Patent ID: 8172566

Claim:
An apparatus for combustion of a liquid fuel, the apparatus comprising: an outer conduit of generally cylindrical shape having an atomizing gas inlet end portion and an atomizing gas discharge end portion; an inner conduit of generally cylindrical shape having a liquid fuel inlet end portion and a liquid fuel discharge end portion, the inner conduit disposed within said outer conduit and forming an atomizing gas passage between said outer conduit and said inner conduit, the atomizing gas passage extending from the atomizing gas inlet end portion to the atomizing gas discharge end portion; and a spray tip having an inlet end portion and a discharge end portion, the inlet end portion of the spray tip joined to the atomizing gas discharge end portion of the outer conduit by a weld joint, the spray tip having: a mixing chamber disposed to receive the liquid fuel from the liquid fuel discharge end portion of the inner conduit and disposed to receive an atomizing gas from the atomizing gas passage, wherein the outlet end of the inner conduit is adjacent to the mixing chamber, and an orifice at the outlet end portion of the spray tip, the orifice disposed to receive the liquid fuel and the atomizing gas from the mixing chamber and for discharging the liquid fuel and the atomizing gas from the spray tip as an atomized liquid fuel, wherein the inner conduit has a plurality of external fins at the liquid fuel discharge end portion of the inner conduit wherein at least some of the plurality of external fins contact an inner surface of the inlet end portion of the spray tip.