FLIR Systems FLIRE49001 Infrared Camera User Manual

FLIR Systems AB Infrared Camera

User manual

User’s manualFLIR Exx seriesT559597Publ. No.a554RevisionEnglish (EN)LanguageSeptember 27, 2011Issue date
User’s manualPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
Legal disclaimerAll products manufactured by FLIR Systems are warranted against defective materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from thedelivery date of the original purchase, provided such products have been under normal storage, use and service, and in accordance withFLIR Systems instruction.Products which are not manufactured by FLIR Systems but included in systems delivered by FLIR Systems to the original purchaser, carrythe warranty, if any, of the particular supplier only. FLIR Systems has no responsibility whatsoever for such products.The warranty extends only to the original purchaser and is not transferable. It is not applicable to any product which has been subjected tomisuse, neglect, accident or abnormal conditions of operation. Expendable parts are excluded from the warranty.In the case of a defect in a product covered by this warranty the product must not be further used in order to prevent additional damage. Thepurchaser shall promptly report any defect to FLIR Systems or this warranty will not apply.FLIR Systems will, at its option, repair or replace any such defective product free of charge if, upon inspection, it proves to be defective inmaterial or workmanship and provided that it is returned to FLIR Systems within the said one-year period.FLIR Systems has no other obligation or liability for defects than those set forth above.No other warranty is expressed or implied. FLIR Systems specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for aparticular purpose.FLIR Systems shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential loss or damage, whether based on contract, tortor any other legal theory.This warranty shall be governed by Swedish law.Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with this warranty, shall be finally settled by arbitration in accordance withthe Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. The place of arbitration shall be Stockholm. The language tobe used in the arbitral proceedings shall be English.U.S. Government Regulations■The products described in the user documentation may require government authorization for export/re-export, or transfer. Contact FLIRSystems for details.■Depending on license and export procedures, lenses may be permanently fixed to cameras shipped to customers outside United States.Interchangeable lenses fall under U.S. Department of State jurisdiction.Copyright© 2011, FLIR Systems. All rights reserved worldwide. No parts of the software including source code may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribedor translated into any language or computer language in any form or by any means, electronic, magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise,without the prior written permission of FLIR Systems.This documentation must not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or transmitted to any electronic medium ormachine readable form without prior consent, in writing, from FLIR Systems.Names and marks appearing on the products herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of FLIR Systems and/or its subsidiaries.All other trademarks, trade names or company names referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of their respectiveowners.Quality assuranceThe Quality Management System under which these products are developed and manufactured has been certified in accordance with theISO 9001 standard.FLIR Systems is committed to a policy of continuous development; therefore we reserve the right to make changes and improvements onany of the products described in this manual without prior notice.PatentsOne or several of the following patents or design patents apply to the products and/or features described in this manual:0002258-2; 000279476-0001; 000439161; 000499579-0001; 000653423; 000726344; 000859020; 000889290; 001106306-0001; 001707738;001707746; 001707787; 001776519; 0101577-5; 0102150-0; 0200629-4; 0300911-5; 0302837-0; 1144833; 1182246; 1182620; 1188086;1285345; 1287138; 1299699; 1325808; 1336775; 1365299; 1402918; 1404291; 1678485; 1732314; 200530018812.0; 200830143636.7;2106017; 235308; 3006596; 3006597; 466540; 483782; 484155; 518836; 60004227.8; 60122153.2; 602004011681.5-08; 6707044; 68657;7034300; 7110035; 7154093; 7157705; 7237946; 7312822; 7332716; 7336823; 7544944; 75530; 7667198; 7809258; 7826736; D540838;D549758; D579475; D584755; D599,392; DI6702302-9; DI6703574-4; DI6803572-1; DI6803853-4; DI6903617-9; DM/057692; DM/061609;ZL00809178.1; ZL01823221.3; ZL01823226.4; ZL02331553.9; ZL02331554.7; ZL200480034894.0; ZL200530120994.2; ZL200630130114.4;ZL200730151141.4; ZL200730339504.7; ZL200830128581.2.EULA Terms■You have acquired a device (“INFRARED CAMERA”) that includes software licensed by FLIR Systems AB from Microsoft Licensing, GPor its affiliates (“MS”). Those installed software products of MS origin, as well as associated media, printed materials, and “online” orelectronic documentation (“SOFTWARE”) are protected by international intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE is licensed,not sold. All rights reserved.iv Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
■IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT (“EULA”), DO NOT USE THE DEVICE OR COPY THE SOFTWARE.INSTEAD, PROMPTLY CONTACT FLIR Systems AB FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON RETURN OF THE UNUSED DEVICE(S) FOR A REFUND.ANY USE OF THE SOFTWARE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO USE ON THE DEVICE, WILL CONSTITUTE YOUR AGREEMENTTO THIS EULA (OR RATIFICATION OF ANY PREVIOUS CONSENT).■GRANT OF SOFTWARE LICENSE. This EULA grants you the following license:■You may use the SOFTWARE only on the DEVICE.■NOT FAULT TOLERANT. THE SOFTWARE IS NOT FAULT TOLERANT. FLIR Systems AB HAS INDEPENDENTLY DETERMINEDHOW TO USE THE SOFTWARE IN THE DEVICE, AND MS HAS RELIED UPON FLIR Systems AB TO CONDUCT SUFFICIENT TESTINGTO DETERMINE THAT THE SOFTWARE IS SUITABLE FOR SUCH USE.■NO WARRANTIES FOR THE SOFTWARE. THE SOFTWARE is provided “AS IS” and with all faults. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO SAT-ISFACTORY QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY, AND EFFORT (INCLUDING LACK OF NEGLIGENCE) IS WITH YOU. ALSO,THERE IS NO WARRANTY AGAINST INTERFERENCE WITH YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THE SOFTWARE OR AGAINST INFRINGEMENT.IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY WARRANTIES REGARDING THE DEVICE OR THE SOFTWARE, THOSE WARRANTIES DO NOTORIGINATE FROM, AND ARE NOT BINDING ON, MS.■No Liability for Certain Damages. EXCEPT AS PROHIBITED BY LAW, MS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY INDIRECT,SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFOR-MANCE OF THE SOFTWARE. THIS LIMITATION SHALL APPLY EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.IN NO EVENT SHALL MS BE LIABLE FOR ANY AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF U.S. TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS (U.S.$250.00).■Limitations on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, and Disassembly. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemblethe SOFTWARE, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.■SOFTWARE TRANSFER ALLOWED BUT WITH RESTRICTIONS. You may permanently transfer rights under this EULA only as partof a permanent sale or transfer of the Device, and only if the recipient agrees to this EULA. If the SOFTWARE is an upgrade, anytransfer must also include all prior versions of the SOFTWARE.■EXPORT RESTRICTIONS. You acknowledge that SOFTWARE is subject to U.S. export jurisdiction. You agree to comply with allapplicable international and national laws that apply to the SOFTWARE, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, as wellas end-user, end-use and destination restrictions issued by U.S. and other governments. For additional information seehttp://www.microsoft.com/exporting/.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
