thermal images to get you thinking

[murdock]

i thought i would share some interesting thermal images i took today...anyone know what this image is and why it looks like this?

[murdock]

this image is a problem i find in big industrial sites...i have never seen it this bad before

[desA]

If I may ask : "What did your thermal setup cost?"

[murdock]

R70 000 + R12000 for training

R100 000 for R&D time spent doing research and pratising to get images so clear with a camera which only has 90 x 120 resolution.

ny next camera will be a ti32 with infusion...makes life a lot easier...you looking at R140 000 for this camera

i purchased the camera just as a back for fault finding and to commision my projects...but i now use it for a lot more...i do research for sea world on the dolphins as part of my charity work.

i use it for game drives to find animals without having to use a big spot light

i use it to find hotspots on electrical panels

verify steam traps are working corrently

to check liquid levels in tanks

i used it to check my daughter after her operation to make sure there was no infections around her wound which we did find and took her back so they could sort her out and to find out what is wrong with her for example when she had a throat infection or ear infestions

we busy with some research to see whether or not light theropy is gona work on scary creatures

use it to check motor vehicle cooling systems...to verify if the water is working or radiator

i check transformers to make sure they are cooloing correctly

unbalanced loads on electrical distribution systems

i check plastic injection moulds to verify even distibution of heat across the moulds

horse legs for breaks and swelling

the list just goes on and on

i have even considered helping out at clinics to check children waiting in que who require urgent attention or to check children in classrooms to see if any are running temperatures

here is an example of my daughter with an ear and throat infection...she cant talk so it is difficult to find out what is wrong...when she gets niggly i just do a full body thermal check and if there are infections arounf her cuts or throat etc
they show then print the thermal image anf take it with to the doc

[murdock]

this is the actual photo of the top thermal image a gland entry consisting of 36 single core cables made off into a steel plate with steel glands...average current 2700 amps

[murdock]

this is the photo of the second image where the cables are going either side of a metal support causing heating.

[desA]

I love these thermal imaging devices. They are incredibly useful.

Where are you based, Murdock?

[desA]

this is the photo of the second image where the cables are going either side of a metal support causing heating.

Seems like they made their own induction heater.

[murdock]

here is an image i took after the repairs where done to my bakkie cooling system...water pump packed up...scanned found problem then repaired and verified repairs done correctly and in working order

[murdock]

when i showed this customer the liquid level in his tank he couldnt believe i could do it.

[murdock]

this is probably the most important image i have ever taken with the thermal imager...my daughter 3 months old at the time had just come out of hospital from major surgery...a short while later i scanned her and found heating around the wound...so i took her back hospital...the doctors found the cut had got infection...because we caught it so soon they manged to use needles to remove the stuff without having to cut again...and monitored her on a daily basis...she has since recovered nicely.

the image shows heating lower down but that is just from legs...the part of interest is in the block around the cut.

[murdock]

this image is of one of the drains of a refrigeration plant indoor unit...i check all the drain heaters are working correctly...otherwise the water freezes and blocks the drain...part of my commissioning proceedure...this plant we got down to -20 degrees C

[murdock]

also part of my standard commissioning proceedure...checking the compressors to make sure they have even temp. so we know they are all in good running order...a full radiometric infrared scan is also carried out on all electrical components to check for loose connections and hotspots...i also carry out a full power quality test during commissioning to make sure the incoming electrical supply is correct...there are no harmonics...the motors are running at the correct current...i check for volt drop on start up and inrush current...to verify all the cables are correctly rated...over and above the standard COC tests...it takes a little longer than normal but i walk away from the plant and sleep well at night.

that is why my company logo is

"doing it right first time everytime"

[murdock]

now you ask yourself what the...this is an image of light fitings in a supermarket which i do maintenance...electricians will understand why this image is so imporatnat...i scan all the rows of fittings then record which have slightly higher temps...then when i have a circuit go down i dont have to open all the fitting to find which one blew the ballast...and ninety nine percent of the time its the last one you open...this way i note which ballasts had higher temps and the one with the highest temp is normally the first one to go so i save my customer and myself half a day opening fittings to try determine which one is faulty...it works like a charm.

[murdock]

you can see ballast heat better in this palette...