Thermography Basics Manual Rev 2.1

Course Manual
Thermography Basics
A primer or first course in infrared thermography
Infrared Training Center 25 Esquire Rd. N. Billerica, MA 01862

Tel: 1-866-TRAINIR (872-4647) Fax: 978-901-8832 Pub ITC 133 A 2009-09-21
Web: www.infraredtraining.com 2009 Infrared Training Center All rights reserved

Thermography Basics Introduction
Slide 1 Welcome to the Thermography Basics
Course. In this course we will cover subjects
Thermography Basics including, Getting a good Image, IR
Introduction
Science, Heat Transfer, dealing with
artifacts, and common thermography
applications. If you are joining us for this
course, you should have already completed
a course in basic handling of your infrared
camera.
2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 1
Slide 2
PROPERTIES
Allow user to leave interaction: Anytime
Show Next Slide Button: Show always
Completion Button Label: Next Slide
Slide 3 Course Objectives Here is what you will learn in this course:
Learn about infrared radiation Learn how to obtain quality
and how it relates to other
forms of electromagnetic
images through proper
focusing, composition, and
Learn about infrared radiation and how it
energy, like light
Be aware of how material
thermal tuning.
Examine the common
relates to other forms of electromagnetic
properties, like emissivity and
reflectivity, influence the image
applications for thermography
in buildings, electrical, and
energy, like light.
an infrared camera produces,
and how a thermographer
mechanical systems
Understand the importance of
Be aware of how material properties, like
interprets it
Grasp the significant and
target size and distance, when
making thermal measurements emissivity and reflectivity, influence the
important role of heat transfer
in producing surface
Quiz at conclusion to test your
knowledge image an infrared camera produces, and
temperature patterns
how a thermographer interprets it.
Grasp the significant and important role of
heat transfer in producing surface
temperature patterns.
Learn how to obtain quality images through
proper focusing, composition, and thermal
tuning.
Examine the common applications for
thermography in buildings, electrical, and
mechanical systems.
Understand the importance of target size
1-1
Copyright 2009 Infrared Training Center, All rights reserved.

Thermography Basics Introduction
and distance, when making thermal
measurements.
We will have a quiz at the conclusion to test

your knowledge.
Slide 4
End of Lesson
1-2

Thermography Basics Getting Good Images
Slide 1 This lesson will focus on adjusting the
image so you can store a good one for
Thermography Basics analysis and reporting.
Getting Good Images
Slide 2 Has Red Fred been lying on the

sofa again?
Before we get started on this lesson I want
to tell you about Red Fred. You see, Red
has been accused of sleeping on the sofa.
Now, he looks innocent enough in the
visual image. Can we learn more when
looking at a thermal image?
Oh no! Nabbed. Apparently Red Fred

hasnt been as good a dog as he wants us
to believe!
These images are well composed, focused,
and tell a story. Thats what capturing a

good image is all about. Lets learn some of
the details.
Slide 3 Lesson objectives In this lesson we will discuss the qualities of

In this lesson we will discuss the qualities of good thermal
good thermal images. These include:
images:
Focus
Thermal Tuning Focus
Thermal Level
Thermal Span
Thermal Range Thermal Tuning
Distance and Resolution
Composition Distance and Resolution Effects
Palette
Image composition
And Palette Choice
2-1

Slide 4 Capturing an Image
There are three image properties that can

3 Image Properties
CANNOT be changed never be changed after freezing or storing
after saving an image. We call this FoRD. The
FORD
FOcus
acronym means:
Temperature Range
Distance
Optical Focus
Choosing the correct Temperature Range
for your image.
And using an appropriate working distance
along with image composition.
Slide 5 Poor Focus = Unprofessional As with any camera, an IR camera must be

focussed to get good results. Unfocused
images look unprofessional and provide
incorrect measurements!
Look at this out of focus thermogram; note
the temperature of the hot spot at 49 C.
Slide 6 Good Focus = Better

Measurement!
Now look at a properly focused
thermogram and note the correct reading.
Focus is the Fo in FORD. You must Focus
carefully before storing an image, because
you cant refocus later.
You cant refocus after storing an image

2-2

Slide 7 Distance and Size Effects Infrared cameras have optical
characteristics similar to other optical
devices like digital photo cameras,
camcorders, and telescopes.
Size does matter
Slide 8 Using the Spot Tool While we can see hot spots at fairly long
distances, we can't always measure their
temperature accurately.
To demonstrate, lets take a look at this cup.
The cup is filled with hot water and both of
these spots are at the same temperature.
If we place the spot tool on the large spot
we find its reading is 149 F.
Slide 9 Target too Small Now we have the spot on the small circle.
Note that the reading is 80 F. Both spots
are made of the same materials and have
the same true temperature, so what gives?
The small spot provides a lower reading

because it is not large enough in the image
to make a temperature measurement, even
though we can still see it.
2-3

Slide 10 Using the Calibrated Spot Ring Your camera or software may have a zoom
function. This function magnifies the image
Target too small; Measurement
by blowing up pixels but does not provide
Move closer and/or
use telephoto lens
OK
optical enhancement. So how do you know
if you are too far away to measure?
Your FLIR camera has a calibrated spot

temperature tool. See the ring in the
middle? All you have to do is have the hot
spot completely fill the ring, and you have a
good measurement. To fill the spot circle,
put on a telephoto lens, move closer to the

target, or do both! If the hot spot does not
completely fill the ring in the cursor, your
reading will be less accurate.
But please dont compromise safety for the

sake of a more accurate temperature
reading. Always maintain a safe distance
from dangerous equipment.
Slide 11 Thermal Tuning Once the image is in optical focus, it is

important to thermally tune the infrared
Thermal Level image to perform a proper analysis. Failure
to perform this can limit the operators
ability to detect thermal anomalies.
Thermal tuning involves adjusting the level,

Thermal Span
Thermal Range Span, and range appropriately for an
image.
2-4

Slide 12 Level and Span The temperature range defines the
maximum to minimum temperature
Temp. Ranges Span/Level Temperature range measurement capability of an infrared
defines maximum and
minimum temperatures camera. Many infrared cameras have
Span is the part
within the temperature several ranges, similar to the ranges in a
Span Level range we see on
screen
volt-ohm meter. If your target has a
Level is the middle
point of the Span
temperature higher or lower than the limits
of your temperature range, temperature
measurement will be impossible. Once an
image is saved, its range is locked and
cannot be changed with software.
Temperature Span is the part within the

temperature range that we can see on the
screen, from black to white. It is a subset of
the range and can be adjusted in the
camera as well as post analysis computer
software.
And Level is the middle point of the

Span. Level can also be changed in the
computer.
We can think of Span as thermal contrast
and Level as thermal brightness.
Slide 13 Out of Range Example The camera has to be set up with the
correct range to view the object
Out of Range Image temperature correctly. For example, if you
Note > symbol by
temperature
were operating an infrared camera on a
Note saturation colors range of -4 to +320 F, and you captured a
Correctly Ranged
Image thermogram of a subject where the
Note correct
temperature
temperatures of the objects varied between
Note absence of
saturation color
+20 and 900 F, then the hot objects, above
+320 F, would be displayed with a
saturation color, and you wouldn't be able
to tell how hot they were, because the
captured data only goes to 320 F.
2-5

Slide 14 Span So let's see how this works in an infrared
248F (120C)
camera. Here we have a range setting of -4
F to 248 F. Level and span controls how the
High Window
Setting image looks within the temperature range
setting.
By adjusting the span controls we can make

Low Window
the span larger for less contrast, or smaller
Setting
to improve contrast. Note how the thermal
Span sets the width of the window
-4F (-20C) image changes.
Slide 15 Level Adjusting the level allows us to change the

248F (120C)
thermal brightness of the image. Again
Level sets the position of the window note how the thermal image changes as we
High Window
Setting do this.
Low Window
Setting
-4F (-20C)
Slide 16 Thermal Tuning 1 Thermal Tuning defines the process of

adjusting the image level, span and color
Span:145.9C palette in an effort to optimize the
139,2C
Level:66.3C appearance of the infrared image.
100
Level Span
50
0
-6,7C
2-6

Slide 17 Importance of Thermal Tuning Without proper thermal tuning, some
anomolies will be missed, especially in
Span:85F
building applications where small variations
Level:74.8 F can be important.
This image has not been thermally tuned
well, and small thermal patterns are hard to
find.
Slide 18 Importance of Thermal Tuning 2 We have changed the temperature span

and level for this image to bring out the
Span:37F
small details. Can you spot the thermal
Level:68.3 F problem?
Its very subtle, and you wouldnt normally

Thermal catch it, if you let the camera adjust itself.
Anomaly
Slide 19 Composition How about composing your images?

Composition is the process of adjusting
Composition is the process of adjusting framing,
camera position, and/or lens choice to turn the
framing, camera position, and/or lens
subject into an informative thermogram. choice to turn the subject into an
informative thermogram.
The image on the left is poorly composed.

You can see the air leakage but have no
reference points as to where on the
Poor composition Better composition
building they are located.
The image on the right displays better

composition, the detail is acceptable to
show the problems, but the greater
building coverage allows easy location of
the problem areas.
2-7

Slide 20 Palette Choice Infrared cameras are usually supplied with a
Personal preferences
number of color palettes for your use.
Characteristics of thermal image There is no right or wrong palette for any
How image is to be used
Company standards particular application; the choice of palette
depends on:
Gray
Personal preferences
Ironbow
Characteristics of the thermal image
Rainbow
How the image is to be used

Company standards
Slide 21
End of Lesson
2-8

Thermography Basics IR Science
Slide 1 Welcome to an introduction to IR Science
and Thermal Image Interpretation.
Thermography Basics Interpretation lies at the heart of being a
IR Science & Image Interpretation
good thermographer; and understanding
the science helps make the interpretation.
Slide 2 Learning Outcomes We are going to learn:

In this lesson you will learn about:
Electromagnetic radiation About electromagnetic radiation and where

Whats out there and how its
classified infrared fits in.
Where infrared fits in
What the infrared image
represents What an IR image really represents, in other
What is meant by the term
apparent temperature words, what is the infrared camera seeing.
What emissivity is and how it
affects the thermal image
What do we mean by apparent
temperature?
And finally we will talk about this thing

called emissivity and how it affects what we
see and how we interpret the images.
Slide 3 Electromagnetic spectrum What is Infrared Radiation?

The light we see with our eyes is really a
Visible light very small portion of what is called the
Gamma X-ray UV IR-Infrared
Micro-
waves Radiowaves
Electromagnetic Spectrum. The
0.1 1 10 0.01m 0.1m 1m 10m 100m 1mm 10mm 100mm 1m 10 m 100 m 1 km
Electromagnetic Spectrum includes all
types of radiation - from the X-rays used at
Visible:
Near infrared:
0.4-0.7m
0.7-1.7m
NIR MW LW hospitals, to radio waves used for
Mid-wave: 3-5m Thermal Infrared
Long wave: 8-14m 0.4 0.7 1 m 2 m 5 m 10 m 13 m communication, and even the microwaves
you cook food with.
1 (m) micrometer = 1 millionth of a meter
Radiation in the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 3
is often categorized by wavelength.

