INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY

Definition of infrared thermograyhy ?

Infrared thermography is equipment or method, which

detects infrared energy emitted from object, converts it to temperature, and displays
image of temperature distribution. To be accurate, the equipment and the method
should be called differently, the equipment to be called as infrared thermograph and the
method to be called as infrared thermography

Fundamental IR Thermography Concepts :

 Emissivity refers to a material’s ability to emit infrared energy. Emissivity is

expressed as a value between 0 and 1 where 0 describes a perfect mirror surface and 1
describes a blackbody. For example, a material with an emissivity value of 0.95
absorbs and emits 95% of infrared radiation and reflects 5% of the surrounding
radiation.
 Reflectance refers to the amount of light reflected from the surface of a material.
 Transmittance is a material’s ability to transmit thermal energy (i.e. heat) from a
component being tested to an infrared camera. For example, plastics are transmissive
while metals are opaque and are not transmissive.

Heat vs Temperature

These terms are commonly used interchangeably. Although they are related, they have very
distinct meanings.

 Heat is a measure of the total energy of molecular motion of an object and is

dependant on the size of the object. Heat also describes how thermal energy transfers
from one object to another or its surroundings.
 Temperature refers to an object’s average energy of molecular motion and, unlike
heat, can be measured directly. Temperature does not depend on the size of the object.

Heat Transfer describes the phenomenon of thermal energy transferring from a hotter
temperature region to a colder temperature region.

Heat Transfer Mechanisms — Heat can transfer in three ways:

 Conduction is the transfer of heat between two solids.

 Convection is the transfer of heat through liquids and gases.
 Radiation is the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves.
 Characteristics of Infrared Thermography equipment

 It captures as a temperature distribution on a surface,and it can display as a visible

information.
 Temperature can be measured from a distance without contacting an object.
 Temperature can be measured in real time.

Merits of Infrared Thermography equipment

 Relative comparison of distribution of surface temperature can be made over a wide

area.
 Temperature can be measured easily for a moving object or an object which is
dangerous to get close to.
 Temperature of small object can be measured without confusing the temperature.
 Temperature of food, medicine or chemicals can be measured in a sanitary fashion.
 Temperature of an object with drastic temperature change or a phenomenon during a
short period of time can be measured.

Infrared Thermography equipment, Things often misunderstood

1.
2. <Q> Isn't infrared camera emitting something?
<A> No, it is not emitting anything: It merely detects infrared emitted from an object in a
passive manner. It should be noted, however, that it may be affected by the reflection from the
vicinity.
3.
4. <Q> Isn't the temperature measured by the wave length You can see an object behind
something through it, can't you?
<A> No, Temperature distribution is measured by the amount of infrared energy.
5.
6. <Q> You can see an object behind something through it, can't you?
<A> No, Because infrared emitted from the surface of an object is detected, you cannot see
through something. However, you may be able to estimate the rear side if there is a
temperature distribution appearing on the surface due to the difference in heat conductivity.

What is Infrared Thermography?

1.
2. Discovery of infrared
It was discovered by a British astronomer, Herschel, in 1800. When dispersing
sunlight using a prism, Herschel accidentally found that there was an invisible light on the
outside of red light when increases the temperature of an object.
3. It is an electromagnetic wave
Wavelength is 0.7µm or longer Wavelength is 1mm or less = Frequency is 300GHz or more.
4.
  The source : R.D.Hudson, Jr. "INFRARED SYSTEM ENGINEERING" (John Wiley
& Son, 1969)
Characteristics of infrared

 It is invisible since its wavelength is longer than visible light. It has nothing to do
with brightness or darkness of visible light
 It is emitted naturally from any object of which temperature is absolute zero(0K) or
higher.Therefore, it can be applied to any field
 It has a characteristic of heating an object.Therefore, it is sometimes called "heat
wave".
 It is a kind of light (electromagnetic wave) It can be transmitted through
vacuum.
 There is a correlation between infrared energy and temperature of an object.
 Therefore, it can be used to measure the temperature of an object.

How the heat transfers

1. Emission:
A type of heat transfer where the heat is transferred directly from the
surface of an object as an infrared energy.
2. Convection:
A type of heat transfer where the heat is transferred by the heated part
of gas or liquid moving upward.
3. Conduction:
A type of heat transfer mainly through a solid object
Emission, reflection and transmission of infrared

An object which absorbs infrared well emits infrared well.

