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A fuel nozzle for dispensing an atomized fluid spray into the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The nozzle includes a body assembly with an inner fuel passage and an annular outer atomizing air passage. The inner fuel passage extends axially along a longitudinal axis to a first terminal en

A fuel nozzle for dispensing an atomized fluid spray into the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The nozzle includes a body assembly with an inner fuel passage and an annular outer atomizing air passage. The inner fuel passage extends axially along a longitudinal axis to a first terminal end defining a first discharge orifice of the nozzle. The outer air passage extends coaxially with the inner fuel passage along the longitudinal axis to a second terminal end disposed concentrically with the first terminal end and defining a second discharge orifice oriented such that the discharge therefrom impinges on the fuel discharge from the first discharge orifice. An array of turning vanes is disposed within the outer air passage in a circular locus about the longitudinal axis. Each of the vanes is configured generally in the shape of an airfoil and has a pressure side and an opposing suction side. The vanes extend axially from a leading edge surface to a tapering trailing edge surface along a corresponding array of chordal axes, each of axes is disposed at a given turning angle to the longitudinal axis. The suction side of each vane is spaced-apart from a juxtaposing pressure side of an adjacent vane to define a corresponding one of a plurality of aligned air flow channels therebetween. Atomizing air is directed through the air flow channels to be issued from the second discharge orifice as a generally helical flow having a substantial uniform velocity profile.

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1. A method of atomizing fuel dispensed from a nozzle into a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, said method comprising the steps of:(a) providing said nozzle as comprising: a body assembly including an inner fuel passage which extends axially along a longitudinal axis to a first terminal en

1. A method of atomizing fuel dispensed from a nozzle into a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, said method comprising the steps of:(a) providing said nozzle as comprising: a body assembly including an inner fuel passage which extends axially along a longitudinal axis to a first terminal end defining a first discharge orifice of said nozzle, and an annular first outer atomizing air passage extending coaxially with said inner fuel passage along said longitudinal axis to a second terminal end disposed concentrically with said first terminal end and defining a second discharge orifice; and an array of first turning vanes each being configured generally in the shape of an airfoil and disposed within said first outer atomizing air passage in a circular locus about said longitudinal axis, each of said first turning vanes having a pressure side and an opposing suction side and extending axially along a respective one of a corresponding array of chordal axes each disposed at a given turning angle to said longitudinal axis from a leading edge surface to a tapering trailing edge surface, the suction side of each of said first turning vanes being spaced-apart from a juxtaposing pressure side of an adjacent one of said first turning vanes to define a corresponding one of a plurality of aligned air flow channels therebetween, (b) directing a fuel flow through said inner fuel passage; (c) directing a first atomizing air flow through said air flow channels; (d) discharging said fuel flow from said first discharge orifice into said combustion chamber as a generally annular sheet; and (e) discharging said first atomizing air flow into said combustion chamber as a generally annular swirl from said second discharge orifice, said swirl having a generally uniform velocity profile and being directed to impinge said sheet such that said sheet is atomized into a spray of droplets of substantially uniform size.