What is Infrared thermography?
Infrared thermography is the acquisition and analysis of thermal information using specialized imaging devices. Simply put, it is the science behind measuring differences in temperatures. When this imaging method is married with drone technology a lot of very exciting and informative uses cases become available.
This introduction highlights a few use cases showing how thermal imaging can be used to save time and money. A few examples of valuable use cases are roofing inspections, building energy efficiency, electrical systems and mechanical systems.
In the case of roofing inspections, thermal imaging provides a fast and effective way to identify water damage and potential leaks. This allows the owner to quickly take action to fix the damaged area reducing the impact to the building and eliminates the unneeded replacement of intact roofing materials. This allows a more accurate understanding of the problem and a lower cost to get it fixed.
Thermal imaging can help identify a number of problems that lead to reduced energy efficiency in commercial and residential structures. These problems often times result in higher heating and cooling costs. Insulation deficiency, air leaks, water leaks and even concrete structure damage can be identified by careful use of this method when combined with visual imagery. Again, this will allow the owner to make smart choices to correct problems and save heating and cooling dollars.
Electrical components generate heat during normal operation and when a component is stressed or begins to fail, more heat is generated. This is a common problem in many electrical systems including breakers, transformers, switch gear, cell phone towers and solar panels. A drone equipped with a thermal imaging system can quickly identify the components based on their heat output and allows intervention before the component fails creating a costly service outage. In addition, because the technique is a passive and non-contact in nature it keeps the operator at a safe distance and doesn’t affect the target equipment.
Mechanical systems can also benefit from thermal imaging in a wide variety of ways. Tank levels, flow patterns, separation, and sludge accumulation can be monitored externally with careful thermal monitoring. In piping systems blockages, insulation break down, and leaks can also be identified using thermal imaging. Again, drone mounted thermal camera inspection offers the advantage of keeping operators away from hazardous areas while identifying problems in complex systems.
This is just a few of the use cases where thermal imaging can be applied and there are many more. The key to realizing value from this service is asking what questions are you trying to answer and how can thermal imaging can address those questions to offer value to your bottom line.
The image below shows a portion of a standard report used in reporting thermography results. Note the thermal image on the left and the standard color (RGB) image on the right. Both are required to really understand the results.
As always, be sure you’re working with a reputable service provider and know the questions you should be asking before signing on for services.
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