The Baker Hughes facility in Minden, Nevada designs and manufactures Bently Nevada products.
Bently Nevada is an asset protection and condition monitoring hardware, software and service company for industrial plant-wide operations.[1] Its products are used to monitor the mechanical condition of rotating equipment in a wide variety of industries including oil and gas production, hydroelectric, wind, hydrocarbon processing, electric power generation, pulp and paper, mining, water and wastewater treatment. The company was founded in 1961 by Don Bently. Bently Nevada is headquartered in Minden, Nevada, about one hour south of Reno. Don Bently was the first to manufacture a commercially successful eddy-current proximity probe which measured vibration in high-speed turbomachinery by allowing the direct observation of the rotating shaft. The company also performed research in the field of rotordynamics, furthering knowledge of machinery malfunctions such as shaft cracks and fluid-induced instabilities. Its research also helped refine the equations used to describe vibratory behavior in rotordynamic systems.[2]
Bently Nevada was privately held until 2002 when it was acquired by General Electric and became part of GE Oil and Gas. In 2017 GE purchased Baker Hughes and merged this with the GE Oil and Gas division to form Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE). GE retained a 62.5% share of the merged company. In 2019, GE announced plans to reduce its ownership in Baker Hughes from 50.4% to 38.4% losing majority control.[3] In October, 2019, GE sold a portion of its 62.5% stake in BHGE, reducing its ownership below 50%, and BHGE was rechristened as Baker Hughes Company (NYSE:BKR).[4] Baker Hughes has positioned itself as an energy technology company.[5] Bently Nevada remained a Baker Hughes Business after GE's sale of its interest in the company. As of 2020[update], Baker Hughes Company has operations in over 120 countries.
Since the inception of the proximity probe, Bently Nevada has been a key company in the asset protection and condition monitoring market.[1] It has made key contributions to machine monitoring standards. As of 2018[update], it employed over 1,400 people worldwide, with facilities in nine countries, and had over four million sensors installed. With over a dozen different models of monitoring systems sold over more than 40 years, it has the largest installed base of permanently installed transducers and monitoring channels in the world.[6]
Founding
Don Bently was briefly employed by the Rocketdyne division of North American Aviation in the mid-1950s. Bently assisted with research into the use of eddy-current electronic sensing technologies for aircraft control systems. He thought that there was limited use for the technology in aircraft controls, but believed it showed commercial promise in other areas. He received permission to use the technology in his own endeavors.[7] In 1956, he left the aerospace industry and gave up completing a doctorate degree to form Bently Scientific Company, manufacturing and selling eddy-current products via mail order from his garage in Berkeley, California.[7][8]:25[9] In 1958, a team from Pepperl+Fuchs invented an inductive eddy-current sensor as a replacement for a mechanical switch.[10]
Move to Nevada
In 1960, Bently was looking to relocate his small company out of Berkeley. He found an 8000 square foot vacant building at the Minden, NV airport. He negotiated a lease with Douglas county and in 1961 moved the 3 employee company. He changed the name to Bently Nevada Corp and incorporated in Nevada.[11][12][8]
Don Bently began with miniature vacuum tubes but soon realized the advantages offered by solid-state components.[8]:25 He was the first to transistorize the design and make it commercially practical as a means to measure machine vibration and thrust position protection systems in rotating machinery.[1]
In the company's early years, its non-contacting displacement sensors were used primarily by manufacturers in their laboratories rather than in industrial plants. Don Bently operated the business by himself and designed to order "distance detectors" that produced very precise bench-top measurements. He hired five employees in 1961.[8]:26
Bently Nevada was the first to successfully apply eddy-current technology for use in non-contacting displacement sensors. This type of electronic sensor is typically used to measure very small distances between the tip of the sensor and a conductive surface, such as rotating shaft.[13] The displacements measured are extremely small, typically only several thousandths of an inch. Bently's application of eddy-current sensor technology was the foundation of an entire industry.[14]
Bently added proximity transducers, monitors, and portable test equipment to its catalog. The company shifted from mail-order to partnering with industrial representatives. It started a factory-direct sales force in Houston in 1967. Bently coined the term Proximitor to represent proximity monitor.[8]:26
Develops monitoring devices
In the early 1960s, industrial users of turbomachinery began to experiment with the use of these sensors for measuring vibration. Direct observation of the vibratory motion of a machine's shaft is desirable because most often, the shaft is the source of vibration in the machine. Previous to the introduction of the so-called "Bently probe," this shaft motion had to be indirectly inferred by measuring the vibration of the machine's casing. While machinery casing measurements can be valuable under certain conditions, machines that employ fluid bearings generally have damping and stiffness characteristics that do not adequately transmit shaft vibration to the machine's casing. Consequently, direct observation of the machine's shaft (rotor) was recognized as a more accurate method of assessing condition on such machines.
