Missing or damaged insulation or water infiltration into insulated systems allows excess energy loss at the point of defect. When performed under the correct conditions, thermal imaging is capable of detecting evidence of latent moisture or physical defects due to changes in either the thermal conductivity and/or thermal capacitance of the insulation system.

Benefits:

locate missing, improperly installed or damaged insulation
identify costly air leakage energy losses
evaluate the thermal performance of retrofits
provide hardcopy proof of problems
reduce heating and cooling energy costs

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Condition monitoring
Condition monitoring is a major component of predictive maintenance. A deviation from a reference value (e.g. temperature behavior) can identify impeding damages. CM systems can only measure the deterioration of the condition. It is typically much more cost effective than allowing the machinery to fail. Serviceable machinery include rotating equipment and stationary plant such as boilers and heat exchangers.

As mechanical devices operate, heat is generated. Forces such as friction, misalignment and improper belt tension cause excessive heating.
Applications:

Misalignment of coupled equipment
Over/under lubrication of bearings
Over/under tension of belted systems
Excessive friction
Defective Equipment

Benefits:

quickly locate misaligned coupled equipment
increase equipment reliability and life
increase production and efficiency while saving energy
increase quality of product
minimize downtime by planning the required manpower and materials before shutdown
improve worker productivity and morale by correcting potential problems proactively

ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
As electrical current flows through a conductor, heat is generated. Many electrical defects are accompanied by a rise in temperature for up to several weeks prior to failure. Some defects may be represented as cool components.

Applications

Loose/deteriorated connections
Overloads
Imbalanced Loads
Open Circuits
Inductive Heating
Harmonics
Defective Equipment

Marine Thermal Inspections
An important advantage of thermography is its non-contact, non-invasive function that allows equipment or processes to be monitored or inspected without being stopped. Moreover, inspection is fast and the instantaneous image allows potential areas of concern to be identified immediately unlike other condition monitoring and NDT techniques.

Applications

Propulsion Machinery Surveys
Electrical Equipment Surveys
Hot Surface Surveys
Selected Machinery Surveys
General Electromechanical Maintenance

USE FOR
Switchgear…Overheating motor contactor..
Inspect a switchboard with the naked eye and everything may look normal, look at it with the thermal camera and you will see a different picture.
Easily identify overloaded circuits, loose connections, un-balanced phases…etc.
Overheating of electrical components is not only dangerous, but significantly reduces the useful life leading to premature failure.

Hot Surfaces…Damaged exhaust lagging
Oil leakage hitting hot spots on engines is the major cause of engine-room fires onboard ship. According to casualty statistics more than 60% of all engine room fires have been initiated by a hot spot. Most lubrication, hydraulic and fuel oils have an autoignition point above 250o C. If a liquid hits a surface hotter than its autoignition temperature the liquid may ignite spontaneously. Any such hot spot is an immediate hazard in case of oil leakage.

Machinery…Suspect motor DE bearing...Overheating motor bearings
Thermographic imaging of running machinery can play an important part in condition monitoring and assessment. Mis-aligned shafts, dry bearings, loose couplings...etc all exert adverse loads in the machinery in question, which in turn generates localised heat - which can be detected and quantified.

Propulsion…
For record keeping. Routinely scan all propulsion machinery i.e. M/E crankcase, Xhead bearings, scavenge spaces, thrust bearing, tail shaft bearing and stern seal. This gives a reference point when carrying out the intermediate checks (usually with a non contact infrared thermometer).

Faulty electrical components
Many industrial fires are caused by faulty electrical components, which result in costly down time and expensive recovery in terms of lost production and replacement of equipment. By detecting heat build-ups or hot spots, thermography provides early detection of potential electrical fires and allows planned monitoring of electrical systems and the scheduling of preventative maintenance actions before serious damage occurs.

Exposed generator exhaust uptake
Overloaded motor contactor

Monitoring and checking Solar Energy (Photovoltaic) Installations

Using thermography, large and small photovoltaic systems can be monitored over large areas, without contact and economically.
There are two basic reasons for examining solar energy systems: Safety and performance monitoring.

Solar energy systems reach top performance in full sunshine. Defective cells can lead to an enormous heat development, and thus to the danger of fire. Apart from this, defective cells can cause considerable loss of system performance. With our thermal imagers, potential fire risks and damaged cells can be recognized early.

Malfunctions can be identified and eliminated immediately. The smooth running of all modules is reliably ensured, guaranteeing highest economic viability.

This will assist in avoiding performance loss and will ensure a high level of system security. Recommended Model: 870

Marine Patrol
Thermal imagers are ideal in marine applications, as the open expanse of water and limited amount of heat sources makes thermal imaging easy and effective. A thermal imager can help marine officers covertly monitor an area for illegal activity, such as drug smuggling, or piracy. This can also be helpful in identifying and tracking “drops” when the smuggled goods are left floating in the water for later pick-up. The heat sources of boats, personal water craft and even swimmers will be in stark contrast to the background temperatures of the water and shoreline; this makes locating, monitoring and tracking them relatively easy. A thermal imager can also help officers locate boaters and swimmers in distress, even in moderate fog.

Surveillance in security, law enforcement and defence

Surveillance
Because the thermal imager does not require light and only receives heat energy, it can be used to observe potential criminal activity at a distance. Whether suspects dealing drugs on the street, or trying to steal, low-light conditions work to their benefit. An officer can use a thermal imager to observe suspects from a distance, watching their activity and building further reasonable suspicion or probable cause. The thermal imagery can be recorded for use as evidence later, or merely used to justify specific interaction with the suspects.

Hidden Compartments
Because the heat signature of a material's surface is affected by its material as well as its density, hidden compartments can be identified with a thermal imager. When the difference in density between the compartment and the surrounding surface is great, the likelihood of identifying it with the thermal imager is higher. For example, the space in a car door is normally empty. However, if the door is packed with drugs or money, its density will be different in the areas of the contraband. As a result, the thermal image will show a suspicious heat signature that can lead an officer to further investigation.

Medical Thermography
Medical infrared imaging

The infrared energy emitted from the human body can give you valuable data regarding the health of the person.

Medical infrared imaging is used to create images of the human body (or parts and function thereof) for clinical purposes (medical procedures seeking to reveal, diagnose or examine disease) or medical science (including the study of normal anatomy and physiology).

The thermal imaging camera is offering the opportunity of endless measurements at all possible points of patient's skin surface without causing any discomfort to the patient, accumulating information on the status of the body as a whole, to allow early and reliable diagnosis of a wide range of injuries and conditions before they create serious and irreversible problems.

Medical Thermography Applications include:
Breast Cancer, Spinal Scanning, Prostate Cancer, Full Body Scanning, Skin Cancer, Rheumatology, Arthritis, Oral Pathologies, Sports Related Injuries, Chronic Pain, Vascular Exams, Chiropractic Exams, Night Patient observation,
Open Heart Surgery, Burn Depth Assessment, Equine Exams, Race Horse Exams, Animal Research.

FEVER DIAGNOSTIC THERMOGRAPHY
Following the Influenza A(H1N1) epidemic in Mexico, many countries decided to carry out increased security checks at places with lots of people, or entry points, such as airports, ports, and borders.

Taking into consideration that the average body temperature of a healthy person is 36-37 °C and as a number of Ministries of Health and doctors in various countries mention two main indications for a possible flue infection: -

• Body temperature > 38°C AND
• Symptoms of an acute respiratory disease

they started to use contactless measurement procedures with thermal imagers and single point pyrometers for a first quick examination which can be followed with a more detailed and extensive examination if a person has suspicious symptoms.