A cutaway showing a sensor sealing gland that incolpOrates Conax Buffalo's soft industrial sealant technology. business is achieved and maintained through product reliability, availability of supply, efficienttechnicalsupport and competitive pricing," Lyon said. "CBT continues,however, a product improvement policy where existing designshave been enhanced through the use of changesin materialsand manufacturing techniquesto restrict or reduce costs or to improve in-servicereliability." An exampleof utilizing today'ssensor technologiesis a CBT line of exhaustgas thermocouples designed for retrofit applications in various heavy-duty gas turbines. Theseexhaust gassensorsuse Type K wire with specially processed MgO insulation hermetically sealed in stainless steel.The sensorprobesare ter- minated with MIL-C-38999 hermetic connectorsfor high vibration resistance. Assemblies include harnesses configured with cablelengthsmanufacturedto the requirementsof the end user. Another areawhere sensorsare critical is in embedded applications monitoring bearing temperaturesfor rotating machinery. Often the most reliable indicator of bearing condition is the temperature of the metal beneath the bearing industrial shoe and CBT's miniature bearing sensors are designed for these continuous operation environments. Single or duplex sensors are available in various styles and sizes,with an operating temperature rangeup to l20°C. In addition to its sensors and industrial signal conditioners, CBT also specializes in sealinggland assemblies a variety of for applications. CBT sealing products and installation fittings are designedutilizing "soft sealant" technology for performance in high-vibration and thermal cycling applications. Sensorelementsmay be installed in existing fittings or reinstalledafter recalibration.Feedthrough fittings are maintainable and re-usable. Thesefeaturescan representsignificant savingsto both gasturbine manufacturers and end usersthrough reducedlabor and replacement component costs, according to Lyon. "The business climate for CBT sensing and sealing products for the power generationindustry reflectsthe buoyancy of the manufacturers' markets and the level of demand for high-quality, high-reliability instrumentation components," Lyon said. "We continue to develop and enhance products to support improved turbine performance, to assistin controlling outage and maintenancecostsand to provide cost-effective replacement components." ~ REPRINTED FROM JULY .AUGUST 2002DIESEL & GAS TURBINE WORLDWIDE Copyright Diesel & & GasTurbine Publications Printed in U.S.A.