Patent ID: 8327616

Claim:
A gas turbine burner, comprising: two ignition electrodes, each having an electrode tip, wherein a sparkover takes place at the electrode tips when an ignition voltage is applied between the two ignition electrodes, the ignition electrodes running on the burner's exterior; and a protective element spanning an entirety of a protected length of the ignition electrodes, wherein at any given axial location an outward surface of the protective element is characterized by being at a greater distance from a burner longitudinal axis than an axially corresponding portion of the ignition electrodes, and wherein the protective element is supported at least at each end by a portion of the protective element that spans from each end to a respective axially adjacent location on the burner's exterior, wherein the protective element is embodied as U-shaped in cross-section along the entire protected length and is secured with an open side on the exterior of the burner, wherein the protective element extends from a radially outward facing surface of the burner beyond the ignition electrodes, wherein a distance between the protective element and each of the ignition electrodes is at least sufficiently great such that no sparkover takes place between the protective element and either of the ignition electrodes when an ignition voltage is applied to the ignition electrodes, the actual value for the distance being dependent at least on the geometry of the ignition electrodes and the temperature prevailing when the ignition voltage is applied.