An apparatus for assisting with the combustion of fuel includes a swirler assembly and a fuel nozzle. Fuel from a fuel nozzle fuel reservoir is directed into a fuel nozzle mixing zone and combines with air inside the fuel nozzle mixing zone to form a fuel-air mixture. At least one plasma generator is located at least partially within a lip recirculation zone. The plasma generator provides at least one of an at least partially ionized air-fuel mixture and an at least partially dissociated air-fuel mixture via a plasma generator discharge. A combustion chamber has a combustion chamber internal volume including the lip recirculation zone including a stabilization zone of low velocity air circulation. Combustion of the air-fuel mixture with the plurality of combustion air inputs occurs to responsively produce combustion products.

An apparatus and method for assisting with the combustion of fuel are described. The apparatus includes a swirler assembly and a fuel nozzle. Fuel is directed into a fuel nozzle mixing chamber and combines with air therein to form a fuel-air mixture. At least one plasma generator, at least partially within the fuel nozzle, generates an at least one of an at least partially ionized air-fuel mixture and an at least partially dissociated air-fuel mixture (at least partially I/D air-fuel mixture) via a plasma generator discharge. A combustion chamber inlet admits the at least partially I/D air-fuel mixture from the plasma generator into a combustion chamber internal volume. Combustion air flows through the swirler body and into the combustion chamber internal volume. Combustion of the at least partially I/D air-fuel mixture with the combustion air occurs at least partially within the combustion chamber internal volume to responsively produce products.

An example system and corresponding method can include a combustion chamber of jet engine, a radio-frequency power source, and a resonator. The combustion chamber can include a liner defining a combustion zone, and include a fuel inlet configured to introduce fuel into the combustion zone. The resonator can have a resonant wavelength and include: a first conductor, a second conductor, a dielectric, and an electrode coupled to the first conductor. The resonator can be configured such that, when the resonator is excited by the radio-frequency power source with a signal having a wavelength proximate to an odd-integer multiple of one-quarter () of the resonant wavelength, the resonator provides a plasma corona in the combustion zone. The controller can be configured to cause the radio-frequency power source to excite the resonator with the signal so as to provide the plasma corona.

An ignition and combustion assist system and method comprising a plasma igniter and electronic driver unit for use with gas turbine engines operating under low air densities, reduced voltage conditions and overall pressure ratios of 3:1 to 7:1. The plasma igniter has an inner chamber housing a centrally positioned and electrically isolated electrode attached to an electrical lead, driver unit, and AC or DC power supply. The electrode features a corner positioned near an outlet end of the igniter, where a plasma arc ignites a fuel-air mixture creating a flame extending into a primary burn region of a combustor of the gas turbine. The driver unit is in two embodiments and configured with low-cost microsecond voltage wave time periods or energy-efficient nano-second pulses. The method uses the plasma igniter and the electronic driver units described herein separately with other components or together.

An example system can include a radio-frequency power source and a resonator. The resonator can be configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the radio-frequency power source and can have a resonant wavelength. The resonator can include: a first conductor, a second conductor, and a dielectric between the first conductor and the second conductor. The resonator can also be configured such that, when the resonator is excited by the radio-frequency power source with a signal having a wavelength proximate to an odd-integer multiple of one-quarter of the resonant wavelength, the resonator provides at least one of a plasma corona or electromagnetic waves. The system can also include a fuel conduit configured to couple to a fuel source and having one or more outlets for expelling fuel, where at least a portion of the fuel conduit is arranged proximate to the dielectric.

A system includes an afterburner including an afterburner duct that defines an afterburner channel. The afterburner is configured to receive input gas from a jet engine turbine into the channel and to output an exhaust gas resulting from combustion of fuel. The system includes a plurality of resonators electromagnetically coupled to at least one radio-frequency power source. Each resonator has a resonant wavelength, first and second conductors, and a dielectric between those conductors. Each resonator is configured such that, when that resonator is excited by the power source with a signal having a wavelength proximate to an odd-integer multiple of one-quarter of the resonant wavelength of that resonator, that resonator provides within the afterburner at least one of electromagnetic waves or a plasma corona proximate to that resonator. A first resonator further includes a fuel conduit having a fuel outlet configured to output fuel for mixing with the input gas.

A system includes a radio-frequency power source, a resonator, and an afterburner including a duct that defines a channel. The afterburner receives input gas from a turbine of a jet engine into the channel and outputs an exhaust gas resulting from combustion of fuel within the channel. The resonator, having a resonant wavelength, is electromagnetically coupled to the power source. The resonator includes first and second conductors, a dielectric between the conductors, an electrode coupled to the first conductor and disposed within the afterburner, and a fuel conduit having a fuel outlet that is configured to output fuel for mixing with the input gas from the turbine of the jet engine. The resonator, when excited by the power source with a signal having a wavelength proximate to an odd-integer multiple of one-quarter of the resonant wavelength, provides electromagnetic waves and/or a plasma corona proximate to a concentrator of the electrode.

An example system and corresponding method includes a power-generation turbine combustor and a plurality of resonators. The combustor includes (i) a combustion zone, (ii) one or more fuel inlets for introducing fuel into the combustion zone for combustion, and (iii) one or more fins protruding into the combustion zone and configured to guide combustion of the fuel along a flame path. The resonators can each have a respective resonant wavelength and can each provide a respective plasma corona in the combustion zone when excited with a respective signal having a wavelength proximate to an odd-integer multiple of one-quarter () of the respective resonant wavelength. A radio-frequency power source can excite the resonators with the respective signals so as to provide the respective plasma coronas in the combustion zone and cause combustion of the fuel along the flame path.

An example system can include a combustion chamber of a power-generation gas turbine, a radio-frequency power source, a resonator, and a fuel conduit. The resonator can be electromagnetically coupled to the radio-frequency power source and have a resonant wavelength. Further, the resonator can include (i) a first conductor, (ii), a second conductor, and (iii) a dielectric between the first conductor and the second conductor. The resonator can be configured such that, when the resonator is excited by the radio-frequency power source with a signal having a wavelength proximate to an odd-integer multiple of one-quarter of the resonant wavelength, the resonator provides at least one of a plasma corona or electromagnetic waves. The fuel conduit can be configured to couple to a fuel source and have a fuel outlet for expelling fuel into a combustion zone of the combustion chamber. A portion of the fuel conduit is arranged proximate to the dielectric.

An example system can include a combustion chamber of a power-generation gas turbine, a radio-frequency power source, a direct-current power source, a resonator, and a fuel conduit. The resonator can be electromagnetically coupled to the radio-frequency power source and have a resonant wavelength. Further, the resonator can include (i) a first conductor, (ii), a second conductor, and (iii) a dielectric between the first conductor and the second conductor. The resonator can be configured to provide at least one of a plasma corona or electromagnetic waves. The fuel conduit can be configured to couple to a fuel source and have a fuel outlet for expelling fuel into a combustion zone of the combustion chamber. A portion of the fuel conduit is disposed within the first conductor.