Patent ID: 8146365

Claim:
A fuel nozzle for use in a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the fuel nozzle comprising: a nozzle body defining at least one fuel flow passage therethrough; a spray tip mounted to the nozzle body, the spray tip having a central fuel ejection nozzle in flow communication with the at least one fuel flow passage and defining a fuel spray axis, the central fuel ejection nozzle ejecting fuel out of the spray tip in an initially conical fuel spray about the fuel spray axis; at least a first series of airflow passages disposed in said spray tip radially outwardly from the central fuel ejection nozzle, said first series of airflow passages being circumferentially discontinuous and including opposed groups of airflow passages, said opposed groups of airflow passages being circumferentially spaced apart by regions substantially free of airflow passages and located on opposite sides of a transverse axis extending through said central fuel ejection nozzle perpendicularly to said fuel spray axis; and wherein said opposed groups of said first series of airflow passages are oriented towards said transverse axis such as to produce opposed fuel spray shaping air jets which intersect the initially conical fuel spray to generate a narrower final fuel spray directed at least partially toward the fuel spray axis.