Bently found that many of the third-party monitoring systems used with the Bently transducer systems were not properly configured. After repeated challenges resolving problems caused by the third-party monitoring systems, Bently decided to manufacture his own monitoring devices.[8]:26 Bently included the ability to generate alarms if vibration levels were excessive, which could alert operators and turn off the machine if necessary.[13] This allowed Bently Nevada to offer machinery protection systems, not just monitoring systems.
It introduced the 5000 monitoring series in 1965 which was produced through 1998. This was followed by the 1700 series introduced in 1973, the 9000 series started in 1975, the 3300 series in 1988, and 3500 series in 1995. As of May2020[update], new generations of the 3500 are still sold.[15]
The company opened an office in Ohio in 1965 and another in Louisiana in 1968.[16] In 1969 it opened its first international office in the Netherlands. In the same year, the company had 150 employees.[8]:25 It shifted sales from primarily third-party representatives to in-house, factory-direct sales force.[8]:27 The company grew from 200 employees in 1970 to 1000 by 1979.[8]:30
The eddy-current proximity probes pioneered by Bently addressed this need. In 1970 the American Petroleum Institute designated the proximity probe as the measurement device for measuring acceptable shaft vibration during factory acceptance testing. It added this as a requirement to its standard for centrifugal compressors. Bently's pioneering design for shaft vibration measurement using proximity probes became the de facto industry standard for turbomachinery acceptance testing and machinery protection.[16] The eddy-current proximity probe became the preferred method for assessing vibration and overall mechanical condition on large turbomachinery employing fluid bearings.[17] Such machines and bearing types account for the vast majority of compressors, turbines, pumps, electric motors, generators, and other rotating equipment exceeding 1,000 HP, and can be found in abundance in most industrial plants. As a result, the primary focus of the company shifted from laboratory measurements to industrial measurements on rotating machinery.
The company continued to expand, making diagnostic instruments such as spectrum analyzers, tunable filters, and other signal conditioning and recording apparatus, in addition to its sensors and monitors. As time went by, it also became apparent that customers were in need of expertise to help interpret their vibration measurements. In response to this, the company expanded its service organization in the 1980s beyond instrument installation and repair to include a team of machinery diagnostic engineers, skilled in collecting and interpreting vibration signals to help customers identify and correct machinery malfunctions. By 2002, Bently Nevada Corporation had more than 10,000 active products in its catalog and more than 100 offices in 42 countries.[18]
Rotating machinery research
In 1981, Bently branched out from his instrumentation manufacturing activities and established a pure research organization called Bently Rotordynamics Research Corporation[19] (BRDRC or "Birdrock"). Its objective was to conduct rotordynamic research, furthering the knowledge of rotating machinery behavior, modeling techniques, and malfunction diagnostic methodologies. Its mission was considered complementary to Bently Nevada, with BRDRC focused on understanding how machinery behaved, and Bently Nevada focused on understanding and building instrumentation to measure machinery behavior.[20][21]
BRDRC made a number of important contributions to the field of rotordynamics such as a better understanding of fluid-induced instabilities, advanced models for understanding shaft crack behavior, insight into rubbing malfunctions between stationary and rotating parts, and enhancement of the rotordynamic equations with a new variable lambda (λ) which denoted "the fluid circumferential average velocity ratio".[2]
BRDRC also introduced several new data presentation formats, such as so-called "full" spectrum plots and "acceptance region" trend plots.[22] Its research findings were published extensively in relevant technical journals, and the research that had practical commercial applications found its way into the Bently Nevada product line. Rotordynamic and machinery diagnostic expertise remains a core part of the Bently Nevada product line through its machinery diagnostics services organization.
Builds new facility
In 1978, Don Bently acquired the Buckeye Ranch which had previously been owned by the Dengberg family. They had built brick barns at Orchard and Buckeye Roads, known as Ferris Heights, that allowed them to breed sheep earlier in the year. Bently renamed the location Bently Science Park. In 2001, Bently Nevada built a new $30 million, 283,000 square feet (26,300m2) headquarters on 26 acres (11ha).[23][12] Bricks from some of the sheep barns were incorporated into the façade of the new building.[24]
Don Bently required the building to withstand an earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale, which is four times as severe as the earthquake that struck Izmit earthquake in August, 2001, leveling thousands of buildings and killing more than 40,000 people.[25] The new location consolidated at one site manufacturing, design, development, marketing, and sales operations that had previously been located at eight different locations around Carson Valley.[24]
Acquisition by GE
The company's focus on rotordynamics and vibration sensors resulted in substantial growth. At age 78, Bently sold Bently Nevada to GE Energy in January 2002 for between $1 million and $25 million.[12] By then the company had 1,200 people at its headquarters in Minden, Nevada, 2,100 employees worldwide, 100 offices in more than 40 countries, and global sales exceeding $235 million USD.[13][12][26] Bently said he sold Bently Nevada so he could concentrate on other interests.