2009-01-30 3
Short wavelength radiation is the highest

energy and can be very dangerous -
Gamma, X-rays, and ultraviolet are
examples of short wavelength radiation.
Longer wavelength radiation is lower

energy and is usually less harmful -
3-1

examples include radio, microwaves and
infrared.
A rainbow shows the optical, or visible, part

of the Electromagnetic Spectrum and
infrared is located just beyond the red side
of the rainbow.
Although infrared radiation is not visible,
humans can sense it - as heat. Put your
hand next to a hot oven if you want to
experience infrared radiation; first-hand!
We can further categorize infrared radiation

into three common bands we use for
commercial purposes. The near infrared
band includes wavelengths commonly used
for remote controls and communication.
The midwave from 3 to 5 micrometers, and
longwave bands covering 8 to 14
micrometers are mostly used for non
contact temperature measurements and
thermal imaging systems.
Slide 4 Infrared Image of a Hurricane Weather satellites use visible and infrared
sensors to bring you images of your
weather conditions everyday.
The infrared images have the advantage of
being usable anytime day or night. The
images are polarity reversed, in other words
black is hot and white is cold, so cold cloud
tops look white, contrary to the white hot
mode for images we usually use for
conventional thermal imaging.
Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center
Beyond their use in weather forecasting,

2009-01-30 4
these images are a life saving asset in the

detection and monitoring of fires.
Fisherman and farmers use them to
increase their catch and protect crops from
frost, and they are used to demonstrate
and track the effects of pollution.
3-2

Slide 5 How do We See? To understand how infrared cameras view
the world, its helpful to take a look at how
we see things around us.
Now, we just talked about how white light
is made up of all the colors of the rainbow.
So what actually happens when we see a
blue cup as blue?
The light bulb sends out light with all the

colors in it. This light strikes our coffee cup,
and all the wavelengths of light are

2009-01-30 5
absorbed, except for the blue wavelengths

which are reflected to our eyes. If the cup
were red, it would be reflecting the red
wavelengths and absorbing all the others.
And if we dont have any light, we dont see
the cup!
Slide 6 What an IR Camera Sees So how does an infrared camera differ?

Well, with an IR camera, we are primarily
looking at emitted thermal radiation by an
object. This radiation is dependent on the
temperature of the object and some
characteristics of its surface.
In visible light, we see this cup as green.
Lets look at it in infrared.
Now what can we tell about this cup.

Perhaps its half full of hot water? You can

2009-01-30 6
tell because of the line near the middle

where we see a thermal change. Note also
that the heat from the cup is reflecting off
the cooler table in the foreground.
Because this cup has a temperature, and

everything with a temperature gives off
infrared energy, the camera sees the
emission from the cup. But hold on, theres
more.
The infrared camera also sees reflections

off the cup from other surfaces emitting
thermal energy, like the black wall behind
the camera. This effect will be especially
noticeable on several thermograms to
follow in this course.
3-3

Slide 7 What about Color? The important thing to understand is that
our eyes relay to us only what is happening
in the visible portion of the spectrum, 0.4 to
0.75 m, primarily from reflected radiation.
Objects may look completely different at
different wavelengths. The concepts of
color are meaningless unless you refer to
them in the visible wavelengths. As you can
Colored Tape as we see it And as an IR Camera sees it
see from the infrared image, the different
tape colors all look the same!
Slide 8 Emission Lets take a closer look at what an IR

camera can see. First of all we know that
materials radiate infrared energy as a
function of their temperature. So IR
cameras see emissions from material
surfaces.
IR Camera
This is what we are after. All other sources

of infrared are artifacts for most
Surroundings Object applications.
Slide 9 Light Bulb Emission Example So, as an object increases its temperature,
the infrared emissive power increases as
well. Watch the emissive power graph as
the light bulb temperature increases from
40 C or 104 F to 120 C or 248 F. Click the
Turn Me On button to start the heating
process.
Turn Me On
3-4

Slide 10 Light Bulb Emission Example
Continue
Slide 11 Reflection But just like with visible light, objects can
reflect infrared energy as well.
IR Camera
Surroundings Object
Slide 12 Reflection Example Here is an example of reflection. Note how

the infrared energy from the cup is being
reflected by the shiny hot iron. Don't be
confused by thermal patterns caused by
reflections. Just move your camera or
change your position, if the hot spot
moves, then it's a reflection.
If the hot spot moves, when
changing camera position, its a
reflection.
3-5

Slide 13 Car Reflections Here is another example of reflection. The
shiny finish on this car is quite reflective in
the infrared.
We have reflection of some trees here.
And a reflection of a sign here. In-

experienced thermographers sometimes
identify these reflections as thermal
problems.
Slide 14 Transmission Some materials are transparent to infrared

energy, the camera can receive energy
from objects on the other side of the
material.
Luckily, most of the materials that we

IR Camera
analyze for condition monitoring diagnostic
work are opaque, or not transparent to
infrared radiation.
Surroundings Object
Slide 15 Transmission Example In this example thermogram, you can see

that some of the radiation from the person
is transmitting through the material on the
right. The transmitted radiation patterns are
not indicative of temperature variations on
this surface.
3-6

Slide 16 Glass is Opaque Standard window glass is opaque to long
wave infrared radiation. Your infrared
camera cannot see through the glass.
However, glass will conduct heat. Note the
conducted heat from the thumb pressing
against the glass.
Slide 17 Emission and Reflection That means for most applications, we need
to just be concerned with emission and
reflection.
IR Camera
Surroundings Object
Slide 18 Apparent Temperature You will hear me refer to apparent

temperature during this course, so what is
Uncompensated temperature reading from an it?
IR camera; includes
Emission from object
Reflections from object
An apparent temperature is the
Measure apparent temperature by setting your uncompensated temperature reading from
emissivity setting to 1.0
an IR camera, containing all radiation seen
by the camera, regardless of its source. This
reading would include the emission from
the object and reflections from the object.
When you set the emissivity setting on your

camera to 1.0, the temperature you read is
an apparent temperature.
3-7

Slide 19 RAT Challenge
Find and click on the
Are you ready to take the reflected
source of the Reflected
Apparent Temperature.
apparent temperature challenge? Go
ahead and give it a try!
Slide 20 Back Wall

Yes! The primary source of
The Back Wall
radiation reflecting off the
pipes would be from the
Yes, the primary source of radiation
back wall. Good Job!
reflecting off the pipes would be from the
back wall. Good Job!
End the Challenge

Slide 21 Front Wall

No. Radiation from the
The Front Wall
front wall would not reflect
off the pipes to the camera.
No. Radiation from the front wall would not
Choose another surface.
reflect off the pipes to the camera.
End the Challenge

3-8

Slide 22 Side walls and Floor
Perhaps. Depending on the
Side walls and Floor
angle , we might see some
radiation from the curved
Perhaps. Depending on the angle , we
sides of the pipe. Choose
another surface. might see some radiation from the curved
sides of the pipe.
End the Challenge

Slide 23 Images are Displayed as

Apparent Temperatures
By the way, the image is always displayed
as an apparent temperature map.
The image is always displayed as an apparent
temperature map Changing the emissivity changes the
Changing emissivity changes the temperature scale numbers
and readings but does NOT change the way the image appears temperature scale numbers and readings
but does NOT change the way the image
looks.
What this means is that you cannot find

problems more easily or accurately because
Emissivity set to 1.0 Emissivity set to 0.3
you set the emissivity to the proper value,
the displayed thermal patterns remain the

2009-01-30 23
same. Of course you need to set the

emissivity correctly if you want to measure
the correct temperature!
Slide 24 Emissivity So whats this emissivity term you might

have heard about?
Blackbody Real Surface
Emissivity is the ratio of radiation emitted

by an actual object compared to a
theoretically perfect emitter of radiation,
called a blackbody, when both are at the
same temperature.
Emissivity:
Amount of radiation emitted from an object
compared to that from a blackbody. As you can see in the animation, the
blackbody emits more energy than the real

2009-01-30 24
surface when both are at the same

temperature.
3-9

Slide 25 Why is Emissivity Important? Emissivity is an important parameter to
enter into your infrared camera if you want
to make temperature or temperature
difference measurements. Lets take a look
at this steel can. We have filled it with hot
water. There are three different surfaces
here, steel, black plastic electrical tape, and
a paper label. All three of these materials
are at the same temperature. Lets take a
look with the infrared camera.
As you can see, there is a huge difference

in the apparent temperatures of the tape
and the steel. That difference is due to the
low emissivity of the steel, vs. the high
emissivity of the tape. This can cause
interpretation problems as well as
measurement problems if you are not
aware of emissivities effects on an image. If
we didnt have the tape on the can, you
might think the can is about room
temperature.
Slide 26 More about Emissivity Lets learn a little bit more about emissivity.
Here we have a flat aluminum plate, one
side anodized black, and the other side left
shiny. We are heating the plate on a
portable electric range. We have a
thermocouple attached to the left side of
the plate. You can see that the
82 F 230 F
thermocouple reading is 231 F.
Yet if we look at the IR image of the shiny

plate the reading says 82 F.

2009-01-30 26
The anodized section of the plate reads

230 F with the infrared camera.
If we were only looking at the shiny plate,

we would have a totally incorrect
conclusion about the true temperature. The
reason, shiny metals have low emissivities,
and do not emit infrared radiation well.
3-10

Slide 27 Lets try a Non Contact
Thermometer
A non contact thermometer is also an
infrared reading device and does no better.
Look at the temperature reading on the
shiny aluminum, 84 F
compared to the 192 F on the

thermocouple.
82 F 230 F
This is no better! And on the anodized side, the readings are

very close as with the infrared camera. In
order to obtain correct reading with any

2009-01-30 27
infrared device, we must enter the correct

emissivity of the material we are trying to
measure.
Slide 28 Emissivity So how exactly do we define emissivity?

Emissivity is a property that relates how well
Property that relates how well a a material radiates infrared energy
material radiates infrared energy compared to a perfect material. Emissivity
compared to a perfect material values vary between 0 and 1.0. A perfect
Values range from 0.0 to 1.0
material or blackbody has an emissivity of
High Emissivities 1.0. A perfect reflector or mirror has an
you can trust what you see
emissivity of 0.
Low Emissivities
you cant trust what you see
Materials with high emissivities are easier to
interpret and measure.

