Thermal Imaging

What is Thermographic Testing?

A non contact inspection process, using an Infrared Camera that represents temperature in a colour spectrum image, allows surveys to be conducted with equipment operating normally. Problems can be located, repairs can be scheduled on the basis of the reports and costly shutdowns can be avoided.

Main Areas For Thermographic Testing Are:-

• Electrical Equipment
• Mechanical Equipment
• Air Handling Units
• Environmental Surveys
• Building Insulation

Why is Thermography is good for your business?

Thermography used to be expensive, difficult and primarily used by large industrial facilities and the Military. These days it is become much more affordable, easier to use and more broadly applied.

It is a very impressive technology. Since the tool, a thermal imager works by producing thermal (heat) pictures of the equipment. You can immediately see the benefits. In one pass through a facility you can usually find at least one component about to fail.

Typical Applications

Electrical contractors typically use Thermal Imagers for predictive maintenance and troubleshooting.

Additional things to consider:

• Most equipments failure mechanisms involve a significant rise in temperature long before catastrophic failure occurs
• Thermal Images are best taken while equipment is operational. No shutdowns needed.
• Thermal Images are taken at a safe distance, minimal safety risk (except for live voltage – that still requires full electrical safety precautions).
• Thermal Images can access components and units not otherwise measurable, such as ceiling runs.
• Thermal measurements help detect imminent failures in nearly all types of equipment, from Electrical to Mechanical, Process, Electronic and so on.
• Because Thermal inspections are fast they can cover more ground and find problems in areas that would typically be ignored.

Find It, Fix It, Fast!

Temperature changes can indicate problems in many areas you see everyday, some include:

• Inside Electrical Distribution and Service (Switch gear, panels, controls, fuses, transformers, receptacles, lighting, conductors, bus bars, motor control centers)
• Motors, Pumps and Mechanical (Electric motors and generators, pumps, compressors, evaporators, bearings, couplings gearboxes, gaskets/seals, belts, rollers, disconnects)
• Process (Tanks and vessels pipes, valves and traps, reactors, process insulation)
• HVAC/R (air conditioning, heating, air handlers, refrigeration)
• Outside Electrical Distribution – Utilities (Transformers, bushings, insulators, transmission lines, other exterior conductors, service connections, disconnects, capacitor banks)

Sample of a Thermography Report

The Thermographic test reports detail each item inspected with thermal and conventional images highlighting hotspots or defect areas with their temperatures and notes regarding their nature and suggested remedial actions.

The reason Thermography is so applicable to the monitoring of Electrical Systems is that new Electrical components begin to deteriorate as soon as they are installed. Whatever the loading on a circuit, vibration, fatigue and age, cause the loosening of electrical connections, while environmental conditions can hasten their corroding. Briefly stated, all electrical connections will over time follow a path toward failure. If not found and repaired, these failing connections lead to faults. Fortunately, a loose or corroded connection increases resistance at the connection and since increased resistance results in an increase in heat, a thermal image will detect the developing fault before it fails.

Typical Electrical Inspection

Detecting and correcting failing connections before a fault occurs averts fires as well as impending shutdowns that can be critical to manufacturing, commercial and institutional operations. Such predictive actions are important because when a critical system does failt, it inevitably increases costs, requires the relocation of labour and materials, reduces productivity and impacts the safety of employees, customers and/or clients.

What is the Potential Cost of Failure?

Left undetected, the overheating of an Electrical component or loose or corroded connection could blow a fifty pence fuse and bring down an entire production process. Then it will probably take at least half an hour to shut off the power, get a spare fuse from the storeroom and replace the blown fuse. The cost in production losses will vary depending upon the industry and the process, but in many industries a half hour of lost production can be very expensive.