Separation from GE, integration with Baker Hughes
In 2019, GE announced plans to reduce its ownership in Baker Hughes from 50.4% to 38.4% losing majority control.[3] In September 2019, GE sold a large enough stake in Baker Hughes to lose its status as majority shareholder.[4] With the loss of GE as major shareholder, the independent Baker Hughes Company initiated processes to separate its financial and other operations from GE. The company positioning itself as an independent energy technology company (NYSE:BKR).[5] Bently Nevada remains a Baker Hughes business following the break from GE. Baker Hughes Company currently has operations in over 120 countries.[27]
Related Research Articles
In electromagnetism, an eddy current is a loop of electric current induced within conductors by a changing magnetic field in the conductor according to Faraday's law of induction or by the relative motion of a conductor in a magnetic field. Eddy currents flow in closed loops within conductors, in planes perpendicular to the magnetic field. They can be induced within nearby stationary conductors by a time-varying magnetic field created by an AC electromagnet or transformer, for example, or by relative motion between a magnet and a nearby conductor. The magnitude of the current in a given loop is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field, the area of the loop, and the rate of change of flux, and inversely proportional to the resistivity of the material. When graphed, these circular currents within a piece of metal look vaguely like eddies or whirlpools in a liquid.
A magnetic bearing is a type of bearing that supports a load using magnetic levitation. Magnetic bearings support moving parts without physical contact. For instance, they are able to levitate a rotating shaft and permit relative motion with very low friction and no mechanical wear. Magnetic bearings support the highest speeds of any kind of bearing and have no maximum relative speed.
A rotary encoder, also called a shaft encoder, is an electro-mechanical device that converts the angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to analog or digital output signals.
Lufkin Industries is an American manufacturing company founded in 1902 and headquartered in Missouri City, Texas. Lufkin is a provider of rod lift products, automated control and optimization equipment and software for rod lift equipment to the oil and gas industry. It was an independent company until being acquired by GE Oil & Gas in July 2013, which later merged with Baker Hughes to create Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE). On June 30, 2020, KPS Capital Partners, LP completed its previously announced acquisition of Lufkin from Baker Hughes.
Condition monitoring is the process of monitoring a parameter of condition in machinery, in order to identify a significant change which is indicative of a developing fault. It is a major component of predictive maintenance. The use of condition monitoring allows maintenance to be scheduled, or other actions to be taken to prevent consequential damages and avoid its consequences. Condition monitoring has a unique benefit in that conditions that would shorten normal lifespan can be addressed before they develop into a major failure. Condition monitoring techniques are normally used on rotating equipment, auxiliary systems and other machinery like belt-driven equipment,, while periodic inspection using non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques and fit for service (FFS) evaluation are used for static plant equipment such as steam boilers, piping and heat exchangers.
Structural health monitoring (SHM) involves the observation and analysis of a system over time using periodically sampled response measurements to monitor changes to the material and geometric properties of engineering structures such as bridges and buildings.
Level sensors detect the level of liquids and other fluids and fluidized solids, including slurries, granular materials, and powders that exhibit an upper free surface. Substances that flow become essentially horizontal in their containers because of gravity whereas most bulk solids pile at an angle of repose to a peak. The substance to be measured can be inside a container or can be in its natural form. The level measurement can be either continuous or point values. Continuous level sensors measure level within a specified range and determine the exact amount of substance in a certain place, while point-level sensors only indicate whether the substance is above or below the sensing point. Generally the latter detect levels that are excessively high or low.
GE Measurement & Control Solutions is an affiliate business of Baker Hughes specializing in the design and manufacture of sensing elements, devices, instruments, and systems that enable customers to monitor, protect, control, and validate the safety of their critical processes and applications.
A balancing machine is a measuring tool used for balancing rotating machine parts such as rotors for electric motors, fans, turbines, disc brakes, disc drives, propellers and pumps. The machine usually consists of two rigid pedestals, with suspension and bearings on top supporting a mounting platform. The unit under test is bolted to the platform and is rotated either with a belt-, air-, or end-drive. As the part is rotated, the vibration in the suspension is detected with sensors and that information is used to determine the amount of unbalance in the part. Along with phase information, the machine can determine how much and where to add or remove weights to balance the part.