2009-01-30 28
Materials with lower emissivities reflect the

surroundings and offer unreliable
diagnosis. Luckily, many building materials
have rather high emissivities.
Slide 29 Emissivities on a Sidewalk Although most building materials have high

emissivities, they are not all the same.
Although many building materials have high emissivities,
they are not all the same. Here we are looking at a sidewalk in
Sweden made with three different
Gray stone
materials, gray stone, gray marble, and pink

Gray marble marble. The sun is not shining on the
Pink marble
sidewalk, but we do have a clear sky with an
apparent reflected temperature of about -
Sidewalk in Stockholm - Sweden: Temperature is uniform in this zone!
- No direct sun
- No cloud >>> apparent reflected
Variation of color is only due to
different emissivities.
45 F (-43 C).
temperature very low, ca. -43 C
Take a look at the thermogram. The marble
areas look colder, but all three materials are

2009-01-30 29
at the same temperature! Lower emissivity

values of the marble cause this effect. The
marble does not emit as much infrared
energy and reflects the cold sky more than
the gray stone.
3-11

Slide 30 Emissivity may Vary with Angle Look at the pink marble again. Note how it
seems to get colder at the top of the
thermal image. This variation is due to the
change in emissivity with the angle being
viewed. It is best to view most materials as
close to perpendicular as possible.
Pink marble
Sidewalk in Stockholm - Sweden: Temperature is uniform on the pink marble!

- No direct sun Variation of color is only due to variation of
- No cloud >>> apparent reflected the emissivity with the angle of view.
temperature very low, ca. -43 C
Slide 31 Emissivity: Non metals Non metals usually have a fairly high
emissivity.
Usually have fairly high
emissivity Thats a good thing for building
Usually have little
variation between
investigations and many mechanical
specimens applications, as many of the materials you
Usually varies little over
time
would look at fall into this category.
3-12

Slide 32 Emissivity: Metals Metals are the bane of thermographers.
Pure, smooth, un-oxidized metals have very
low emissivity, down to about 0.05
Thick metal oxides can have high emissivity,
Shiny metals, as we saw, have very low
up to about 0.95 emissivities and make it extremely difficult
to make measurements.
Luckily though, many of the metallic

surfaces we inspect have corroded or
oxidized, thus raising their emissivities.
Here we have some shiny low emissivity

2009-01-30 32
connectors that look hot. If we move the

camera, the hot spots seem to change
position. This means they are a reflection.
One trick to evaluate components like this
is to look at and compare the thermal
patterns on high emissivity conductors
attached to the electrical connection areas
where you have low emissivities.
So a good place to compare these

conductors would be along the line
between the arrows on the high emissivity
plastic cable.
Slide 33 Emissivity: Surface structure Now a word about surfaces.
The rougher the surface, the The rougher the surface, the higher the
higher the emissivity emissivity
Polished, shiny, and smooth
surfaces have lower emissivity
Sand blasted, sanded, and Polished, shiny, and smooth surfaces have
scratched surfaces have higher
emissivity
lower emissivity
Sand blasted, sanded, and scratched

surfaces have higher emissivity
3-13

Slide 34 Smooth Porcelain What do you see on the porcelain toilet
bowl?
Foot
Reflections A reflection of some feet! Its a smooth and
polished surface so we do see reflections
quite clearly.
Moisture
too!
Slide 35 Emissivity: Geometry Cavities, and holes will all tend to raise
emissivity, so these are good places to be
able to get a better measurement. But they
Higher emissivity can also confuse the inexperienced
recessed screw
due to cavity
effect
thermographer.
Look at the increased emissivity due to the

Low emissivity
metal cavity effect on this recessed set screw.
Slide 36 Emissivity: Angle Remember that reflections increase with

increasing angles away from perpendicular
to a surface.
Here we see the wall close to

perpendicular, Note the extremely small
reflection.
Little
More
reflection at
Here we have moved the camera to a much
reflection
acute angle
more acute angle to the wall.
Note the much stronger reflection.
3-14

Slide 37 Emissivity effects
So with high emissivity materials, the

High emissivity: apparent temperature will be close to the
The apparent temperature
will be close to the true true temperature of the target and you can
temperature of the target
You can trust what you see... trust what you see.
Low emissivity:
The apparent temperature
will be close the apparent
temperature of the
On low emissivity surfaces; the apparent
surrounding objects
You can not trust what you
temperature will be close to the apparent
see!
temperature of the surrounding objects;
you can not trust what you see!
Slide 38
End of Lesson
3-15

Thermography Basics Heat Transfer
Slide 1 In this lesson, we will cover the basics of
heat transfer. Why is this important? Well,
Thermography Basics your infrared camera actually provides you
Heat Transfer Basics
an image of heat transfer, not temperature!
Once you understand a few things about
heat transfer, the infrared images become
easier to interpret.
Slide 2 Learning Outcomes
In this lesson we will discuss the three

Identify the Three modes of modes of heat transfer, conduction,
heat transfer convection, and radiation.
Radiation
Conduction
Convection
Evaporation and condensation
And their importance in interpreting
Recognize importance in thermal images.
assessing thermal images
Examine Thermal Capacity,
Reflection and Transmission We will also briefly talk about thermal
capacity, reflection, and transmission.
We must understand heat transfer to be
able to properly interpret thermal images.
Slide 3 What is Heat? Energy is the ability to do work, such as

making things move, or heating them up.
Energy is the ability to do
work, such as making things
move or heating them up
Energy can take many forms,
Energy can take many forms, including
including electrical, chemical, electrical, chemical, radiant, mechanical,
radiant, mechanical and heat.
So heat is a form of energy and heat.
that is transferred by a
difference in temperature
When heat is added to an So heat is a form of energy that is
object, it is stored as internal
energy and usually raises the transferred by a difference in temperature.
objects temperature
Heat always flows from a region of higher
temperature, to a region of lower
temperature. Heat energy is flowing

through the crowbar here, from the candle,
to the hand.
When heat is added to an object, it is

stored as internal energy, and usually raises
the objects temperature.
4-1

Slide 4 Mechanical Energy into

Thermal Energy
Energy can take on many forms and can
change from one form to another. Many
different types of energy can be converted
into heat energy. Light, electrical,
mechanical, chemical, nuclear, sound and
thermal energy itself can each cause a
substance to heat up by increasing the
Before bouncing After bouncing
speed of its molecules. So, put energy into
a system and it heats up, take energy away
and it cools.
Mechanical energy is converted into
thermal energy whenever you bounce a

ball. Each time the ball hits the ground,
some of the energy of the ball's motion is
converted into heating up the ball, causing
it to slow down at each bounce.
Slide 5 Mechanical Energy into

Thermal Energy 2
And some of the energy is used in heating
the floor. In fact, some thermographers use
their cameras to help judges accurately
measure distance at sporting events, like
indoor shot put, or hammer throw. The
thermal patterns at impact last for a minute
or more.
Before bouncing After bouncing
We are trying to keep you on the ball!
4-2

Slide 6 Sharpening a Pencil Here is another example of how mechanical
energy is transformed into thermal energy.
The friction and grinding that occurs when
a pencil is sharpened. Here is the before
image.
And here is the image after sharpening.

Get the point?
Slide 7 Electrical Energy to Thermal Energy Anytime electric current flows, heat is
generated by the resistance of the
conducting materials. This can be
dramatically illustrated by a standard
incandescent light bulb. Note how the
thermal emission from the filament and the
glass bulb change after the light is turned
on.
Slide 8 What is Temperature? So what is temperature and how does it

A measure of how fast the atoms and molecules
differ from heat?
of a substance are moving and vibrating
Temperature is a measure of how hot or
cold something is; its an indicator of the
intensity of heat in a substance. It's also a
measure of how fast the atoms and
molecules of a substance are moving and
vibrating. Temperature is measured in
degrees with the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and
Kelvin scales.
As we can see in the graphic, the molecules
are moving more slowly in the lower

temperature object on the left, and faster in
the higher temperature object on the right.
4-3

Slide 9 Temperature Scales Temperature is measured with
thermometers that may be calibrated to a
variety of temperature scales. Throughout
100 C 212 F
the world, except for the U.S., the Celsius
scale is used for most temperature
100 C Difference 180 F Difference
measuring purposes. The entire scientific
world, the U.S. included, measures
0 C 32 F
temperature using the Celsius scale. The
bulk of the U.S. however, relies upon the
Celsius Fahrenheit Fahrenheit scale.
Celsius is a temperature scale on which

water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100
degrees.
In contrast, the Fahrenheit scale is based on

32 F for the temperature at which water
freezes, and 212 F for the temperature at
which water boils.
This corresponds to a temperature

difference of 100 Celsius degrees and 180
Fahrenheit degrees respectively.
Slide 10 Temperature vs.

Internal Energy
So what is the difference between
temperature and internal energy? This can
be explained quite easily by one of our
150 Calories + 150 Calories = 300 Calories favorite beverages.
A glass of beer contains about 150 Calories
+ =
of internal energy and is usually served at a
temperature of about 40 F. If we add one
40 F + 40F 80F
beer to another, we will have twice as much
beer, and twice as many Calories; we all
know that. But the temperature remains the
same!
Of course if we add heat, we can increase

the temperature of the beer, and its
internal energy as well. But most of us
wouldnt want to drink it that way!
4-4

Slide 11 Basic Modes of Heat Transfer So on to heat transfer . There are three
Convection:
primary ways we can transfer heat from one
Radiation:
Heat travels through
Heat from the stove
causes the water to
object to another.
space as EM radiation circulate
to warm the cat.
The one we are most familiar with is

conduction. This occurs when heat energy
is being transferred directly through a
material by contact. When you hold a poker
Conduction:
Heat travels from the
hot end of the poker to
in a fire, you feel the heat by conduction.
cooler handle
Another form of heat transfer is convection.

It refers to heat being transferred by

movement of a fluid, like water, or air.
When we dry our hair with a blow dryer, we
are transferring heat to our hair by
convection.
Finally there is heat transfer by radiation.

