What is thermography and how can we

use it? An introduction to the technology

and some important applications for it.

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Know how to define infrared thermography
 Understand the subtopics that make up
infrared thermography
 Understand the importance of temperature
as a control parameter
 Understand what makes thermography
unique and useful
 Be able to recall some examples of
applications for infrared thermography

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Name some processes – industrial or
otherwise, where temperature is important.
Why?
 Name ONE process where temperature is
completely unimportant…

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 It is non-contact – uses remote sensing
◦ Keeps the user out of danger
◦ Does not intrude upon or affect the target at all
 It is two-dimensional
◦ Comparison between areas of the target is
possible
◦ The image allows for excellent overview of the
target
◦ Thermal patterns can be visualised for analysis
 It is real time
◦ Enables very fast scanning of stationary targets
◦ Enables capture of fast moving targets
◦ Enables capture of fast changing thermal patterns

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Analysis-
techniques

Radiation science
Camera handling

Inspection routines Thermal science

and reporting

Applications

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 12,5°C

10

-3,3°C

 Darker means cooler, brighter means warmer

 What does this image tell us?

2003-03-01 ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003

Infrared thermography is the science of
acquisition and analysis of thermal
information from non-contact thermal
imaging devices

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Condition Based Maintenance
 Research and Development
 Medical and veterinary
 Quality control and process monitoring
 Non-destructive testing
 And many others!

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 69,2°C

60

40

 Hot connection 20

7,5°C

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Electrical maintenance
 Buildings
 Furnaces and boilers
 Mechanical, friction
 Fluid flow problems
 Tanks and vessels

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 7
7

2
1

 Finding hidden problems among thousands of connections

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

60.9°C
60 100.0°C
100

80
50

60

40
40

32.1°C
21.0°C

146.0°C

140

120

100

80

60

40

22.0°C

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Sediment in a pipe creates a cold spot

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Example of short circuit in the field winding
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 Heat losses
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 Tiles breaking away

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 15,9°C

14

12

10,6°C

 Air leaking into building due to poor

weather stripping
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 20,3°C
20

18

16

14

12,5°C

 Air leakage around the frame of a roof

hatch
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 21,7°C

20

SP01
18

16

14,2°C

 Example of moisture in a roof

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Ice formation in urethane insulation on
ammonia tank (-33 °C inside)
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 218,2°C

200

150

100

50

16,9°C

 Worn refractory insulation causing a hot

spot on the outside of a trident duct
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 Rotary kiln in cement industry
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 830.9°C

800

700

600

658.1°C
500
490.5°C
600

 Furnace tubes 500

and burners
SP01

400

300

264.4°C

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Flange leakage

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 95.0°C

90

94.4°C 92.3°C 82.1°C

80

70

65.0°C

 Ship Diesel engine

running improperly

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 81

80

70

60

50

 Overheated motor
bearing. Over 80 °C on
bearing housing.
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 8
8

Pump bearing in
2

need of maintenance.

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 *>183.0°F

180.0
170.0
160.0
150.0
140.0
130.0
120.0
183.4
110.0
100.0
90.0

*<87.0°F

 Loose or tight belt heats up abnormally

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

*>141.2°F

140.0

130.0
Hot Spot
120.0 149.0

110.0
*>133.3°F
100.0

90.0 130.0

80.0 120.0

70.0
110.0
100.0
*<63.7°F 90.0
80.0

Conveyor belts have

70.0

thousands of bearings
60.0
50.0

that are sometimes 40.0

difficult to get close to. *<30.5°F

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 4

 Sediment in a tank shows up as cool area

at the bottom

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Sediment along the length of this pipe
section shows up cool
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 32,6°C

30

25

20

15
14,6°C

 Indicating the fluid level in a storage tank

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 186,3°C

180

160

140
121,3°C
120
120

113,9°C 110

Example of valves in
100

petrol-chemical
90

industry
80

74,7°C

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 4

0 1

 Blocked heat exchanger section at the green

arrow

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Medical and veterinary
 Non-destructive testing
 Process monitoring
 Electronics

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 35,8°C

27,6°C

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 48,3°C 71,8°C
70
45
60
40
50

35
40

30
26,7°C 30

25 26
24,9°C 22,4°C

24

22

20

19,2°C

 Production monitoring and quality control in food packaging,

automotive industry, and refrigerator production.

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Plastic bottles: production monitoring and quality control

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Overheated
conductor on PCB

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Design verification shows
need of redesign before
production starts

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 78,9°C

78

76

74

73,1°C

 Radiator (convector..) core testing

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 CLICK ON IMAGE

 Testing disk brakes

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Testing tyre
design

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Visible at
surface level
Not visible at
surface level CLICK ON IMAGE

 Composite material analysis in aerospace

industry
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 CLICK ON IMAGE

 Tensile stress
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 CLICK ON IMAGE

 Turning machine
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 Stud welding

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Induction
welding CLICK ON IMAGE

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 428,8°C

400

350

315,5°C

 Die casting mould for electric motor

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Paper industry

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 18,2°C

15

15,0°C
10,2°C

 Moisture 10
in
aircraft
6,1°C

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Animal census and behaviour analysis

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Forest fire detection

Waste dump analisys

 Agriculture and
environmental control
Field watering condition
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 CLICK ON IMAGE

 Fluid-flow analysis
ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01
 Research on fruit/vegetable deterioration due
to bad transportation

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 Geyser in Iceland

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01

 174.8°C

150

100

50

1.9°C

 Etna Volcano – Crater seen through the smoke

ITC Level 1 Training © 2002-2003 2003-03-01