Thermography, commonly referred to as “Infrared Scanning,” is a noninvasive method of inspecting the condition of electrical and mechanical equipment. One of the first signs that something is going wrong in your equipment will be the emission of excessive heat. This heat can be detected with infrared imaging thermography. With one pass of the camera, the “hot-spots” point out the problem areas on your equipment. Infrared imaging cameras show us how heat is being radiated from and transferred through equipment and structures. By analyzing these heat signatures, we can acquire more information about your equipment and structures than by the naked eye. Thermography imagers “see” the heat radiated from the surfaces of your operating equipment in real time, just as a video camera sees visible light. When heat images, called thermo grams are in color, usually the white, yellow and red areas are hotter and the black and blue areas are cooler depending on the color palettes the technician chooses to use.
The Intent
By performing an infrared inspection, valuable information can be acquired in order to develop a predictive maintenance program for your company. Until a failure brings them to your attention, problems, which normally remain hidden, can be found early and cases identified. Correction action taken will save you money, inconveniences and may just save a life. Conditioned monitoring of equipment can be accomplished by doing a thermal infrared imaging analysis periodically. Comparative thermography can be used to provide the best available data in lieu of ideal thermal measurement capabilities. Changing load considerations, techniques in performing rough emissivity estimates, and the ability to differentiate emissivity differences on energized or rotating equipment give the thermal infrared technician the ability to provide useful information under the less-than-ideal circumstances frequently encountered in the field.
Technical manuals recently published by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Inter-National Electrical Testing Association (NETA) prominently recommend the use of infrared inspection in the testing and maintenance of electrical systems
- Do Inspections on an annually basis
- Use a Certified Thermographer
- Proper Training is vital to understand Thermography
- Cost Effective - Quality Camera is $20,000 to $50,000
- Scan should cost from $800 to $1500 per day for equipment and operator. Additional manpower can be supplied for panel removal.
- Inspect When System Load Is High
- Useless To Scan Under Light or No Load
- Keep in mind that an infrared electrical inspection is only a report of the electrical system at the time of the inspection. Equipment that was off or unloaded because of cycling
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