The warmth we feel in sunlight, or the
warmth we feel standing in front of a wood
burning stove are examples. This is the heat
energy your infrared camera sees.
Slide 12 Radiation Radiation is Heat transfer carried by

electromagnetic waves. All objects radiate
electromagnetic energy, and no medium or
matter is required, in fact, radiation is most
effective in a vacuum.
We receive all energy from our sun through

radiation. IR radiation transfers easily
through most gases, but is impeded or
blocked by most liquids and solids.
4-5

Slide 13 Radiation Heat Transfer Heat is transferred by emission and
absorption. The net heat transfer is from
the hotter object to the cooler one. As
shown here, the surfaces of the radiator
emit infrared heat radiation, which travels
through the air, and is absorbed by the
hand.
Slide 14 Conduction Heat Transfer Conduction is the direct transfer of thermal

energy from molecule to molecule. It can
occur in solids, liquids and gases, but is the
only form of heat transfer that occurs in
solids!
Watch as the hot and cold objects are
brought into contact with the object
Heat Flow between them.
Heat flow by conduction is generated in

this object. The thermal gradient that
develops is one of the indicators a

thermographer has that heat flow by
conduction is occurring. This is especially
common in electrical distribution
inspections.
Slide 15 Heat Conduction Here is an image of an electrical disconnect

with a problem. Excessive resistance to
electrical current flow is causing heat
generation at the point of resistance. The
resistance could be due to many factors
such as a loose connection, corrosion, or
Thermal Gradient dirt.
The heat that is generated will flow by

conduction along the electrical conductor
giving us this classic thermal gradient.
4-6

Slide 16 Convection Convection is heat transfer by movement of
Convection is heat transfer by movement
a fluid, either liquid or gas. It can occur in
of a fluid, either liquid or gas
liquids and gases, but not solids. There are
two types of convection, natural or free
convection, and forced convection.
Here is an example of free convection, a
pot of boiling water. Heat is carried away
from the hot bottom by moving currents of
water. The hot water is less dense than the
cold water and floats up to the top and
then cools. As it becomes cooler and more
dense, it sinks to the bottom to repeat the

process.
Slide 17 Free Convection Here is an example of free convection. We

are looking at the top of a coffee cup that is
sitting on a hot plate from above. You can
see the intense convection patterns easily.
Slide 18 Forced Convection Forced convection means we have applied

Forced convection means we have applied a
a fan or pump to aid the convection
fan or pump to aid the convection process.
process.
A hair dryer is an example of a forced

convection system.
4-7

Slide 19 Tank Levels Thermal Capacitance is a property of
Thermal Capacitance is a property of
materials with reference to their ability to
materials with reference to their ability to
store thermal energy. store thermal energy. It also can be called
thermal inertia.
High thermal capacity objects react more

slowly to temperature changes.
Thermal capacitance properties are used to
High thermal capacity objects react more
slowly to temperature changes.
determine the fluid level in this tank. The
sun heats the vapor space above the liquid
much faster than the fluid below giving us
this striking thermogram.
Slide 20 Lets talk briefly about image artifacts,

those hot spots or cool areas that dont
Dealing with Image Artifacts necessarily mean you have a problem, and
how to deal with them.
Slide 21 Reflections Some materials reflect infrared energy

quite well, Dont be fooled by these hot
or cold spots. Here are a couple of
examples.
Hey, whats a thermographer doing on the

other side of this window? Hold on, we
cant see through glass with an infrared
camera, so this must be a reflection of the
thermographer himself!
What are the warm and cold areas on this

open door? They are reflections of the cold
and hot areas in the window.
4-8

Slide 22 Angle We dont usually think of walls as being
especially reflective.
Reflection is not really apparent here.
But at an acute angle, even wall board and

paint can reflect in the infrared.
Slide 23 Reducing Reflections Here are a couple of tips to help you deal
Try to scan perpendicular to objects with reflections.
At most 45 degrees from perpendicular
True temperature anomalies dont move if you
do
First, try and be perpendicular to surfaces
If hot spot moves, its a reflection you inspect. At shallow angles, reflections
increase on most surfaces.
Second, move yourself and the camera

OK
Not Recommended Not Recommended around if you suspect a reflection. If the hot
Object or cold spot moves along the surface with
you, its a reflection; true hot or cold areas
dont move!
Slide 24 Transmission Most objects are opaque to infrared, but

there are some materials that do transmit
quite well. Your camera lens is made out of
germanium, a metallic like substance that
transmits infrared really well. But how about
a black plastic bag?
As you can see, plastic bags transmit quite

nicely in the infrared! But notice that the
Courtesy NASA/IPAC
glasses are dark, not transmitting the warm
face behind at all. You cant measure
temperatures on materials that transmit

infrared energy easily, so dont try. Without
the proper knowledge and compensation,
your results will be incorrect.
4-9

Slide 25 Transmission So as you might expect, you can see
through polyethylene sheets quite nicely.
Firefighters also use infrared cameras to
see through thick smoke, but dont try this
with your camera. Firefighting cameras are
built to withstand the intense heat inside a
burning building.
Slide 26
End of Lesson
4-10
Thermography Basics Application Overview
Slide 1 In this lesson we are going to provide an

overview of industrial condition monitoring,
Application Basics and building applications, where
thermography is routinely used. The
thermograms used in this section come
from a variety of infrared cameras.
2009-02-05 Application Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 1
Slide 2 Our Menu Choose your application interest area below by

clicking one of the buttons.
Choose your application below by clicking one of the buttons
Condition Monitoring Building Inspection

Overview Overview
Click Here to Quit
Slide 3 In this lesson we are going to provide an

overview of condition monitoring
Condition Monitoring Overview applications where thermography is
routinely used.
5-1
Copyright 2010 Infrared Training Center, All rights reserved. Rev 2.1
Slide 4 Why IR Condition

Monitoring Inspections?
We utilize thermography inspections for
many reasons:
Allows early detection of
costly failures.
Can determine whether
Thermography allows us to detect
equipment can continue problems before equipment fails and is
in service
expensive to repair or causes a safety
Can be used to identify
priorities for hazard.
maintenance.
Can check the quality of
installation or repair on We can determine whether equipment is in
return to service. satisfactory operating condition.
It can be used to help prioritize the order in

which equipment is maintained.
And we can check the quality of a new

installation or repair after return to service.
Slide 5 What can be Inspected? So what kinds of things can we inspect with
thermography?
We can check energy, motors, bearings,

MCCs Cooling Fins Buildings
Insulation
Switchgears
control panels, utility, switchgear,
Tanks Roof
Motors
Machinery
Panel Boards transformers, bus ducts, air handlers, roofs,
Control
buildings, processes, belts, machinery,
Air Utility
Energy Panel Handling
Switches
Bus
Process Xfrmrs
Ducts
Bearings cooling fins, insulation, tanks, disconnects,
Disconnects
Belts
Cables
motor control centers, switches, and cables.
Well you get the idea, thermography can
be used to inspect a huge variety of
equipment and systems!
Slide 6 Warning
An infrared inspection alone should never

Dont make decisions be used as a decision point for further
based on IR alone
Verify with other
actions. There are several reasons why a
methods thermal pattern might be seen.
Visual
Vibration analysis

Oil testing
Electrical load testing Always verify suspicions and finds with

Ultrasound
Etc.
other methods such as visual examination,
vibration analysis, oil testing, electrical load
testing, and airborne ultrasound, etc.
5-2
Slide 7 Must Panel Covers be

Removed?
Do panel covers have to be removed? This
is a question many people ask. Look at the
image here with the panel on. Do you see
any problems? Should we move on to the
next piece of equipment in our survey or
remove the panels for a better look? Lets
Courtesy: Bob Berry
remove the panel to be sure.
PANELS MUST BE Caution: Only authorized and
REMOVED TO qualified personnel using
There is an obvious problem here hidden

PERFORM A appropriate personal protective
THOROUGH equipment (PPE) should remove
INSPECTION electrical panel covers.
by the steel. Our inspection would be

incomplete and erroneous if we had not
removed the panels.
Panels must be removed in order to

perform a thorough inspection.
However a word of caution: Only

authorized and qualified personnel wearing
appropriate protective equipment should
remove electrical panels.
Slide 8 Seeing Through Walls??? Infrared cameras are not X-ray machines
and cannot see through most common
materials, even though the images may
look like they do. Thermography cameras
display the infrared energy emitted from
the surface based on the temperature
Infrared cameras are NOT X-ray machines and patterns on that surface. Heat transfer
cannot see through common materials. They principles govern how those temperature
produce an image of thermal energy from patterns evolve.
surface temperatures.
5-3
Slide 9 Metallic Surfaces Here we have an aluminum casing.

Unfortunately for the thermographer,
aluminum is very reflective.
The surface changes a little bit with time,

but, still, the emissivity is so low that it does
Courtesy Forbo Sarlino
not make sense to make measurements.
Highly reflective, low emissivity
Reflects heat from surroundings The image does not represent thermal
Thermal measurement extremely difficult
patterns on the surface, instead it reflects
the heat of the camera operator.
Measuring the temperature of shiny metals

is virtually impossible.
Slide 10 Measuring Temperatures There are two main parameters that must
be entered to measure temperatures
accurately with an infrared camera. These
are:
Emissivity
Reflected Apparent Emissivity and
Temperature
The Reflected Apparent Temperature.
Slide 11 What Emissivity Values to Use? We have already covered how to measure
reflected apparent temperature. But what
Low
Bare metals and materials about emissivity? Here is a very general
with emissivities below
about 0.5 guideline to help you.
Medium
Oxidized and corroded There are three categories of emissivity for
opaque targets:
metals with emissivities
from 0.5 to 0.85
High
Non-metallic materials with
emissivities from about
0.85 for ceramics to 0.95 Low - Bare metals and materials with
for many flat paints, many
types of electrical emissivities below about 0.5.
insulation and electrical
tapes.
Medium - Oxidized and corroded metals

with emissivities from 0.5 to 0.85.
High - Non-metallic materials with

emissivities from about 0.85 for ceramics to
0.95 for many flat paints, many types of
electrical insulation, and electrical tapes.
5-4
Slide 12 Emissivity Strategies 1 Heres some help on what emissivity setting

to use.
Start with emissivity
set to 0.9
Critical problem at Start with emissivity set to 0.9.
this value, will be
critical at a lower
emissivity A critical problem at this value, will be
If load is less than
100%, temperature critical at a lower emissivity 99% of the time.
will be higher with A true hot spot will read hotter as you lower
more load
emissivity. If you are too far away and get a
temperature above critical, it will still be
critical when moving closer. If there is a
wind or air current on the part greater than

5 mph and get a temperature above
critical, it will still be critical with a wind
speed of 0 mph.
If the load is less than 100% and you get a

temperature above critical, it will still be
critical at full load. Its the problems below
critical level that require the most thought
and care for distance, reflected apparent
temperature and emissivity.
5-5
Slide 13 Low Emissivity Objects <0.5 For the low emissivity targets, dont even
try to get a measurement unless it is so hot
Low emissivity you can see it with your IR camera, or the
Dont attempt
cavity effect gives you a higher emissivity
measurement than the flat bare metal surface. If it is this
Unless you can find a
high emissivity
hot, the surface has probably oxidized and
point you dont have low emissivity. For high
E.g. Cavity
emissivity surfaces, the error between 0.88
and 0.95 usually isnt great. You can play
what if to determine the variation.
Slide 14 Medium Emissivity, 0.5 to 0.85 The difficult one is the medium category.
Here, you dont really know what it is and
that can give you a headache.
Play What if
Measure emissivity on Use your IR camera to play what if. What
old parts
Step by Step guide in
if the emissivity is 0.5 or 0.6 or 0.7? The
Digital Library camera will give you the result.
Apply high emissivity
coatings
Work to build an inventory of old parts
where you can get emissivity
measurements. Use the emissivity for the
part that most closely resembles one in

your inventory. This takes time, but is
beneficial. There is a step by step guide for
measuring emissivity in the digital library
that you can download.
We also recommend putting high emissivity

coatings on important targets when there is
an opportunity to do so. Make sure the
application is approved, and large enough
to get a good measurement from a safe
working distance.
5-6
Slide 15 One of the old myths in thermal imaging, is

that you dont have to worry about setting
Myth: You dont have to worry about emissivity, when you are measuring
emissivity when measuring Ts.
Lets test this idea
temperature differences on the same
materials.
Lets test this idea.
Slide 16 Emissivity Important for T? Here we have two identical aluminum cans.
One is filled with hot water, and the other
Apparent Temperature Differences:
Ttape= 54.3 F
127.2F with cold water. We have applied some
electrical tape to both so we have a high
Tcan = 14.3 F
120
69.5F 123.8F
87.5F 100
emissivity surface, as well as the low
emissivity of the aluminum.
73.2F
80
67.1F We are looking at them with the IR camera

ABSOLUTELY! as shown here.
Here is the thermal image, we have

blocked off the tape reading, so you can

concentrate on the aluminum. Note that
the apparent temperature difference
between the two cans, is about 14 F.
Now we will reveal the temperature

information from the black tape. Here, the
temperature difference reads over 54 F.
The aluminum reading represents a 74%
measurement error, if emissivity is not
corrected for!
5-7
Slide 17 Field Checklist Here is a field checklist you can use:

First, obtain and wear the proper safety
Proper safety gear.
gear for the job.
Consult with the facility where you are
working for the safety equipment they
require.
Slide 18 Field Checklist Make sure your IR camera is ready to use.

