Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, announced Thursday the launch of an advanced flame detection technology, Flame Tracker Increased Low Gain (ILG), designed to enhance flame sensing capabilities on gas turbines.

Flame sensors are crucial safety devices in gas turbines that detect the presence of a flame in the combustor section. They provide early warnings if the flame is lost or unstable, triggering a shutdown sequence to prevent turbine damage and minimize hazards, including explosions from unburned fuel buildup. However, the performance of a flame sensor is dependent on its ability to sense light. 

Part of Baker Hughes’ Reuter-Stokes product line portfolio, the Flame Tracker ILG solution features innovative electronics that enhance sensitivity to lower-light thresholds, making it significantly more responsive than its standard Flame Tracker. This increased sensitivity ensures accurate "flame on" signals, even in applications with obscured sight tubes, condensation, fouled lenses, and other conditions that may impact light reaching the sensor.

As fuel flexibility becomes increasingly important in balancing secure energy supply with sustainable, lower emission energy supply – and where natural gas and hydrogen fuel blends may be a viable solution for power generation – the Flame Tracker ILG has been uniquely designed to ensure reliable performance and accurate detection in less than 0.025 seconds, even in applications using hydrogen blends as a fuel source.

The Flame Tracker ILG expands Baker Hughes' 25-year track record of developing flame sensor technology at its Reuter-Stokes facility in Twinsburg, Ohio.