- Enhanced light sensitivity set to improve flame detection accuracy and reliability on gas turbines
- Part of Baker Hughes’ Reuter-Strokes product line portfolio, the new technology supports applications using hydrogen blends as a fuel source
TWINSBURG, OHIO, (U.S.) – May 15, 2025 – 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.
About Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.
About Reuter-Stokes:
Reuter-Stokes, a Baker Hughes business, designs and manufactures mission-critical measuring devices for: precise radiation measurement in harsh environments; pressurized, boiling water and small modular reactor monitoring; UV flame detection inside gas turbines; and downhole sensors for directional drilling in the oil and gas industry. Reuter-Stokes is part of the Industrial & Energy Technology (IET) business segment of Baker Hughes Reuter-Stokes.com Reuter-Stokes LinkedIn.
For more information, please contact:
Media Relations
Niall Dowds
Senior Communications Leader
+44 (0) 7900 977777
niall.dowds@bakerhughes.com