IR camera This means empty storage media and
batteries charged, the appropriate
empty storage media
Charged batteries
accessory lenses (telephoto, normal, or

Appropriate lens for the job
telephoto, normal, wide-
angle
battery charger (12V car or
110V if location has outlet).
wide-angle as needed for the job, and a
Digital visual camera
if IR camera not equipped
battery charger.
Note book, pen or pencils
if IR camera does not have
Text comment or voice
recording
Digital visual camera (if IR camera is not
Cell phone
for emergencies
equipped with one).
Binoculars
Note book, pen or pencils (if your IR

camera does not have Text or voice

comment capability).
Cell phone (for emergencies).
Binoculars
5-8
Slide 19 Field Checklist A portable weather station measures wind

speed, air temperature, humidity and
Portable weather
station several other factors.
wind speed For electrical work, knowing the load is
air temperature
wind chill critical to aid diagnosis, so a clamp-on
Humidity ammeter or ampstik is most useful; refer
heat index
dew point their use to a qualified electrician.
Clamp-on ammeter or
Ampstik
Used by qualified
electrician
Slide 20 Safety is the first rule Do a 5 senses check before entering the
inspection area. Do you smell oil, burning,
chemical odors, unusual sounds, something
looks unusual?
Do a 5 senses check before
entering the inspection
area.
Slide 21 Safety is the second rule Have a tailgate meeting with all personnel
to explain the safety rules and review the
Have a tailgate meeting inspection procedures.
with all personnel to
explain the safety rules and
inspection procedures
5-9
Slide 22 Safety is the third rule Do a preliminary IR survey of the entire

area, preferably with the camera alarm
Do a preliminary IR survey of
the entire area, preferably with mode set appropriately.
alarm mode set appropriately.
When you find a bad problem, freeze the IR
image and leave the area. Analyze the
image in a safe location.
When you find a bad problem,
freeze the IR image and leave
the area. Analyze the image in
a safe location.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which opened on
July 1, 1940 and dramatically collapsed into
Puget Sound on November 7 of the same year.
Slide 23 Lesson Content The examples shown in this lesson do not

necessarily demonstrate faults. The variety
Application Examples of cases is really infinite. This lesson is not
Electrical Distribution Systems
Fuses
intended to be a guideline for inspection,
Circuit Breakers however, we will provide some examples of
Transformers
Mechanical Systems where thermography can be used.
Motors
Pump
Refractory
Metallic casing
Production
Slide 24 This section will cover electrical system

inspection.
Electrical Systems
Electrical System Inspection in 1965
5-10
Slide 25 Recognizing Unbalanced Loading Let's take a look at three phase electrical
conductors and how the thermal patterns
associated with unbalanced loads appear
to the infrared camera.
Click the switch to start current flow

through the conductors.
Slide 26 Recognizing Unbalanced Loading As current flows through the conductor, the
conductor will rise in temperature.
The heat generated in a conductor is

proportional to the square of the current,
so as the load goes up, the amount of heat
generated increases exponentially. It is
recommended that IR surveys be
conducted when the system is at maximum
Electricity flows and heats the conductors
load, or at least 50% of full rated load if
possible. This will provide the highest
temperatures and the most temperature

differential to aid in locating problem areas.
Click the switch on top of the left conductor

to simulate an unbalanced load.
Slide 27 Recognizing Unbalanced Loading If one phase is experiencing a heavier load,

it will attain a higher uniform temperature.
This is the classic pattern for an unbalanced
Higher
uniform
load.
temperature
at higher
Loosen
load
Bolts
Now lets explore the classic patterns that
appear with a localized electrical resistance.
These could be caused by loose, corroded,
or dirty connections.
Click the loosen bolts button.

5-11
Slide 28 Recognizing Resistance Problems Additional heat is generated at the point of

increased resistance, and flows by
conduction to the cooler parts of the
conductor. The result is the classic hot spot
Heat is Heat is
with gradient, indicating the fault.
generated generated
at faults at faults
Slide 29 Direct and Indirect Targets A direct measurement is one where there is
little or no thermal insulation between the
Direct measurement
little or no thermal insulation
hotspot and the IR camera.
between hotspot and IR
camera
An indirect measurement is one where
Indirect measurement there is significant thermal insulation
significant thermal insulation
between target and IR between the target and the IR Camera.
Camera.
IR camera sees only the Remember that the IR camera sees only the
surface! surface!
Slide 30 Direct Targets Direct targets include:

Most switchgear Most switchgear and un-insulated
and un-insulated connections.
connections.
5-12
Slide 31 Indirect Targets Indirect targets include:

Oil circuit breakers
Oil circuit
Load tap changers
breakers Heavily insulated connections
Load tap
changers
Load break elbows
Heavily Bus ducts
insulated
connections
Load break
elbows
Bus ducts
Slide 32 Direct and Indirect Targets You may find published severity criteria that
use temperature rise as one of the
You may find published severity criteria that
use temperature rise as one of the parameters.
parameters. Be careful! Temperature rises on indirect
Be careful! Temperature rises on indirect
targets can be one-tenth to one-twentieth or targets can be one-tenth to one-twentieth
more than those on direct targets and indicate or more than those on direct targets and
a severe problem.
indicate a severe problem.
Slide 33 Direct and Indirect Targets Indirect targets, need an entirely different
You must have separate severity criteria
set of severity criteria from direct targets,
for direct and indirect targets! because they present a low temperature
rise, on the surface the infrared camera
sees, even though the temperature at the
fault can be very high.
5-13
Slide 34 Example Electrical Inspection

Criteria for Direct Measurements
Here is an example set of inspection
Temperature
Rise
Repair
Priority
Severity
Code
Remarks criteria. The standard procedure is to report
70C and above Immediate Component failure is imminent,
complete repairs immediately
all thermal anomalies as temperature rises
40C to 69C Mandatory Component failure almost certain
unless corrective action taken over a reference or normal connection,
such as "A" phase is XX degrees above
25C to 39C Important Component failure probable unless
corrective action taken
1C to 24C As Desired Component failure improbable;
corrective action required at next
maintenance period or as scheduling "C" phase. The standard reporting is in
degrees Celsius, again as a rise above
permits.
The example temperature rises listed above indicate the measured abnormal temperature
differential (rise) between the component (i.e., wire, connection, etc.) and a reference
(normal) component temperature or between the component and ambient temperature.
reference. These temperature rises are
Decisions regarding repair priorities and order of maintenance should be determined by the
magnitude of the temperature differential, electrical load, and the critical nature of the
equipment or system involved.
used to determine the severity of the
Source: NSTM Chapter 504, Table 504-17-1 and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division,
Ship Systems Engineering Station code 954 Recommended Criteria
problem and are categorized into four
levels with severity codes from one star
(minor) to four stars (immediate action

required).
The temperature rises listed above indicate
the measured abnormal temperature
differential (rise) between the component
(i.e., wire, connection, etc.) and a reference
(normal) component temperature or
between the component and ambient
temperature. Decisions regarding repair
priorities and order of maintenance should
be determined by the magnitude of the
temperature differential and the critical
nature of the equipment or system
involved.
Slide 35 How Should you Measure?
NSTM - use emissivity

Regarding Emissivity, the NSTM says to use
of 0.8 for electrical Not Here 0.8 for electrical surveys. Emissivity varies by
surveys
Report temperature
material and condition. The use of a
rises standard value provides a starting point for
Measure what assessment.
appears to be
hottest point
Example: metal to wire
lug, measure the wire
Report only temperature rises, not actual
insulation, not the lug
Measure temperatures. Very rarely will actual
Use an area box Here
temperatures be required , but when
needed, actual temperatures require actual
emissivities.
When making a temperature measurement

of an anomaly in an electrical system
measure what "appears" to be the hottest
point so in the case of a wire to lug
connection, measure the wire insulation
abutting the lug, not the lug itself. Again,
the same thing in an unlugged wire to
terminal connection, measure the wire
insulation not the "shiny" terminal.
5-14
Use an area box of the entire connection
rather than the spot meter. This makes it
much easier to measure temperatures in a
live image, it's far easier to hold a box over
the connection than trying to keep the spot
meter placed precisely on a component.
Slide 36 Lighting Panel Circuit Breaker This thermogram shows a Lighting Panel
Circuit Breaker
The connection is 12 C over the lower

connection .
The pattern is consistent with a loose

Courtesy U.S. Navy
Observation
Hot connection
Evaluation and/or deteriorated wire to terminal
Loose or deteriorated connection
Recommendation connection
Disassemble, clean, and tighten
It is recommended to disassemble the

connection; clean the wire end and the

connecting terminal prior to remaking the
connection .
Slide 37 Main Disconnect Breaker This example shows a Main disconnect

breaker
Lower left wire to contactor connection is

hot.
Before Repair After Repair
Courtesy U.S. Navy
Observation
Hot connection There was a 79 C rise over the center and
Evaluation
Poor connection. No thermal problems after repairs right connections before repair. No
Recommendation
None repairs effective
abnormal temperature rise after repairs.
The repairs were effective.

5-15
Slide 38 Main Disconnect Breaker This example shows a Motor Controller

Main Disconnect Breaker
The connection is 13 C and rising. Note

that this equipment was on-line for only a
few minutes at the time of being surveyed,
Courtesy U.S. Navy
the temperature rise will be higher with

Observation
Hot connection extended operation. For this reason the
Evaluation
Loose or deteriorated connection Repair Priority assigned is one level higher
Recommendation
than the temperature rise indicates.

