Thermography on Electrical equipment

[Audio] Hello everyone, and welcome. Today we will be going over thermography on electrical equipment, including what it does, why it matters, how it works, and the best practices for using it safely and effectively..

[Audio] Introduction, What Does Thermal Imaging Do? Thermal imaging uses infrared technology to detect heat patterns on equipment. It helps us identify hot spots without making physical contact, which makes it a valuable tool for inspecting live electrical systems. Is There a Down Side? While thermal imaging is extremely useful, there are a few limitations. The equipment must be live in order to produce a meaningful thermal image, and clean or shiny metal surfaces can sometimes be difficult to scan accurately because of reflectivity..

[Audio] The main purpose of thermal imaging is to find overheating parts early, before they lead to failure. This helps prevent equipment damage, improve safety, support maintenance planning, reduce unexpected outages, improve reliability, and extend the life of the equipment..

[Audio] Thermal imaging works by sensing infrared radiation that is naturally emitted by objects. The camera converts that heat into a visible image, showing hot and cold areas in different colours. This allows us to spot abnormal temperature patterns and fine tune the image for better analysis. These Images both show how infrared imaging can help identify a problem like a loose or failing connection..

[Audio] Thermal imaging can be used on a wide range of electrical equipment, including circuit breakers, transformers, switchgear, panelboards, disconnects, transfer switches, motors, panels, busbars, cable connections, starters and contactors, and capacitor banks..

[Audio] Thermal inspections can help uncover a variety of issues, such as loose or corroded connections, overloaded circuits, unbalanced loads, failing insulation, worn components, hot fuse clips, motor bearing overheating, ventilation problems, and failing relays..

[Audio] To get accurate and useful results, always keep the lens clean, survey the room and equipment before entering, and inspect electrical equipment under normal load. Compare phases and similar components for temperature differences, verify suspicious hot spots with follow-up testing, trend temperatures over time, label images clearly, and re-scan equipment after repairs to confirm the issue has been corrected..

[Audio] Safety must always come first. Wear the proper personal protective equipment for exposed voltage, follow lockout and tagout procedures, and make sure that only qualified personnel perform inspections. Maintain safe approach distances, stop the inspection if unsafe conditions are present, and report any serious hot spots immediately..

[Audio] Basic Infrared Fleer Gun Use The Fleer E86 is a longwave infrared camera with a range of 7.5 to 14 micrometres. It is designed to capture thermal images that help identify temperature differences and possible problem areas in electrical systems..

[Audio] Cleaning, Care and Testing Proper cleaning, care and testing are essential for accurate performance. Use only cotton balls and isopropyl alcohol to clean the lens, and never use your sleeve or a rag. Always keep the lens covered, and never point the camera at the sun. Annual testing is recommended to maintain accuracy..

[Audio] Two of the most important camera settings are range and emissivity. Range must be selected properly to achieve an accurate temperature reading. If you see a star, less-than, or greater-than symbol, the temperature range likely needs to be adjusted. And if the range is changed, do not forget to nuke the camera by pressing and holding the appropriate button. Emissivity must be adjusted depending on the material being inspected. Shiny, polished, or reflective metal surfaces often require adjustments to improve reading accuracy. Materials such as electrical tape, flat paint, dirty surfaces, or oxidised surfaces generally need a higher emissivity setting..

[Audio] There are three things you cannot change after the image is captured, and these are focus, range, and distance (or FoRD). That is why it is important to set up the image correctly before taking the shot. The image on the left shows us poor focus and the image on the right is too far away, which makes it hard to pinpoint an exact issue..

[Audio] Thermal tuning helps fine tune the image so that the root cause of a problem can be seen more clearly. By adjusting the span or level of the image, you can better identify thermal gradients and temperature differences that may point to a developing issue. These two images show us how thermal tuning can pinpoint an exact problem very clearly..

[Audio] The default camera settings listed here are emissivity at point nine five, range at sixty-eight degrees, distance at three feet, humidity at fifty percent, and ambient temperature at sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. These provide a starting point, but settings may need to be adjusted depending on the inspection conditions..

[Audio] Remember! Don't point the infrared camera at the sun! That concludes the presentation. We will now move into questions and answers. We have five minutes available, with a maximum of five questions. Thank you for your time and attention..