Advanced laser ignition systems for gas turbines including aircraft engines

1. A laser ignition system for an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, the laser ignition system comprising:

at least one laser light source configured to generate a laser beam, wherein the laser beam is transmitted along a path extending from the at least one laser light source directly to the combustion chamber; and

an optical beam guidance component configured to transmit the laser beam to irradiate on an oxygenated fuel mixture supplied into the combustion chamber at a region of highest ignitability to generate a combustor flame in a flame region, wherein the optical beam guidance component is configured to provide mechanical alignment of the at least one laser light source and an ignition port formed in a combustor wall of the combustor chamber and to cooperatively transmit a light emission from the combustor flame along a same path as the laser beam; and

a flame sensor and control diagnostic component housed integral with the at least one laser light source and configured to detect at least a portion of the light emission and operable to control one or more combustion parameters based in part on the detected light emission.

2. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the optical beam guidance component is configured to guide the laser beam in a plurality of directions.

3. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the optical beam guidance component includes one or more of a diffractive component, a prism, a mirror, an optoacoustic switch, and a polarization-based optics.

4. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the region of highest ignitability is proximate a recirculation zone inside the combustion chamber.

5. The laser ignition system of claim 4 , wherein the region of highest ignitability is proximate a shear layer on a border of the recirculation zone.

6. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the laser light source includes a pump laser light source configured to emit a pump light, wherein a portion of the emitted pump light is extracted from a laser cavity and guided into the combustion chamber.

7. The laser ignition system of claim 6 , wherein the portion of the emitted pump light that is extracted from the laser cavity is near infrared light.

8. The laser ignition system of claim 6 , wherein the portion of the emitted pump light that is extracted from the laser cavity is light having a wavelength of up to 400 nm.

9. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the combustion chamber further comprises a plurality of combustor cups, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of combustor cups are active.

10. The laser ignition system of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of optical beam guidance components and wherein each of the plurality of combustor cups is in optical alignment with one of the plurality of optical beam guidance components.

11. The laser ignition system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of laser light sources and wherein each of the plurality of a laser light sources is coupled to one of the plurality of optical beam guidance components.

12. The laser ignition system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of ignition controllers and wherein each of the plurality of a laser light sources is coupled to one of the plurality of ignition controllers.

13. The laser ignition system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of ignition controllers and wherein each of a plurality of ignition controllers is coupled to two or more laser light sources.

14. The laser ignition system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of optical beam guidance components is coupled to a beam distribution unit, the at least one laser light source, an ignition controller and at least one flame sensor and control diagnostic component.

15. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laser light source is configured to optimize a time profile of the at least one laser beam to generate an initial laser pulse spark having a short, high intensity peak and subsequently heating a generated flame kernel with a longer lower intensity tail of the laser beam pulse.

16. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laser light source is configured to optimize a pulse train of the at least one laser beam to extend a duration of a laser pulse spark and enhance energy transfer to the laser pulse spark and an associated flame kernel.

17. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laser light source is configured to optimize a spatial pulse shape of the at least one laser beam.

18. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , further comprising a closed loop ignition control to measure flame kernel emissivity and flame emissivity to adapt the at least one laser light source to minimize energy demand.

19. The laser ignition system of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is a turbine engine.

20. A method for igniting a fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

generating at least one laser beam with at least one laser light source, wherein the laser beam is transmitted along a path extending from the at least one laser light source directly to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine;

transmitting the at least one laser beam through at least one optical beam guidance component to focus the at least one laser beam on the fuel mixture supplied into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine at a region of highest ignitability, wherein the optical beam guidance component is configured to provide mechanical alignment of the at least one laser light source and an ignition port formed in a combustor wall of the combustion chamber and to cooperatively transmit a light emission from a combustor flame along a same path as the laser beam;

igniting the fuel mixture with the focused laser beam to generate the combustor flame in a flame region;

transmitting the light emission from the combustor flame through the optical beam guidance component;

detecting at least a portion of the light emission from the combustor flame in a flame sensor and a control diagnostic component housed integral with the at least one laser light source; and

controlling one or more combustion parameter based in part on the detected light emission.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein transmitting the laser beam through at least one optical beam guidance component includes one or more of a diffractive component, a prism, a mirror, an optoacoustic switch, and a polarization-based optics.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein a portion of the laser beam is extracted from a laser cavity and guided into the combustion chamber.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the combustion chamber further comprises a plurality of combustor cups wherein each of the plurality of combustor cups is in optical alignment with an optical beam guidance component.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising optimizing a time profile of the at least one laser beam to generate an initial laser pulse spark having a short, high intensity peak and subsequently heating a generated flame kernel with a longer lower intensity tail of the laser beam pulse.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising optimizing a pulse train of the at least one laser beam to extend a duration of a laser pulse spark and enhance energy transfer to the laser pulse spark and an associated flame kernel.

26. The method of claim 20 , optimizing a spatial pulse shape of the at least one laser beam.

27. The method of claim 20 , further comprising adapting the at least one laser light source to minimize energy demand with a closed loop ignition control to measure flame kernel emissivity and flame emissivity.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the internal combustion engine is a turbine engine.