| Infrared thermography is such a valuable and versatile tool that we cannot possibly list all its applications. New and innovative ways of using the technology are being developed every day. Suffice to say that thermography can be applied to any situation where a problem or condition can be identified through thermal contrasts. |
A good example is the inspection of electrical distribution equipment. When an electrical current passes through a conductor, a by-product is heat, which can easily be seen with an infrared camera. Usually, when a problem occurs heat is generated which can quickly be detected using thermography. |
There are countless applications for this technology. Here, we list just a few. |
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Power generation generator inspections |
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Substation electrical inspections, transformers and capacitor evaluation |
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Overhead urban and rural distribution electrical inspections |
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Electrical motor inspections |
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Thermal heat loss inspections for buildings, plants, facilities and refineries |
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Moisture contamination |
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Concrete integrity inspections |
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Concrete water heated floor inspections for leaks and temperature distribution |
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Locate missing or damaged insulation |
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Identify air leakage energy losses |
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Evaluate the thermal performance of retrofits |
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Locate radiant heating wires or pipes |
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Detect delaminating in concrete bridge deck |
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Flat roof leak detection |
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Identify water-damaged portions of a roof quickly and accurately |
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Eliminate unnecessary replacement of good roofing |
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Plan accurate budgets based on facts |
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Document problems before the warranty / bond expires |
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Boilers: |
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Inspect burners for flame impingement and burner management |
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Look at combustion patterns of fuel |
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Detect thermal patterns on boiler tubs and measure tube skin temperature during normal operation or when the boiler is on standby |
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Scan and record temperatures in areas of boiler not monitored |
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Scan the exterior of a boiler for refectory damage or locate warmer areas where potential refectory damage may occur |
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Detect coke build-up in crude furnaces |
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Power plant boiler flue gas leak detection |
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Mechanical bearing inspections |
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Heat ventilation air conditioning equipment evaluation |
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Cold storage cooling losses |
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Detect insulation leaks in refrigeration equipment |
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Refinery process line insulation loss or leak detection |
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Refinery process evaluation |
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Heat exchanger quality and efficiency evaluation |
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Furnace refractory (insulation) inspections |
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Furnace internal flame evaluation and tube inspections |
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Flame propagation explosion analysis |
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Printed circuit board evaluation and troubleshooting |
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Thermal mapping of semi-conductor device services |
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Circuit board component evaluation |
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Production-type inspection of bonded structures |
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Inspection of hybrid microcircuits |
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Inspection of solder joints |
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Locate old waste disposal sites |
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Locate old buried tanks on industrial sites |
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Locate and monitor oil spills |
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Design proto typing evaluation |
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Motor racing suspension and tyre contact diagnostics |
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Brake and engine systems evaluation for performance and cooling efficiencies |
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Water ingress in aeroplane control surfaces and radomes |
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Tyre and brake system diagnostics |
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Windshield and wing surface de-icing system diagnostics |
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Stress crack and corrosion identification and location |
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Jet and rocket engine analysis |
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Composite materials delamination and disbanding location |
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Target signature analysis |
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Medical injury examinations for whiplash, back injuries, Carpal Tunnel syndrome |
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Disease evaluation – breast cancer, arthritis and many more |
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Dentistry, tempomandibular jaw dysfunction and more |
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Sports injuries evaluation, and therapy progress |
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Equine injury examination, stress fractures, lameness |
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Laser dosimetry determination |
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Pipeline inspection, leak detection, stress corrosion cracking areas |
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Environmental inspections, pollution dumping, thermal dumping of waste water |
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Fire mapping, hold over fires, fine line and mop-up inspections |
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High voltage aerial electrical inspections for transmission lines |
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Search and rescue |
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Covert surveillance |
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Detect uneven heat distribution in Fourdrinier steam boxes |
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Identify wet streaks, non-uniformity, that can have adverse effects on paper quality |
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Identify basis weight variations |
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Monitor size press performance |
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Analyse dryer temperatures to look for non-uniformity in dryers |
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Monitor coating to see that it is being applied uniformly to surface of the paper |
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Analyse reel to find anomalies that may be induced by pieces of process equipment connected to the paper machine |
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Inspect chip piles for hot spots |
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Locate inter-laminar faults in stator cores |
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Monitor the effectiveness of repairs to the damaged areas |
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Help maintain quality control during a stator core repair |
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Obtain a thermal image of the stator core that serves as a permanent record of the condition of the stator core following repairs |
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Detect RF heating in antennae, wave-guides, guy wires and frame structures |
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Locate low-intensity sleeper fires on forestlands |
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Locate lost people |
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Remote sensing applications |
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Fire fighting – Locate people in burning buildings and navigate through smoke |
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