The pattern is consistent with a loose

and/or deteriorated wire to terminal
connection
It is recommended to disassemble the

connection; clean the wire end and the
connection .
Slide 39 Switchboard Breaker This case involves a switchboard breaker.

Note that the breaker was thermally
Observation
surveyed from the front and rear with the

Heat originates
from front
Evaluation actual temperature being significantly
Poor

connection
Recommendation
higher at the front side of the breaker. If
Inspect, clean,
and tighten
possible, if you see something abnormal on
the front side you should always investigate
further and see if there's anything going on
at the back side of the component. Here
the indication shows that the heat is
originating on the front side of the breaker,
specifically at the breaker to fuse block

interface, and most likely thermally
conducting through to the rear side of the
breaker connections.
This thermal pattern suggests a defective

or dirty connection between the fuse
block and the breaker body and possible
loose and/or deteriorated connection at
the rear C phase connections.
Recommendations include: Remove the

fuse block from the breaker body, inspect
all of the connections within the fuse block
assembly including the connecting studs.
Check and ensure that the connecting
studs are properly torqued in position.
Clean the breaker base connecting sockets
prior to reinstalling the fuse block.
Disassemble the rear C phase
5-16
connections, clean all connecting surfaces
prior to reassembling.
Slide 40 Circuit Breakers Here is an analysis of these circuit breakers.
The temperature is uniform on all phases of

the same circuit breaker. This means that
there is probably not a load imbalance.
Courtesy Forbo Sarlino The temperature does not differ, on the

Uniform temperature on all phases same phase, between the input and output.
OK
Uniform temperature - input to output
Since the breaker has a uniform
OK temperature, this indicates there is no
internal heating which could be due to
faulty contacts.
You may notice that the temperature differs
between cables and other components.
The materials are not the same, and the
heat exchanges are different. However, the
temperatures exhibit a normal range for
fully loaded components.
5-17
Slide 41 Electrical inspection
The temperature is slightly higher on the

central cable when compared to the others,
and its displayed value is close to 54 C.
There is no sign of localized overheating on

Temperature slightly higher on Temperature limits the component itself, so the system may be
unbalanced.
central cable 70C for majority of PVC cables
No overheating on component 90C for ethylene-propylene
Cant see entire cable cables
Check the load with an ammeter.

Might be load imbalance 90C for reticulated polyethylene
cables
Check load with ammeter
Should never exceed these values
Note that the full load copper-core

maximum temperature depends on the

cable type. Some examples:
70 C for the majority of PVC
cables,
90 C for ethylene-propylene
cables,
90 C for reticulated polyethylene
cables,
Therefore, in no case should the measured

external temperature exceed these values.
Slide 42 Motor Contactor This thermogram shows a Motor Contactor

lug to terminal connection
The connection is 34 C hotter than adjacent

connections
Observation
Courtesy U.S. Navy
It consistent with a loose and/or

Hot connection
Evaluation
deteriorated wire lug to terminal

Loose or deteriorated connection
Recommendation
connection
Is is recommended to disassemble the

connection; clean the wire lug and the

connection.
5-18
Slide 43 Motor Contactor This thermogram shows a Motor Controller

Main Contactor Assembly
The connection is 10 C over the center and

lower connections . Note the classic
thermal gradient.
Courtesy U.S. Navy
Observation
Hot connection It consistent with a loose and/or
Evaluation
Loose or deteriorated connection deteriorated wire lug to terminal
Recommendation
Disassemble, clean, and tighten connection
Is is recommended to disassemble the

connection; clean the wire lug and the
connection.
Slide 44 Upper center fuse block This is the Upper center fuse block of a
power distribution box.
We have a hot connection at the fuse here.
Courtesy U.S. Navy

Probably due to a poor connection;
Observation
Hot connection at fuse
Evaluation Note that the repair was successful
Poor connection
Repair Successful
Slide 45 Hydraulic Oil Sump Tank Heater

Element Fuse Block
Here is a Hydraulic Oil Sump Tank Heater
Element Fuse Block
All components are effectively at ambient

temperature indicating there is no current
flow. Note the burn mark on the center
Observation
Courtesy U.S. Navy fuse body; at least two of the three fuses

Fuse and wiring at ambient temperature
Evaluation
may be blown. Most thermographers look

Open circuit
Recommendation
for "hot" components, but sometimes, it's
Inspect elements and connections, replace or repair what isn't hot that is the problem. With only
two of the three elements operational, it
will take longer to reach operating

temperature and the two operating
element assemblies will be overburdened.
None of these items would be detected or
discovered under routine maintenance.
The most common cause of the problem
(i.e., open circuit) is either a blown fuse or a
5-19
wire connection "burned off" at the heater
element assembly, which is quite common
due the cycling of the heater and the
constant heating and cooling of the
element connections. Of course,
sometimes the connection is intact and the
fuse is blown because of a high resistance
connection at the heater element (the wire
has not burned off yet).
There is an open or break in the circuit.

Further investigation found that
connections to the heater terminals had
burned free and caused extensive heat
stress damage to other connections.
Investigate the circuitry for heater No. 1

and repair, rewire, and/or replace
components as required.
Slide 46 Cold Fuse This is the Fuse Block for a Heater Element.
Here we have a cold fuse.
This is a blown fuse or there is another

Courtesy U.S. Navy
break in the circuit. However as evidenced
Observation by the discoloration and heat stress

Fuse is cold
Evaluation damage at the lower fuse clip it is most

Loose clip connection
Recommendation
likely the fuse is blown due to a loose fuse
Replace fuse and recheck
clip connection. The temperature rise
caused by a loose connection would have
caused the fuse to blow prematurely.
It is recommended to replace the fuse and

fuse clip assembly. Bring heater on line
and ensure that the fuse has not blown
again. Ensure that the unit remains on line
for 24 hours and recheck the fuse again. If
the fuse is intact and there is no current
flow investigate the unit for a possible open
circuit.
5-20
Slide 47 3 pole circuit breaker These cables show 3 different temperatures on this 3 pole circuit breaker. The
temperature values are acceptable.
There is no sign of a localized "hot spot, the cables have an even temperature along
their length.
There is however evidence of load imbalance.
Is it dangerous ? Probably not.

Actually, this 3-phase small circuit breaker is connected to the lighting: one phase per
geographical zone in a workshop.
Cables show 3 different temperatures

Even temperature along each cables length
Pattern suggests load imbalance
Probably OK
Check load
Slide 48 Transformer Lets look at this transformer.
During normal operation, the magnetic

circuit of a transformer always presents a
relatively high temperature, about 45 C for
instance.
Transformers normally hot ~ 45C

Bad connection temperature can be lower than
Finding a faulty connection can be difficult
transformer body because its temperature may be below the
Thermally tune!
temperature of the transformer itself.
This is where thermal tuning to the lower

temperature can help.
Slide 49 Motor Protection Circuit Breaker The measured temperature on this

component is about 41 C. What can we
conclude from this?
The absolute temperature itself is not the

only criterion to be taken into consideration
when conducting electrical inspections.
Absolute temperature not the only criterion

Compare temperatures of like equipment
Since breakers 7Q8, 7Q5, and 7Q6 are all
Check loading on center breaker to further the same, you would expect they would all
investigate exhibit the same temperatures if they are
operating under identical loads.
So comparing the temperatures between

would be a better indicator of their
condition.
Check the loads to further analyze.
5-21
Slide 50 Terminal Strips
Here we have a localized hot spot on a

grounding cable.
Note the thermal gradient cooling with

distance from the point of heat generation.
This is a classical pattern of a localized
Hot spot on grounding cable
resistance increase.

Note the thermal gradient from the point of heat generation
Probably a loose set screw
Electrician should tighten
The possible cause: a loose set screw.
This is easy to fix at the time of inspection;

however, a licensed electrician needs to be
perform this task.
Slide 51 15 Kv Transformer Here is a 15 Kv transformer.
On such an old piece of equipment,

inspection should not be limited to the
electrical connections. Transformers can
contain pyralen or PCBs, which could
transform into dioxin in case of excessive
heating such as a fire or short circuit.

Inspection should not be limited to electrical connections
Case temperature should be compared to manufacturers maximum Dioxins are highly toxic.
allowable values
The overall temperature of the transformer

casing should be compared to the

maximum allowable value, based on
published data.
5-22
Slide 52
Excessive fuse temperatures may result from overload, misuse, incorrect application,
Fuses etc. The temperatures and patterns depend on the type of fuse being inspected, and
the load.
Excessive temperature may result from

overload, misuse, incorrect application, etc.
Slide 53 Now we are going to look at various

mechanical systems.
Mechanical Systems
Slide 54 Mechanical Applications Mechanical applications of infrared

APPLICATION CONDITIONS DETECTED thermography involve applications that
Drives/Conveyors, Pillow Blocks, Overheated bearings or rollers, misalignment of shaft, pulley or coupling,
Couplings, Gears, Power
Transmission Belts, Pulleys, Shafts.
lubrication failure uneven pressure.
include the analysis of rotating equipment,
faulty insulation, and leaks and flow
Motors Overheating of windings and bearings, blockages in cooling passages,
friction, damping, material deformations, brush contact problems,
rotors
restrictions in pipes and valves. The table

Pumps/Compressors/Fans/ Overheated bearings, high compressor discharges temperature, high oil
Blowers temperature, and broken or defective valve.
Internal Combustion Engines Valve or injector malfunction, blocked radiator tubes and oil coolers.
illustrates several of the applications.

