Other applications

Apart from the applications already mentioned there are

numerous other applications where thermal imaging technology

is being used.

Flare detection

During certain production processes gasses are generated

which are burned off in flares. The flames generated can be

invisible to the human eye. It is important to be sure that the

flare is burning. Otherwise, harmful gasses might enter the

atmosphere. Thermal imaging can easily see if the flare is

burning or not.

A thermal imaging camera can monitor flames that are invisible to the naked eye. Note

that the flare is invisible on the visual image.

Tank level detection

Thermal imaging can also easily be used for tank-level detection.

Thanks to emissivity effects or to temperature differences the

thermal image clearly shows the level of the liquid.

These thermal images clearly show the level of liquids in the storage tanks.

Other applications include:

• Finding hot spots in welding robots

• Inspection of aeronautical material

• Mould inspection

• Checking temperature distribution in asphalt pavements

• Inspections in paper mills

Whether you are interested in inspecting electrical installations,

mechanical equipment, tank levels, installations with refractory

material, pipe-work, flare burners and many, many more, thermal

imaging is the perfect tool for all industrial applications.

References: Flir Systems

Refractory and Petrochemical Installations

A wide variety of industries rely on furnaces and boilers for

manufacturing processes, but the refractory linings for furnaces,

boilers, kilns, incinerators, crackers and reactors are prone to

degeneration and loss of performance. With a thermal imaging

camera damaged refractory material and the corresponding heat

loss can be easily located, as the heat transmission will show up

clearly on a thermal image.

Thermal imaging cameras are widely used in the petrochemical

sector. They provide rapid, accurate diagnosis for furnace

maintenance, refractory loss management and condenser fin

diagnosis. Heat exchangers can be checked to detect blocked

pipes.

Furnace and boiler equipment is also prone to failures from

a variety of other mechanisms. These include coking that plugs

the inside of tubes and impedes product flow, slag build-up on

the outside of tubes, under and overheating, flame impingement

on tubes due to burner misalignment, and product leaks that

ignite and cause serious damage to the equipment.

To ensure refractory quality of boiler and furnace installations

it is not enough to just perform inspections from the outside.

The refractory on the inside of the boiler or furnace has to be

inspected as well. With conventional methods it is necessary to

shut down the installation to be able to inspect the inside. This

is extremely costly due to a loss of production during downtime.

These losses are not necessary, however, for FLIR Systems also

has special thermal imaging cameras that can be used to inspect

the inside of the installation during operation.

This is possible due to the flame filter FLIR has included in the

design of these thermal imaging cameras. Flames emit infrared

radiation at different intensities at different wavelengths and at

certain wavelengths in the infrared spectrum flames emit hardly

any thermal radiation at all. A flame filter uses that fact to enable

the thermal imaging camera to ‘see’ through the flames.

References: Flir Systems

Why use thermal imaging?

Producing faster, better, more efficiently and at a lower cost.

In order to reach these goals, industrial plants need to be

running continuously: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

No costly breakdowns, no waste of time.

So, when you are in charge of plant predictive maintenance

you really have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.

If you could only see when components are about to fail, you

could accurately decide the best time to take corrective action.

Unfortunately the worst problems remain hidden until it is too

late.

Thermal imaging cameras are the perfect tool for predicting

failures because they make the invisible visible. On a thermal

image problems seem to jump right out at you.

To keep plants operational at all times many industries have

combined their predictive maintenance programs with the

most valuable diagnostic tools for industrial applications on the

market: thermal imaging cameras.

Inspection of high voltage Incorrectly secured connection

Overheated motor Suspected roller power lines

Poor connection and internal Internal fuse damage Damaged insulation Steam trap

damage

Whether you’re monitoring high voltage equipment, low voltage

cabinets, motors, pumps, high temperature equipment, looking

for insulation losses… A thermal imaging camera is the one tool

that really lets you SEE it all.

But what if you don’t do thermal inspections on a regular basis?

Is it really that bad if a low voltage connection breaks down?

Aside from the production loss there is a greater danger.

Fire

A small electrical problem can have extremely far-reaching

consequences. The efficiency of the electrical grid becomes low,

and so the energy is spent generating heat. If left unchecked,

heat can rise to the point where connections start to melt. Not

only that, but sparks can fly that might start a fire.

The effects of a fire are often underestimated. Besides the

destruction of goods and machinery, the immense costs in

production time, water damage, and even the loss of human life,

are impossible to estimate.

About 35% of all industrial fires are created by electrical

problems, resulting in losses of 300,000,000,000 Euros per year.

Many of these problems can be avoided with the use of a

thermal imaging camera. It can help you to detect anomalies

that would normally be invisible to the naked eye and to solve

problems before production goes down or a fire occurs. This is

just one reason why FLIR thermal imaging camera users report

ultra fast payback on their investment.

A small electrical problem can have far-reaching consequences.

Why use thermal imaging cameras?

Why would you choose a FLIR thermal imaging camera?

There are other technologies available to help you measure

temperatures in a non-contact mode. Infrared thermometers for

example.

Infrared thermometers – thermal imaging cameras

Infrared (IR) thermometers are reliable and very useful for single

spot temperature readings, but, for scanning large areas or

components, it’s easy to miss critical components that may be

near failure and need repair.

A FLIR thermal imaging camera can scan entire motors,

components, or panels at once – never missing any overheating

hazards, no matter how small.

It’s easy to miss critical problems with a spot IR thermometer.

A FLIR thermal imaging camera scans entire components

giving you instant diagnostic insights showing the full extent of

problems.

With an infrared thermometer you are able to measure the

temperature at one single spot. FLIR thermal imaging cameras

can measure temperatures on the entire image. The FLIR i3 has

an image resolution of 60 x 60 pixels. This means that it is equal

to using 3,600 IR thermometers at the same time. If we look at

the FLIR P660, our top model, which has an image resolution

of 640 x 480 pixels, this means 307,200 pixels or using 307,200

infrared thermometers at the same time.

References: Flir Systems