Patent ID: 7520136

Claim:
A method for protecting a fuel injector of a turboshaft engine, the fuel injector comprising at least one fuel injection head that includes a head housing that houses a fuel feed duct and an air feed duct that intersect each other inside said head housing, and wherein said head housing defines a fuel input in communication with said fuel feed duct and an air input in communication with said air feed duct, said method comprising the steps of: A) injecting fuel in said fuel feed duct of said at least one fuel injection head via said fuel input of said head housing, wherein said fuel is injected from a fuel feed manifold and through a non-return valve provided downstream of said fuel feed manifold; B) interrupting said injecting of said fuel in said at least one fuel injection head; and C) when said fuel feed duct of said at least one fuel injection head is not being fed with fuel, injecting compressed air into said air feed duct of said at least one fuel injection head via said air input of said head housing such that said compressed air enters said fuel feed duct at a location inside said head housing and downstream of said non-return valve thereby preventing any rising of said compressed air into said fuel feed manifold during said step of injecting said compressed air repeating said steps A, B, and C during operational phases of the turboshaft engine.