A method for manufacturing a ceramic heater-type glow plug (1) that includes: a ceramic heater (11); and a metallic outer cylinder (12) that holds the ceramic heater at one end and has the other end inserted in and fixed to a metallic housing (14), the housing having a first housing section (14a) and a second housing section (14b) coaxially arranged with each other, the method for manufacturing a ceramic heater-type glow plug includes the steps of: inserting the ceramic heater in the outer cylinder; inserting the outer cylinder in the first housing section, the second housing section, and a ring-shaped filler material (18) in a state where the filler material is interposed between the first housing section and the second housing section; and joining the first housing section, the second housing section, and the outer cylinder by welding at a position where the filler material is provided.

A method for manufacturing a ceramic heater-type glow plug that includes: a ceramic heater; a metallic outer cylinder that holds the ceramic heater at one end and has the other end inserted in and fixed to a metallic housing; and lead wire that is connected to the ceramic heater and electrifies the ceramic heater, the method for manufacturing a ceramic heater-type glow plug includes the steps of: forming a metalized layer in a region of the ceramic heater that is connected to the lead wire; press-inserting at least the metalized layer of the ceramic heater in a connection fitting that connects the ceramic heater and the lead wire; and heating the ceramic heater and the connection fitting at a temperature at which a material for forming the metalized layer is brought into a semi-molten state and joining by mass transfer between the connection fitting and a solid layer of the metalized layer.

A method for operating a glow plug includes controlling a temperature of the glow plug by switching between applying a voltage V.sub.H and applying a voltage V.sub.N<V.sub.H to the glow plug. Applying the voltage V.sub.H and applying the voltage V.sub.N causes a glow plug current to oscillate about a glow plug current threshold. The glow plug current threshold is associated with one of the voltage V.sub.H and the voltage V.sub.N. The method includes monitoring the glow plug current at the one of the voltage V.sub.H and the voltage V.sub.N.

An embodiment of a torch igniter for a combustor of a gas turbine engine comprises a combustion chamber oriented about an axis, a cap defining an axially upstream end of the combustion chamber and oriented about the axis, a tip defining an axially downstream end of the combustion chamber, a structural wall coaxial with and surrounding the igniter wall, an outlet passage defined by the igniter wall within the tip, and a cooling system. The cooling system comprises an air inlet formed within the structural wall, a first flow path disposed between the structural wall and the igniter wall, and an aperture extending through the igniter wall transverse to the flow direction. The aperture directly fluidly connects the first flow path to the combustion chamber.

A method of making a hot surface igniter is described. A silicon carbide composition that includes both fines fraction and a coarse fraction is sintered in a nitrogen and argon reducing atmosphere in a manner that controls the incorporation of nitrogen with in the lattice of recrystallized silicon carbide. The controlled incorporation of nitrogen in the lattice provides enhanced control over heating and electrical properties, while simultaneously achieving a lower surface area fully recrystallized structure for oxidation resistance and long service life.

There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base including a securing assembly configured to be matingly connected to a casing of the gas turbine engine, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a flow impeding member extending along the axis and having a distal end spaced from the base and extending axially relative to the axis beyond the rod end, the flow impeding member sized and configured such that the distal end extends into a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine upon the base connected to the casing.

There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base; an inner conductor extending along an axis from the base to an end; a resistive heating element electrically connected to the end of the conductor; an outer conductor being electrically connected to the heating element, the outer conductor surrounding and extending axially along the inner conductor and forming a return electrical path, the outer conductor being radially spaced apart from the inner conductor by a gap, and an electrical insulator in the gap.

There is provided 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, the heater rod having a heating section extending axially between axially opposite ends of a heater contained within the heater rod, a heat spreader being in thermal conduction contact with the heating section of the heater rod and extending radially therefrom.

Described is a method for regulating the temperature of a glow plug of an internal combustion engine, wherein a target resistance is determined from a target temperature by means of a resistance temperature characteristic of the glow plug and the actual resistance of the glow plug is regulated to the target resistance, the glow plug is heated to determine the resistance temperature characteristic of the glow plug, and thereby determining a resistance gradient and an electrical resistance of the glow plug is measured before the heating or at a defined time during the heating, using both the measured resistance and the resistance gradient, the resistance temperature characteristic is determined.

There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve having an inner surface spaced from the glow plug heater rod to provide a gap between the inner surface and the glow plug heater rod, the gap extending radially relative to said axis.