Principle of measurement by Infrared Thermography equipment

Image Format of Infrared Thermography

Arrangement of detector and image data of infrared thermography

Temperature distribution image data

 Temperature distribution image data of infrared thermography consists of matrix of
pixels (number of detector: for example, 320 horizontal X 240 vertical pixels) as shown
in the figure above. Thermal image data can be transferred to PC. Subsequently, the data
can be calculated and utilized freely. Thermal image data is colored up pixel by pixel
based on temperature.

IR TESTING TECHINQUS :

Several IR testing techniques exist and the decision on whether

and which to use depends on the the considerations listed above.

Passive Thermography involves testing the component during or after operation. The primary
advantages of this method are that it does not require an external energy source and equipment
doesn’t have to be taken out of service.

Active Thermography requires an external energy source that produces thermal variances in the
component. The component is monitored until it has reached thermal equilibrium. This technique
is useful for determining how heat flows through, from, or to a component before it is placed in
service. This method is also used to locate anomalies in equipment during service.

Flash Thermography measures the changes of surface temperature after a pulse of light energy
is introduced to the component. This technique is used to locate voids, inclusions, and other
deflects that obstruct heat flow into the component.
Vibrothermography is a technique that utilizes acoustic waves to find cracks in a material. The
acoustic energy causes friction between the two sheared surfaces of a crack, which results in the
production of heat. The frictional heat is then detected using an infrared camera.

Lock-in Thermography requires that an external source of energy (e.g. light, sound, etc.) be
periodically applied to the surface of a component in order to reveal a subsurface anomaly. The
depth, size, and orientation of the anomaly, as well as the properties of the material, must be
known in order for the method to be highly accurate. This technique is much slower than flash
thermography, however, it is capable of penetrating thicker-walled components.

Thermoraphy Considerations :

Component Factors

In terms of equipment being tested, operators and inspectors should have working knowledge
about the:

 Equipment and process

 Material type (e.g. steel, stainless steel, etc.)
 Material properties (e.g. thermal diffusivity)
 Thickness and geometry of the component
 Emissivity of the material

Anomaly Factors

If infrared technology is being used to detect flaws, knowledge about the size, depth, and
orientation of the anomaly must be known.

IR Camera Factors

Several instrumental factors to consider when performing IR testing include:

 The distance between the component and the IR camera

 Spatial resolution output (i.e. clarity of component)
 Thermal resolution output (i.e. clarity of temperature differences)
 Thermal range (i.e., ability to detect temperatures of the component being tested)

APPLICATIONS :

Infrared Thermography enables corporations to reduce the risk of

unscheduled downtime, increase asset availability and up-time, save money, conserve energy,
ensure quality and improve safety.
Reduce Risk :

A large electric utility in the southeast United

States used thermal imaging to monitor a hot bushing connection on a 230 kV main transformer
carrying power from their primary generator. Shutting down was, by far, the last choice and not
considered a viable option. Failure of the component would have had catastrophic costs and
consequences. Through frequent monitoring with thermal imaging the plant was able to
accurately evaluate the situation and take corrective action to manage the problem without
failure. Due to their infrared thermography efforts, the bushing made it to the next planned
shutdown when repairs were successfully completed.

Increase Up-time :

Data centers, whether those from banking institutions, insurance agencies

or other knowledge providers rely heavily on the health of their primary electrical system, as
well as their Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems which provide back-up in the event of
a power loss. Any downtime from an outage can generate financial losses ranging from
thousands to many millions of dollars. Up-time is their primary concern. Infrared inspection is
being successfully used on a regular basis to check for electrical problems in these systems that,
if not detected, could cause costly downtime. This is an example of one of the many
thermographic applications that both increases up-time and saves money.

Industry Application: IR thermography is utilized in many industries and applications. In the

oil and gas and chemical processing industries, for example, thermography can be used to detect
piping insulation issues, fluid levels, or identify trouble spots where rotating equipment is
experiencing too much friction. Furthermore, IR testing is commonly used to locate hot spots and
anomalies such as voids and inclusions. The benefits of IR testing include extended equipment
life, decreased unscheduled shutdowns, reduced risk of equipment failure, and increased
performance.

Thank you !!!!!! NAME : C. VENKARA SAI VASAVI

REG.NO : 11189a050