Thermal distribution, high radiator inlet or outlet temperature.
Heavy Duty Equipment - Tires, Overheating brakes, tires, bearings, pulleys, gears, gear or pulley
Bearings, Brakes, Hydraulics, Kilns, misalignment, and blockages in hydraulics.
Ball Mills, Paper Machines
Mechanical Drive High lube oil temperature, high bearing temperatures, drain valve
Turbines and Small Turbine blockage, steam trap blockage, faulty stop/control valve operation,
Generator Units, Gas Turbine, Exhaust uneven metal temperature, leaking shaft seals, gas turbine firing
Ducts conditions, including deterioration in firing chambers, cross firing
tubes.
Ovens, Furnaces, Kilns, Pipes Location and severity of damaged insulation, location of steam leaks in
buried steam lines,
Valves: Shutoff Valves, Relief Valves, Leakage, blockage.
Steam Traps
5-23
Slide 55 How Does it Work?
All mechanical systems generate thermal

Mechanical Systems generate heat
energy during normal operation which
Problems can display as excessive heat by allows infrared thermography to evaluate

Friction
Cooling Degradation
their operating condition.
Material Loss
Blockages
One of the biggest problems in mechanical
Thermal pattern doesnt necessarily mean a
problem systems is excessive temperatures. This
Knowledge of system essential
Pattern must be compared to normal signature
excessive heat can be generated by
friction, cooling degradation, material loss
or blockages. An excessive amount of
friction can be caused by wear,

misalignment, over or under lubrication and
misuse.
Since most equipment or processes are

designed to eliminate thermal energy
under normal operation, simply identifying
a thermal pattern does not mean a problem
has been located. The thermographer
must be familiar with the mechanical
components being evaluated. Once a
normal thermal signature is obtained and
understood, any deviation from this normal
signature will then provide evidence of a
suspect problem developing.
Slide 56 Limitations
In mechanical applications, thermography

More useful for locating problem area than
is more useful for locating a problem area
finding cause than for indicating the cause of the
Heat produced not directly visible to camera
Heat must be conducted to surface
overheating.
Use thermography with other diagnostic
technologies
Vibration
The heat is usually produced within a
Oil Analysis component that is not visible directly to the
Ultrasound
camera. That heat must conduct up
through the material and present itself as a
pattern on the surface of the object in
order for the infrared camera to sense it.
Other equipment such as vibration analysis,

oil analysis, and ultrasound can be
employed to further determine where the
problem actually lies.
5-24
Slide 57 Refractory A refractory is a material with a high

melting point, which makes it useful as a
barrier between the heat source and a
material that you don't want to melt, like
the sides of an oven.
Thermography is used to locate and
quantify areas with damaged or missing
refractory in furnaces, ovens, blast furnaces,

Acts as heat barrier for high temperature equipment
Thermography can find missing or damaged refractory transfer ladles, and distillation columns. The
sides of this vessel check out OK.
Slide 58 Lime Kiln The red areas indicate refractory damage in

this lime kiln. The refractory lining of the
kilns eventually wears out and must be
replaced. If it is not, the steel shell can
overheat and fail. Thermography is ideally
suited for locating and measuring the
temperature of areas where refractory has
Red areas indicate refractory damage in this lime kiln
failed. Continuous tracking allows kiln
operators to maximize the amount of time
they can operate until a shutdown for
refractory repair is necessary.
Slide 59 Belts and Pulleys Belts and pulleys are good candidates for
Belts running at temperatures exceeding 170 C due to misalignment thermographic inspection.
The interaction of the pulley wheel and the

belt generates friction as the belt contacts
and then leaves the pulley surface.
Additionally, the continuous tension and
Interaction between pulley and belt generates compression of the belt causes internal
heat
friction. Both of these processes result in
Compare thermal patterns of several systems
heat being generated which can be seen
with the infrared camera.
Comparing the thermal patterns of several

pulley belt systems can provide clues to
improper operation. The temperature
distribution across a pulley sheave should
be uniform if everything is working as
intended.
5-25
Slide 60 Bearings and Belts Many bearings and belt/rope systems can
be difficult to monitor with Ultrasound and
Vibration tools. IR can be used to safely
observe components from a distance, and
gather information quickly.
Conveyor System Roller Bearings
Slide 61 Bearings Bearing problems are generally found by a

Vertical motor pump combination displaying elevated temperature in lower thrust bearing comparison of surface temperatures;
comparing one bearing to another working
under similar conditions. Overheating
conditions are documented as hot spots
with the infrared camera and are usually
found in comparing equipment to
equipment, end bell to end bell (for the
Problems are generally found by comparison of
same type of bearings) and stator to end
similar components under similar conditions bell temperatures (determined by motor
design and configuration).
5-26
Slide 62 Bearings Some bearings are equipped with

thermocouples or RTDs that will give you
close to the actual bearing temperature. IR
cameras can obtain accurate temps from
*>205.2F
200.0
150.0
non-metallic painted bearing housings.
This will, however, be an indirect reading.
100.0
50.0
0.0 Some bearings take up more thrust or

radial load than others. Ensure that a hot
*<-4.0F
Courtesy Frank Vereb, ISI
Overhead Industrial Fan Bearing Pillow block bearing problem

bearing isnt hotter than others based on
Confirm findings with other testing methods
its position and purpose in a system.
Baseline thermal data and comparison are
keys for successful inspection.

Be sure to confirm suspicions with other
testing technologies like vibration and
ultrasound.
Slide 63 Pipe Sediment The condition of the pipes and a process

itself can often be monitored with an
infrared camera.
Buildup of product debris in a pipe will
usually show up as a temperature
differential in a section of pipe.
Buildup of product debris will usually display as
After the buildup has been removed,
a temperature differential thermography can be used to verify that
Thermography can verify if cleaning was
successful
the work has been completed satisfactorily.
This pipe was found to have a sludge
accumulation in the bottom of the pipe.
This condition is common for this system,

but infrared indicates that the amount of
accumulation is enough to justify
maintenance of the pipe.
5-27
Slide 64 Steam Traps
The function of a steam trap is to discharge

Steam traps discharge condensate while not permitting the
condensate while not
permitting the escape of live
steam escape of live steam.
Can be tricky to diagnosis.
Confirmation with an
ultrasonic probe
recommended
Look for heat pulse at exit
Steam traps can be tricky to diagnosis.
while trap is discharging
condensate Confirmation with an ultrasonic probe is
always recommended.
If you see it, trap is probably
ok
If you dont investigate
further
Generally you want to look for a heat pulse

at the exit while the trap is discharging
condensate. If you see it, the trap is

probably discharging condensate properly.
If you dont, further investigation is
necessary.
Slide 65 Motors Motors convert electrical energy to

mechanical energy and are used to drive
pumps, gears, levers, etc.
The electrical energy is not perfectly
converted to mechanical motion, with the
by product being heat. So all working
motors have a characteristic thermal
pattern.
Have characteristic thermal pattern
Compare patterns and temperatures Motors are best inspected by comparing
To baseline data the thermal patterns and temperatures
between the same motor, or similar motors
working in the same conditions over time.

This involves acquiring baseline reference
thermograms and temperature values.
Slide 66 Pump Here is a small hydraulic pump.

Note the temperature difference between
the inlet and outlet.
A baseline is very important when making
later surveys of machines or components,
and comparing them with previous results
of the same machines operating under the
Note temperature difference between inlet and same load and environmental conditions.
outlet This condition monitoring procedure is
Baseline data important here too
useful for identifying developing problems
early, thus preventing major maintenance
operations or catastrophic failures.
5-28
Slide 67 Pump This is a high temperature centrifugal

pump. A centrifugal pump can be divided
in 2 parts: the rotating section and the
stationary housing.
Thermography may help finding a faulty
internal component, preventing the pump
to work properly. These might include a
Thermography can help find
Impeller damage damaged impeller, worn bearings,
Worn bearings
Shaft imbalance
unbalanced shaft, etc.
Regular inspections allow trending Inspecting on a regular basis using a
maintenance plan allows for trending and
prediction; but it is not an exact science.
Slide 68 Quality Assessment Thermography is a great tool to monitor

production processes.
Thermal transfers are always present in a
process and thermography can find
problems and allow you to correct them at
any stage in your development; R&D, pilot
production, and production.
Thermography can monitor production processes at any
stage
R&D
Pilot production
Production
Slide 69 Exhaust Leak in Lagging Thermography can be an effective tool to

locate damaged or deficient lagging. This
image pair shows an exhaust leak in some
insulation lagging.
Courtesy U.S. Navy
5-29
Slide 70 Thermography in the Supermarket Have you ever thought about using
thermography in your local supermarket?
Think about it, you have lighting,
refrigeration, and freezers. Not only can
you use thermography to monitor the
condition of the equipment, but you can
also use it to find problems leading to food
Courtesy Stephen Moore, Intrinsic Energies Indications, LLC
spoilage.
Refrigeration problem in cheese display case
clearly shown by thermography Here we are looking at shredded cheese
packages hanging on long pegs in a
display case. Note that the refrigeration has
a problem causing several packages to

exceed 60 F. These are not the packages
you want to take home!
Slide 71
PROPERTIES
On passing, 'Finish' button: Goes to Slide
On failing, 'Finish' button: Goes to Slide
Allow user to leave quiz: After user has completed quiz
User may view slides after quiz: At any time
User may attempt quiz: Just Once
Slide 72 Thank you for watching this lesson. To learn

more about infrared thermography, its use,
End of Lesson and applications, please contact us at the
Learn More at
Infrared Training Center.
www.infraredtraining.com
5-30
Slide 73 In this lesson we are going to cover some

general guidelines for performing building
Building Inspection Overview inspections.
Slide 74 Why IR Building Inspections? We inspect buildings for many reasons:
Building performance
To verify building performance to
Insulation verification specifications or required conditions.
Locate air leakage
Structural verification
Moisture intrusion
To ascertain that the insulation is installed
and in good condition.
To locate air leakage, a big waster of

energy, a big factor in comfort, and
generally economical to fix.
We can verify structural design and quality.
We can locate moisture and monitor the

effectiveness of remediation operations.
Slide 75 Warning
An infrared inspection alone should never

Dont make decisions based on IR alone
be used as a decision point for further
Verify with other methods actions. There are several reasons why a

Visual
Moisture meter
thermal pattern might be seen.
Drawings

Data logging
Tracer gases
Always verify suspicions and finds with
other methods such as visual examination,
moisture meters, construction drawings,
humidity and temperature logging, and
tracer gases.
5-31
Slide 76 Conditions for Insulation Checks Here are the general conditions necessary
for effective insulation inspections:
Inside/outside T of at least 10
C (18 F), Canada 15 C (28 F) First of all, we generally need at least a
Stable temperatures
temperature difference of 10 C or 18 F
Inspect at night several hours
after sunset between the interior and exterior of the
No or very low wind if building, more is better. In Canada, the
inspecting from outside
Inspect from both inside and recommendation is 15 C or 27 F.
outside
Know construction details
We are looking for stable temperatures
whenever possible. A cloudy overcast day
will provide more temperature stability than

a very sunny day. Low wind speed will be
more stable than a gusty windy day.
Inspect buildings at night several hours

after sunset. This allows heat from the sun
absorbed during the day to dissipate.
If performing an exterior inspection, low

wind speed is a must. A high wind can wash
the thermal patterns away.
Whenever possible, inspect from both the

inside and the outside of the building.
And finally, its crucial to understand the

construction details of the building you are
inspecting.
Slide 77 Tip: Remove Pictures from Walls We are going to learn about the effect wall
coverings such as pictures have on thermal
images.
When we remove this picture frame, you
will notice a cold area. This is not an
insulation defect; it is merely the fact that
the picture has added extra thermal
resistance to the wall system and has
retarded heat loss from the interior to the
outside.
In time, this area will warm up to be
consistent with the rest of the wall. Have

