuel discharge chamber disposed outboard of the intermediate air discharge chamber in said transverse direction and converging at an acute angle toward said axis and terminating in a second fuel discharge end, and an outer air discharge chamber disposed outboard of the second fuel discharge chamber in said transverse direction and converging at an acute angle toward said axis and terminating in an outer air discharge end, wherein fuel discharged from said first fuel discharge and provides a first fuel stream that is subjected to atomizing air flows from said inner air discharge end and said intermediate air discharge end and fuel discharged from said second fuel discharge end provides a radially separate second fuel stream that is subjected to atomizing air flows from said intermediate air discharge end and said outer air discharge end, and first and second liquid fuel supply conduits for providing first and second fuel flow to the respective first and second fuel discharge chambers during all regimes of engine operation such that the first and second fuel flow together provide an aggregate fuel flow necessary for engine operation.