The success of using infrared thermography to identify components in a mode of failure relates to how well we can judge that infrared image as abnormal. So, what do we use as our normality to determine the freak or anomaly? Is it just simple temperature comparisons and temperature standards or do we need a little more? Image interpretation is either correct or wrong. There is no gray area even if you used a gray palette for your image. We may find ourselves realizing that relying only upon a universal temperature standard to indicate a fault or failure condition or impact of a building substrate, mechanical equipment, or electrical component may provide a misjudgment of the actual condition and may not lead us to the cause. The criticality of the component as it relates to the entire system is a relevant consideration when tasked with prioritizing repairs. This presentation will examine some ideas to consider abnormality and help us become more effective infrared thermographers.

The past few years have seen an increase in the use of drones for infrared inspections of flat roofs. Although the application may seem straightforward, there is a lot more involved than simply ‘buying and flying’. Drone-based infrared inspections offer several advantages over those performed from the rooftop. Chief among these are safety of personnel and speed of data collection. This presentation will discuss the advantages of drone-based infrared roof inspections along the need for Thermographer certification and training on building envelope and roof assembly technology.

Thermal imaging is a powerful tool for identifying a wide variety of latent defects in yachts and small craft. Under proper conditions, thermal imaging may be used to detect and visualize thermal patterns associated with conditions such as delamination, water intrusion, and osmotic blistering within the laminate layers of vessels. Thermal imaging may be used for condition assessment, condition monitoring, or quality assurance inspection of repairs. Similar to other thermographic inspections, this application requires more than a ‘point and shoot’ approach. Accurately diagnosing laminate failures from observed imagery requires specialized knowledge in marine structures and thermal imaging. This presentation will cover methods for creating temperature differentials for inspected components, inspection techniques, interpreting thermal imagery, and tools for verifying the root course of suspected conditions.

Wastewater treatment is an essential process that ensures our water supply remains safe and sustainable to protect public health. Thermography plays a vital role in the preventive maintenance and reliability of the machinery and equipment involved with the wastewater treatment process. The presentation will discuss the role and advantages of our regular thermography inspection program introduced some years ago for a large regional government organisation.

The presentation will outline:

• Planning, logistics and coordination involved in conducting the thermography surveys on electrical assets over a 5,233 sq kilometre area
• Examples of thermal faults identified during our surveys and the reporting process
• Lessons learned from our program and improvements that have been implemented to streamline the inspection program
• Results and outcomes of the annual thermography inspection program

Ground Faults in manufacturing plants play a key role in equipment breakdowns. Such faults can cause motor bearings to arc. Arcing causes the bearings to prematurely fail thereby shortening the life of the motor. Some ground faults, e.g. in induction furnaces or in pad mount transformers, are safety hazard for the workers. Thermography is a cost-effective tool in detecting such faults. Since the delta T for many ground faults is very small, they may be overlooked; however, an experienced thermographer will certainly be able to catch them. This presentation will cover the root cause of ground faults, tips and techniques for thermographically detecting them, along with the benefits of this unique application.

In recent years, there have been many advancements to improve the performance of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed for electrical hazard applications and arc flash protection in particular. Changes in the NPFA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace also have affected the applications of PPE and increased the types of PPE that are approved for use. This presentation will focus on improvements to PPE along with its proper cleaning, maintenance, and storage to ensure that it will perform as specified and maximize its life expectancy.

If you want to know what is going on within in a building, and you have a thermal imager, it helps to have a transient energy condition, or to create one. This paper discusses techniques and methodologies for accomplishing successful infrared surveying of buildings. Buildings can be divided into residential, commercial, institutional and industrial, and all four types of these buildings benefit from properly performed thermal infrared surveys for the purposes of commissioning, and when, or if a problem manifests itself.