Pilot nozzle heat shield having connected tangs

1. A pilot nozzle heat shield comprising:

a heat shield body having a first end for receiving a pilot nozzle and an opposite, second end;

a flow tip at the second end of said body, said flow tip including a proximal periphery at the second end and a distal periphery defining an aperture, a plurality of flow jets spaced about the proximal periphery of said flow tip, said flow tip further including at least one dead-end slot extending from one of the flow jets and terminating on the flow tip proximal to the aperture, thereby defining connected tangs adjacent to said dead-end slot, said flow tip further including a plurality of through slots, each through slot extending distally from one of said plurality of flow jets to said aperture, said through slots defining sets of connected tangs therebetween, wherein at least two sets of connected tangs are provide on said flow tip.

2. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein one of said dead-end slots between two connected tangs extends distally to a stress relief hole located proximal to the aperture.

3. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein said heat shield is manufactured from a heat resistant weldable alloy.

4. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 3 wherein said weldable alloy comprises iron and at least two other materials selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, boron, carbon, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, titanium and tungsten.

5. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein said tangs angle concentrically inward at an angle between about twenty-five degrees (25°) and about sixty-five (65°) degrees.

6. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein said heat shield is used in a turbine engine.

7. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 6 wherein said turbine engine is a dual-fuel turbine engine.

8. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein said heat shield body includes between three and four retention pin cavities.

9. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 8 wherein at least one of said retention pin cavities is reinforced by an annular ring of heat resistant alloy material disposed about the periphery of said heat shield.

10. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein said first end has an internal taper for receiving said pilot nozzle.

11. A pilot nozzle heat shield for use in a gas turbine engine comprising:

a generally cylindrical body manufactured from a heat resistant weldable alloy comprising a first end for receiving a pilot nozzle, said body further comprising a plurality of retention pin cavities spaced circumferentially about the periphery of said body for receiving retention pins; and

a frustoconical flow tip at a second end of said body, said frustoconical flow tip comprising a proximal periphery and a distal periphery defining an aperture and further comprising a plurality of through slots, each extending distally from one of a plurality of flow jets circumferentially disposed about the proximal periphery of said frustoconical flow tip to said aperture, said through slots defining sets of connected tangs therebetween, each of said sets of connected tangs comprising at least one dead-end slot extending from one of said flow jets and terminating at a stress relief hole on the flow tip proximal to the aperture, wherein at least two of said sets of connected tangs are provided on the flow tip.

12. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 11 wherein said weldable alloy comprises iron and at least two other materials selected from the group consisting of: aluminum; boron; carbon; chromium; cobalt; copper; manganese; molybdenum; nickel; phosphorus; silicon; sulfur; titanium; and tungsten.

13. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 11 wherein said tangs angle concentrically inward at an angle between about twenty-five degrees (25°) and sixty-five (65°) degrees.

14. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 1 wherein said heat shield comprises between three and four retention pin cavities.

15. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 14 wherein said retention pin cavities are reinforced by an annular ring of heat resistant alloy material disposed about the periphery of said heat shield.

16. The pilot nozzle heat shield of claim 11 wherein said first end has an internal taper for receiving said pilot nozzle.

17. A pilot nozzle for use in a gas turbine engine comprising:

a pilot nozzle;

a heat shield manufactured from a weldable heat resistant alloy, further comprising a generally cylindrical body having an internal taper for receiving said pilot nozzle, said body further comprising four retention pin cavities spaced circumferentially about the periphery of said body for receiving retention pins and connecting said heat shield to said pilot nozzle; and

a frustoconical flow tip at an end of said body, said frustoconical flow tip comprising a proximal periphery and a distal periphery defining an aperture and further comprising a plurality of through slots, each extending distally from one of a plurality of flow jets circumferentially disposed about the proximal periphery of said frustoconical flow tip to said aperture, said through slots defining sets of connected tangs therebetween, each of said sets of connected tangs comprising at least one dead-end slot extending from one of said flow jets and terminating at a stress relief hole on the flow tip proximal to the aperture, wherein at least two of said sets of connected tangs are provided on the flow tip.

18. The pilot nozzle of claim 17 wherein said weldable alloy comprises iron and at least two other materials selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, boron, carbon, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, titanium and tungsten.

19. The pilot nozzle of claim 17 wherein said tangs angle concentrically inward at an angle between about twenty-five degrees (25°) and about sixty-five (65°) degrees.

20. The pilot nozzle of claim 17 wherein said retention pin cavities are reinforced by an annular ring of heat resistant alloy material disposed about the periphery of said heat shield.