Infrared on windows

Through education, documented payback and industry recognition, infrared electrical system surveys are now accepted, and demanded, parts of a PPM program.

With the acceptance of this technology, a new set of challenges must be addressed — data management, efficiency and safety. One of the most basic tenants of infrared thermography is: infrared imagers do not see through metal.

Because thermal imagers cannot see through solid materials, switchgear panel covers must be opened or removed to afford line-of-sight access to subject components. In most cases, panel cover removal and replacement is the most labor-intensive aspect of an infrared inspection , causing safety, efficiency and manpower difficulties.

In some cases, these concerns threatened the continuation of infrared electrical system survey programs. The solution to this problem has been the development of a method to perform the infrared electrical system survey without removing or opening the component covers and keeping the integrity of the data collected. Installed at strategic locations on switchgear enclosures, IR windows permit infrared inspections to be conducted without having to open or remove panel covers, thereby saving time and money and improving safety.

An infrared window is an engineered optic designed to permit infrared inspections of electrical components located within switchgear enclosures. Infrared windows consist of a metal or plastic frame that supports an infrared transmissive optic. Infrared windows usually have a protective cover for the optic when they are not in use. Depending upon the window, optics may be made from crystal or polymer material.

Grills are similar to ports; however, they are usually larger in overall diameter and contain a metal plate containing multiple small diameter openings. The thermal image taken with a grill in place will show the metal plate with the electrical component data visible only through the openings. An IR window is a data collection point installed in the metal cover of the electrical switchgear.

The window consists of a backing ring, the lens, and the front ring with a cover to secure the opening. This makeup results in the lens being in a secure housing, forming a barrier between the interior and exterior environments. When selecting the IR window to install, several factors should be considered, including the following:.

Ideally, all electrical enclosures should have an IR window, provided that the installer of the IR window allows adequate access for thermal imaging. Opening lighting panels for an infrared inspection takes time, manpower and has a safety risk; however, facility budgets generally do not allocate funds to install windows everywhere.

I have a USB infrared device for transmitting information to and from a Polar heart rate monitor. The USB dongle is an off brand which I do not know. The device worked properly under Windows 7. When looking on Device Manager it appears that there is a properly functioning driver. I found a thread regarding trouble with another type of infrared device, a remote control. The thread stated that a windows 10 update kb fixed the problem with ir devices.

That update was released in mid April My windows 10 update occurred on May 15, I tried to find and install this update, but with no luck. It seems MS just sends me in circles looking for a download.

This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. Threats include any threat of suicide, violence, or harm to another. Figure 9 shows two sets of results. One shows the initial calibration temperature where accuracy is 2 degrees.

The second set of results shows the same calibration figure applied to a higher range, in this case F. In this example, the camera returns a temperature of F, which is high by 34 degrees. Figure 10 shows the effect of a single point calibration over a range. At the calibration point, the camera is accurate.

However, as the same calibration factor is applied to increasing and decreasing target temperatures, significant errors occur. The ultimate goal is to create a correction map that provides accurate readings over a range of target temperatures.

While this is outside the standard camera accuracy, it is more than adequate for electrical inspections. When creating the map, it is essential to isolate erroneous signals that will affect the result. With an IR window between the imager and the target, the amount of energy received by the thermal imager is, in this instance, shown in green in Figure The calibration factor is the multiplication value required to increase the green area to orange.

The curve for hotter temperatures moves into the shorter wavelengths, whereas the curve for colder temperatures moves into the longer wavelengths. The Planck curve "moves" along the IR spectrum depending on the target temperature. Since the transmission of the IR window is better in the shorter wavelengths, more energy is transmitted by the IR window from hotter targets than from colder targets, which transmit more on the longer wavelengths.

A material having the ability to change transmission rate as a function of target temperature is known as a spectral transmitter. A spectral transmitter modulates the energy as a function of wavelength, which means a single point is insufficient to calibrate accurately. Individual thermal imagers all have different spectral responses. This is a characteristic of individual detectors as they come off the production line.

These differences do not affect thermographers in general, as the camera is calibrated. The effected only become "visible" when a spectral transmitter is placed between the thermal imager and the target. All three cameras "see" slightly different radiant energy levels for the same target temperature.

The cameras all read the same, as they are calibrated to "understand" that this specific level of intensity equates to a specific temperature. However, this will cause an error when used with a spectrally transmitting IR window. To stand a chance at reasonably accurate transmission correction via an IR window, a multipoint "map" must be created to take into account the changing parameters and their corresponding impact on temperature readings. Previously, infrared thermographers have requested transmission curves from IR window manufacturers.

In reality, a transmission curve has little use because it doesn't provide the thermographer with the information required to obtain an accurate reading.

What the thermographer actually needs is a correction map, similar to the one shown in Figure The curve correlates the indicated temperature as shown by the thermal imager and the actual temperature of the target across a range. Figure 15 shows a series of results using a longwave thermal imager from a leading manufacturer and a transmission map for an intelligent IR window. It is clear that without the correction, the error is severe. However, with the correction map applied, far more accurate readings can be repeatedly obtained across the established CM range.

A trained engineer and published author, Tony has been responsible for improving worker safety and reducing plant operational costs by developing new and innovative products and has presented electrical safety papers at key safety conferences across the United States.

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