your client remove pictures and move
furniture away from walls several hours prior
to inspection. This will allow these wall
areas to come to the same steady state
conditions as the rest of the wall surfaces.
Doing this will allow a survey to be
performed in less time with greater
accuracy.
5-32
Slide 78 Insulation Inspection Tips Here are some tips for Insulation void
inspections.
Account for sun and wind
Both increased T and decreased insulation will Always account for the sun and wind. Ask
contribute to seeing thermal anomalies
questions like Was the sun shining earlier
Patterns tell a story
Shape on this elevation? Was it partly cloudy and
Location windy today?
Intensity
Find out how long the temperature inside

and outside the house has been
maintained. Thermal patterns will not
appear if the heat was started an hour

before the inspection, it takes time for the
building components to adjust. The greater
the temperature difference, the easier it will
be to find the problems.
Thermal patterns tell a story. Wispy

patterns are indicative of air movement.
Defined patterns between studs indicate
possible insulation voids.
5-33
Slide 79 Insulation Defects / Air Leakage As we scan around this room we can see an
area of missing insulation and a little air
leakage at this corner. The insulation is
either missing or not fitted well.
As we look further, we find an area where
the insulation has not been fitted properly.
Note the insulation problem around this air
diffuser. Due to the tight space available,
the air conditioning installers did not make
the effort to insure that the insulation was
properly fitted around the diffuser.
Slide 80 Scanning from the Exterior We are looking at a frame construction wall
section that has been constructed in the
ITC laboratory. We are simulating the
heating season here with a higher
temperature on the inside of the structure.
We are viewing the exterior.
We can easily see areas lacking insulation
here; and here.
And we can see some areas here, where we
have a reduced insulation level.
The studs show up warm because they
dont have as high a thermal resistance as

insulated areas.
The darker areas here and here represent
well insulated sections.
Slide 81 Air Leakage Location Hints To find air leakage:
Inside/outside T can be much less

The temperature differential can be much
Inspect from both sides less critical but the larger the differential,
Infiltration
Exfiltration
the easier it will be to find air movement.
Use a blower door
Inspect from both sides, inside and out.
This way you can catch exfiltration as well
as infiltration.
If possible, use a blower door, it really helps

you find leaks by creating a pressure

differential. This drives all the air leaks one
way, and thats into the structure.
5-34
Slide 82 Air Leakage These patterns are typical of air leakage.

You can see they look very wispy.
It is suspected that the insulation has not
been fitted properly, leaving an air gap
under the insulation at the ceiling interface,
and so cold air is finding its way under the
insulation.
Slide 83 Interior Moisture Inspection Tips Here are some more considerations for
interior moisture inspections.
Evaporation, wet bulb, and dew point
important You cant find moisture very easily if the wet
Reflective surfaces, hot or cold sources.
bulb temperature is close to the air
temperature, the moist areas will not cool
much through evaporation. Try and inspect
in conditions where you have good
evaporative cooling conditions.
Reflective surfaces can be evaluated by

placing masking or electricians tape on the

surface. This raises the emissivity allowing a
more accurate determination of the
surfaces condition.
Slide 84 Moisture in Drywall We are going to look at some drywall now

to find moisture.
You will notice these dark areas. This is due
to the cooling effect from water
evaporation.
You can see the trail that the water has
made on the inside of the drywall.
5-35
Slide 85 Solar Absorption Materials naturally absorb heat from the

sun and therefore heat up. Do not confuse
Materials naturally absorb heat from the sun
and therefore heat up. Do not confuse this this heating with a fault.
heating with a with a fault.
Church in Stockholm - Sweden:

- Direct sun The steeple is warmer here,
- No cloud >>> apparent reflected but this is normal.
temperature very low, ca. -50C
2009-02-05 Application Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center Page 85
Slide 86 Solar Heating Another example of normal heating from

the sun.
Materials naturally absorb heat from the sun
and therefore heat up. Dont interpret this as a
problem.
The wall is warmer

here, but this is
normal.
Condominium in Reims - France:

- Direct sun partially on facade
- No cloud >>> apparent reflected
temperature very low, ca. -50C
Slide 87 Time of Inspection Inspection from the exterior should be

done at night, at least 2 hours after sunset,
Exterior Inspection
Performed at night
for low thermal capacity materials, and
Low thermal more than 4 hours after sunset, for high
capacity materials thermal capacity materials.
At least 2 hours
after sunset
High thermal
capacity materials
More then 4 hours
after sunset House in Stockholm - Sweden: In winter,
daylight ends at around 15:30. Note the
current time.
5-36
Slide 88 Beware of Reflections Beware of reflections. Here is a reflection of

the camera operator in a window taken
from the inside.
19.5C is not the glass surface temperature!!!!!
Slide 89 Reflections Here is the reflection of a heating unit on a

tile floor.
Reflection on ceramic tiles. There is not a heater in the floor!!
Slide 90 Exterior Reflections This thermogram depicts common

reflections you might see when looking at
the exterior of a building.
The sky
The top of the

opposite building
The opposite
building
5-37
Slide 91 Water Pipe Location The IR camera has been used here to
identify and locate water pipes located in
the concrete slab under this floor.
Localization of water pipes in a concrete slab, before drilling.
Slide 92
PROPERTIES
On passing, 'Finish' button: Goes to Next Slide
On failing, 'Finish' button: Goes to Next Slide
User may attempt quiz: Unlimited times
Slide 93 Air Leakage Here we have air leakage around an

entrance door. We have used a technique
called image mosaicing to form a larger
thermogram from two smaller ones. This
technique is very useful for building
thermography applications. You can do this
with many computer programs, one of the
easiest would be PowerPoint.
Entrance door. Air leakage.
Larger thermogram constructed from 2 original ones.
5-38
Slide 94 Air Leakage Here we have an indication of air leakage

around a balcony door.
Balcony door. Air leakage
Slide 95 Missing Insulation The cold spot is an area where insulation is

missing behind the wall board.
This is probably an area where a hole was
first drilled for installing an electrical outlet.
Insulation missing behind plaster.

Hole was drilled for installing an electrical outlet?
Slide 96 Missing Insulation and More This cold area suggests that insulation is
Insulation Indication that a groove missing behind the wall board here.
missing behind
wall board
and a hole were first drilled
for installing an electrical And this cold area indicates that
outlet
preparations were made to install an
electrical outlet.
5-39
Slide 97 Locate Heating Pipes in Walls IR can help locate pipes in walls. Just run
hot (or cold) water through the pipes and
wait for the patterns to appear.
Central heating pipes, hidden behind the surface.

See the red lines in the visible image.
Slide 98
PROPERTIES
On passing, 'Finish' button: Goes to Slide
On failing, 'Finish' button: Goes to Slide
User may attempt quiz: Just Once
Slide 99 Thank you for watching this lesson. To learn

more about infrared thermography, its use,
End of Lesson and application, please contact us at the
www.infraredtraining.com
Infrared Training Center.
5-40

Next Steps
Slide 1 Congratulations on completing your course. This lesson
will provide you with some important resources you can
Next Steps use during your thermography career. Click the right
Continuing Your Education
arrow button below to continue.
2009-05-29 Next Steps 2009 Infrared Training Center 1
Slide 2 Links to IR Resources
Message boards
http://www.infraredtraining.com/community/boards/
InfraMationNewsletter
http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=06742e
InfraMationConference
http://www.inframation.org/

PROPERTIES
Allow user to leave interaction:
Show Next Slide Button:
Completion Button Label:
Anytime
Show always
Next Slide ThermographyPrimer
http://www.infraredtraining.com/ir_primer.asp
InfraredTrainingCenterWebsite
http://www.infraredtraining.com/
FLIRSystemsProductSupport
http://flir.custhelp.com/app/home
N-1

Next Steps
Slide 3 Links to Courses
ThermographyBasics On Demand Web

http://irtraining.inquisiq.com/catalog/coursedetails.asp?caid=0&crid=9023
BuildingScienceCertification
http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/building_sciences.asp
IntrotoWeatherization
http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/ir_weatherization.asp
PROPERTIES
WeatherizationCertification
Show Next Slide Button:
Completion Button Label:
Show always
Next Slide http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/weatherization_certification.asp

LevelIThermographyCertification
http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/level1.asp
RoofInspection
http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/roof.asp
ElectricalInspection
http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/electrical.asp
R&D Training
http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/rnd.asp
Slide 4
PROPERTIES
Show Next Slide Button: Show always
Completion Button Label: Next Slide
Slide 5 Thanks. Its been our honor and pleasure helping you
get the maximum benefit out of your infrared
Thanks! thermography program. We hope to see you at
Its been our honor and pleasure!
another course soon!
N-2

Thermography Basics Manual Rev 2.1

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Thermography Basics Manual Rev 2.1

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Course Manual

Infrared Training Center 25 Esquire Rd. N. Billerica, MA 01862

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 2

We will have a quiz at the conclusion to test

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 4

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 1

Slide 2 Has Red Fred been lying on the

Oh no! Nabbed. Apparently Red Fred

and tell a story. Thats what capturing a

Slide 3 Lesson objectives In this lesson we will discuss the qualities of

And Palette Choice

There are three image properties that can

Slide 5 Poor Focus = Unprofessional As with any camera, an IR camera must be

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 5

Slide 6 Good Focus = Better

You cant refocus after storing an image

Size does matter

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 7

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 8

The small spot provides a lower reading

Your FLIR camera has a calibrated spot

put on a telephoto lens, move closer to the

But please dont compromise safety for the

Slide 11 Thermal Tuning Once the image is in optical focus, it is

Thermal tuning involves adjusting the level,

Temperature Span is the part within the

And Level is the middle point of the

captured data only goes to 320 F.

By adjusting the span controls we can make

Slide 15 Level Adjusting the level allows us to change the

Slide 16 Thermal Tuning 1 Thermal Tuning defines the process of

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 16

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 17

Slide 18 Importance of Thermal Tuning 2 We have changed the temperature span

Its very subtle, and you wouldnt normally

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 18

Slide 19 Composition How about composing your images?

The image on the left is poorly composed.

The image on the right displays better

How the image is to be used

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 21

2009-01-30 Thermography Basics, 2009 Infrared Training Center 1

Slide 2 Learning Outcomes We are going to learn:

Electromagnetic radiation About electromagnetic radiation and where

And finally we will talk about this thing

Slide 3 Electromagnetic spectrum What is Infrared Radiation?

is often categorized by wavelength.

Short wavelength radiation is the highest

Longer wavelength radiation is lower

A rainbow shows the optical, or visible, part

We can further categorize infrared radiation

Beyond their use in weather forecasting,

these images are a life saving asset in the

The light bulb sends out light with all the

and all the wavelengths of light are

absorbed, except for the blue wavelengths

Slide 6 What an IR Camera Sees So how does an infrared camera differ?

Now what can we tell about this cup.

Perhaps its half full of hot water? You can

tell because of the line near the middle

Because this cup has a temperature, and

The infrared camera also sees reflections

Slide 8 Emission Lets take a closer look at what an IR

This is what we are after. All other sources