Rotordynamics is a specialized branch of applied mechanics concerned with the behavior and diagnosis of rotating structures. It is commonly used to analyze the behavior of structures ranging from jet engines and steam turbines to auto engines and computer disk storage. At its most basic level, rotor dynamics is concerned with one or more mechanical structures (rotors) supported by bearings and influenced by internal phenomena that rotate around a single axis. The supporting structure is called a stator. As the speed of rotation increases the amplitude of vibration often passes through a maximum that is called a critical speed. This amplitude is commonly excited by imbalance of the rotating structure; everyday examples include engine balance and tire balance. If the amplitude of vibration at these critical speeds is excessive, then catastrophic failure occurs. In addition to this, turbomachinery often develop instabilities which are related to the internal makeup of turbomachinery, and which must be corrected. This is the chief concern of engineers who design large rotors.
A proximity sensor is a sensor able to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact.
Donald E. Bently was a globally recognized authority on rotor dynamics and vibration monitoring and diagnostics, and an American entrepreneur, engineer, and philanthropist. He founded Bently Nevada Corporation in October, 1961, where he performed pioneering work in the field of instrumentation for measuring the mechanical condition of rotating machinery. He designed the first commercially successful eddy current proximity transducer. It became the de facto standard when the American Petroleum Institute adopted the proximity probe as the device for measuring acceptable shaft vibration during factory acceptance testing of centrifugal compressors.
Capacitance sensors use capacitance to measure the dielectric permittivity of a surrounding medium. The configuration is like the neutron probe where an access tube made of PVC is installed in the soil; probes can also be modular (comb-like) and connected to a logger. The sensing head consists of an oscillator circuit, the frequency is determined by an annular electrode, fringe-effect capacitor, and the dielectric constant of the soil. Each capacitor sensor consists of two metal rings mounted on the circuit board at some distance from the top of the access tube. These rings are a pair of electrodes, which form the plates of the capacitor with the soil acting as the dielectric in between. The plates are connected to an oscillator, consisting of an inductor and a capacitor. The oscillating electrical field is generated between the two rings and extends into the soil medium through the wall of the access tube. The capacitor and the oscillator form a circuit, and changes in dielectric constant of surrounding media are detected by changes in the operating frequency. The capacitance sensors are designed to oscillate in excess of 100 MHz inside the access tube in free air. The output of the sensor is the frequency response of the soil’s capacitance due to its soil moisture level.
Fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) is a subfield of control engineering which concerns itself with monitoring a system, identifying when a fault has occurred, and pinpointing the type of fault and its location. Two approaches can be distinguished: A direct pattern recognition of sensor readings that indicate a fault and an analysis of the discrepancy between the sensor readings and expected values, derived from some model. In the latter case, it is typical that a fault is said to be detected if the discrepancy or residual goes above a certain threshold. It is then the task of fault isolation to categorize the type of fault and its location in the machinery. Fault detection and isolation (FDI) techniques can be broadly classified into two categories. These include model-based FDI and signal processing based FDI.
Brüel & Kjær is a Danish multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Nærum, near Copenhagen. It was the largest producer in the world of equipment for acoustic and vibrational measurements. Brüel & Kjær is a subsidiary of Spectris.
Non-intrusive stress measurement (system), or NSMS, is a method for determining dynamic blade stresses in rotating turbomachinery. NSMS is also known by the names "blade tip timing" (BTT), "arrival time analysis" (ATA), "blade vibration monitoring" (BVM), Beruehrungslose Schaufel Schwingungsmessung (BSSM), and "blade health monitoring" (BHM). NSMS uses externally mounted sensors to determine the passing times of turbomachinery blades. The passing times after conversion to deflections, can be used to measure each blade's vibratory response characteristics such as amplitude/stress, phase, frequency and damping. Since every blade is measured, stage effects such as flutter, blade mistuning, and nodal diameter can also be characterized. The measurement method has been used successfully in all stages of the gas turbine engine and on other turbo-machinery equipment ranging from turbochargers to rocket pumps. The ability to apply the technology to a given situation is dependent upon a sensor type that can meet the environmental requirements.
GE Oil & Gas was the division of General Electric that owned its investments in the petroleum industry. In July 2017, this division was merged with Baker Hughes.
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Aly El-Shafei is an Egyptian academic. He is professor for Mechanical Engineering at Cairo University in Egypt. He is an expert on rotordynamics, machinery diagnostics and vibration analysis.
Agnieszka Muszyńska (1935–2024) was a Polish-American mechanical engineer specializing in rotordynamics and the vibrations of rotating machinery.
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