A gas turbine igniter includes an igniter rod disposed within a guide tube configured for travel between a hot-end region and a cold-end region and a cap connected to the guide tube, the cap defining an access passageway for the igniter rod. An attachment structure is provided for reducing the moment loading at the cold end of the igniter rod. The attachment structure has threaded outer surface configured to engage in a threaded connection with a threaded inner surface of the cap in an end portion of the cap that is proximate to the cold-end region, whereby the attachment structure is attachable to the end portion of the cap via the threaded connection. An inner surface of the attachment structure forms a guide surface for the igniter rod, at a reduced radial clearance with the igniter rod in comparison to the cap, proximate to the cold-end region.

A method of detecting flame state of a combustor of a turbine engine. The method includes determining at least one of a first derivative and a second derivative of a compressor discharge pressure of a compressor of the turbine engine; determining at least one of a first derivative and a second derivative of a gas turbine exhaust gas temperature of the exhaust gases output by the turbine engine; determining at least one of a first derivative and a second derivative of a gas turbine shaft/rotor speed of the turbine engine; determining at least one of a first derivative and a second derivative of combustor dynamic pressure monitoring; and determining a flame state of a combustor of the turbine engine based on the combustor dynamic pressure monitoring, the determined derivatives of the combustion dynamics, compressor discharge pressure, gas turbine shaft/rotor speed, and gas turbine exhaust gas temperature of the exhaust gases.

A method for generating electric power for a rocket system includes burning a primary solid propellant grain to create a primary high pressure gas for providing thrust to the rocket, opening a first valve to divert a portion of the high pressure gas to an auxiliary solid propellant grain for igniting the auxiliary solid propellant grain, wherein the auxiliary solid propellant grain is disposed in a housing separate from the primary solid propellant grain, and burning the auxiliary solid propellant grain to create an auxiliary high pressure gas for turning a turbine. The method further includes driving a generator with the turbine and generating an electric power with the generator.

There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, and a plurality of fins disposed circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod, the fins extending axially along at least a portion of the glow plug heater rod. A gas turbine engine including such an igniter is further disclosed.

The present disclosure is directed to a system comprising a recuperated gas turbine engine with a catalytic combustor, and methods of operating the same, the catalytic combustor comprising: (a) an upstream section comprising an electrical heater and (b) a downstream catalyst section, wherein the upstream section and the downstream catalyst section are disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with one another.

An embodiment of a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor case, a combustor liner disposed within the combustor case, a fuel nozzle, and a torch igniter within the combustor case. The torch igniter includes a combustion chamber, a cap defining the upstream end of the combustion chamber and configured to receive a fuel injector and a surface igniter, a tip defining the downstream end of the combustion chamber, an annular igniter wall extending from the cap to the tip and defining a radial extent of the combustion chamber, a structural wall coaxial with and surrounding the igniter wall, and an outlet passage within the tip that fluidly connects the combustion chamber to the combustor. The torch igniter is situated such that the tip is mounted through the combustor liner, the combustion chamber is within the combustor case, and the cap extends through the combustor case.

An embodiment of a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor case, a combustor liner disposed within the combustor case, a fuel nozzle, and a torch igniter within the combustor case. The torch igniter includes a combustion chamber, a cap defining the upstream end of the combustion chamber, a tip defining the downstream end of the combustion chamber, an annular igniter wall extending from the cap to the tip and defining a radial extent of the combustion chamber, a structural wall coaxial with and surrounding the igniter wall, and an outlet passage within the tip that fluidly connects the combustion chamber to the combustor. The tip is mounted through the combustor liner, the cap is downstream of the tip, and the torch igniter is downstream of the fuel nozzle and disposed radially between the combustor liner and the combustor case.

A torch igniter for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes an igniter body and an igniter head. The igniter body is disposed within a high-pressure case of a gas turbine engine and extends primarily along a first axis, and includes an annular wall and an outlet wall. The annular wall surrounds the first axis and defines a radial extent of a combustion chamber therewithin. The outlet wall is disposed at a downstream end of the annular wall, defines a downstream extent of the combustion chamber, and includes an outlet fluidly communicating between the combustion chamber and an interior of the combustor. The igniter head is removably attached to the igniter body at an upstream end of the annular wall, wherein the igniter head defines an upstream extent of the combustion chamber, and includes an ignition source and a fuel injector.

A torch ignitor system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a torch ignitor, the torch ignitor including a combustion chamber oriented about a torch axis, the combustion chamber having axially upstream and downstream ends defining a flow direction through the combustion chamber, along the axis. The torch ignitor includes a cap defining the axially upstream end of the combustion chamber and oriented about the axis, wherein the cap is configured to receive a fuel injector and at least one glow plug. The torch ignitor includes an elbow connected to the downstream end of the combustion chamber for diverting combustion products along an ignition jet flame axis that is off of the torch axis for injection of combustion products into a gas turbine engine combustor. The torch ignitor further includes a tip at a downstream end of the elbow for issuing the injection of combustion products.

An embodiment of a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor case, a combustor liner disposed within the combustor case, a fuel nozzle at an upstream end of the combustor liner, a torch igniter at least partially within the combustor case, and a removable surface igniter. The torch igniter includes a combustion chamber, a cap configured to receive a fuel injector, a tip, an annular igniter wall extending from the cap to the tip and defining a radial extent of the combustion chamber, an aperture, a structural wall coaxial with and surrounding the igniter wall, and an outlet passage within the tip which fluidly connects the combustion chamber to the combustor. The torch igniter is configured to receive the removable surface igniter through the aperture. An internal end of the removable surface igniter extends through the aperture into the combustion chamber of the torch igniter.