Thermal imaging cameras use advanced imaging technology to analyze temperature differences on a surface or object to pinpoint problems like leakages and malfunctioning electrical equipment The process of analyzing the images is called thermography, while the image is called a thermo gram. Thermal images displayed on the screen are fed to a sophisticated software program to analyze further and detect temperature anomalies. These temperature differences are presented in the form of easily readable reports and temperature readings.
Thermal imaging cameras have multiple applications far and beyond household applications, including diagnosis and inspection of complex electrical and mechanical systems and components. Let us look at some of the most complex and sophisticated use of thermal imaging:
Maintenance of Electrical Wiring
You can use thermal imaging extensively for electrical maintenance. For example, technicians work on power lines while using the images for locating and pinpointing joints and parts emitting more heat than the stronger joints or parts. Thermal imaging also helps locate loose connections and identify machines that need to be replaced.
For Identifying Spots where Leakage is Occurring
Thermal imaging is also used to identify spots where leaks are possibly occurring through pipes and walls. As you can use the devices from a certain distance and no physical contact with the equipment being tested is necessary, thermal imaging is perfect for locating problems in hard-to-reach equipment or those that may carry safety risks for workers.
Thermal imaging also helps identify leaks that may make thermal insulation faulty and hamper temperature regulation inside buildings. It can also help analyze where the faults are in a building’s structure. For example, heat loss from walls, doors, windows, and HVAC equipment are commonly occurring thermal performance shortcomings that a thermal imager can quickly identify.
Animal and Pest Management
Surprisingly, animal and pest management are two fields where thermal imagers have many uses. For example, you can locate pests and animals in the dark and hard-to-reach corners of roofs without climbing upon them. You can also detect termite activity inside walls and furniture. They also make it possible to conduct animal surveys keeping the entire process non-intrusive and non-evasive.
Transport Navigation
Thermal imaging makes traveling after dark much safer. It is being used extensively in maritime navigation to spot other ships, obstructions, or people out in the seas when it’s night. Recently, vehicles have also adopted this technology to spot animals, people, and other vehicles outside the reach of the headlights or beyond the streetlights.
Healthcare and Medicine
There are practical uses of thermal imaging in the healthcare and medicine sector since it can gauge anomalies in temperature and fever. This has been a boon in the travel sector. It has helped identify travelers with high temperatures at airports and other passenger facilities during the outbreak of diseases like SARS, Ebola, and Covid-19. Thermal imaging has also been instrumental in diagnosing several ailments in the neck, back, and limbs. It has also helped identify circulatory problems.
Fire Fighting
Thermal imaging has come as a boon for firefighters as it helps them see through smoke, which makes it much easier for them to rescue people in a dangerous environment. The technology also helps locate spot fires making it possible to extinguish them before they spread any farther.
Law Enforcement
The police force has begun using thermal imaging, extensively incorporating imagers into their surveillance equipment which helps locate suspects in the dark. It also helps investigators investigate crime scenes. Thermal imagers can also help in search and rescue operations as it helps those involved in such operations continue their mission through the night. They need no ambient light and remain unaffected by bright lights, making them superior to night-vision devices.
Science and Research
Thermal imagers help in science and research, as they can visualize heat patterns accurately and precisely.
Counter Surveillance
Surveillance equipment like listening devices or hidden cameras used covertly consume some energy giving off waste heat even if it is tiny. As thermal imagers can detect objects giving off heat, thermal imaging helps locate spying gadgets even if they are hidden inside objects or behind them.
Vehicle Maintenance
Capable of detecting heat, infrared cameras can spot mechanical issues in vehicles such as leakages in the exhaust pipes, overheating bearings, or uneven temperatures in engine parts. Identifying these issues in your vehicle helps in proper maintenance, telling you when the vehicle needs a repair.
Non-Destructive Testing
Infrared non-destructive testing makes detection of voids, water inclusion in composite materials, and delaminations possible. In addition, there’s no need for any physical contact of the thermal imager with the equipment being tested. Just holding it against any surface the equipment may be concealed behind is enough to carry out the necessary tests.
Fun Home Uses
Now that you’ve got a thermal imaging camera, you can have some fun with it. A thermal imaging camera can help you find those hard-to-spot studs on your walls so you can hang your favorite showpiece. You can use it to detect when your baby’s milk is ideally warm. You’ll also be able to know when your beer is chilled and ready to drink.
Conclusion
Thermal imaging is an effective and compact method of spotting heat patterns and then measuring them. The technology has proved helpful in various functions and helped prevent disasters like fire through timely preventive maintenance like repairing leakages. It has various industrial and other uses, and it has helped people in risky professions like fire fighting by helping them see through smoke. Rescue and search operations have become more effective as thermal imaging can help see in the dark. With both residential and industrial applications, thermal imagers have proved to be handy devices. They look all set to being used more extensively.