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Table of contents11 Warnings & Cautions .....................................................................................................................42 Notice to user ..................................................................................................................................53 Customer help ................................................................................................................................64 Documentation updates .................................................................................................................75 Important note about this manual .................................................................................................86 Parts lists .........................................................................................................................................86.1 Scope of delivery ..................................................................................................................96.2 List of accessories and services ...........................................................................................107 Quick Start Guide ...........................................................................................................................118 Camera parts ...................................................................................................................................118.1 View from the right ................................................................................................................128.2 View from the left ..................................................................................................................138.3 Keypad ..................................................................................................................................158.4 View from the bottom ...........................................................................................................168.5 Battery condition LED indicator ............................................................................................178.6 Power LED indicator .............................................................................................................188.7 Laser pointer .........................................................................................................................209 Screen elements .............................................................................................................................2110 Navigating the menu system .........................................................................................................2211 Connecting external devices and storage media .......................................................................2412 Pairing Bluetooth devices ..............................................................................................................2513 Configuring Wi-Fi ............................................................................................................................2714 Handling the camera ......................................................................................................................2714.1 Turning on the camera .........................................................................................................2714.2 Turning off the camera ..........................................................................................................2814.3 Adjusting the infrared camera focus manually ....................................................................2914.4 Operating the laser pointer ...................................................................................................3015 Working with images ......................................................................................................................3015.1 Previewing an image ............................................................................................................3115.2 Saving an image ...................................................................................................................3215.3 Opening an image ................................................................................................................3315.4 Adjusting an image ...............................................................................................................3615.5 Changing the palette ............................................................................................................3715.6 Deleting an image .................................................................................................................3815.7 Deleting all images ...............................................................................................................3915.8 Creating a PDF report in the camera ...................................................................................4016 Working with thermal fusion and picture-in-picture image modes ...........................................Publ. 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4417 Working with measurement tools .................................................................................................4417.1 Laying out measurement tools: spots, areas, etc. ...............................................................4517.2 Laying out measurement tool: isotherms ............................................................................4617.3 Moving or resizing a measurement tool ...............................................................................4717.4 Creating and setting up a difference calculation .................................................................4817.5 Changing object parameters ................................................................................................5018 Fetching data from external Extech meters .................................................................................5218.1 Typical moisture measurement and documentation procedure ..........................................5319 Working with isotherms .................................................................................................................5319.1 Building isotherms ................................................................................................................5420 Annotating images ..........................................................................................................................5520.1 Taking a digital photo ...........................................................................................................5620.2 Creating a voice annotation .................................................................................................5720.3 Creating a text annotation ....................................................................................................5921 Recording video clips ....................................................................................................................6022 Changing settings ..........................................................................................................................6123 Cleaning the camera ......................................................................................................................6123.1 Camera housing, cables, and other items ...........................................................................6223.2 Infrared lens ..........................................................................................................................6323.3 Infrared detector ...................................................................................................................6424 Technical data .................................................................................................................................6525 Dimensional drawings ...................................................................................................................6525.1 Camera dimensions, front view (1) ......................................................................................6625.2 Camera dimensions, front view (2) ......................................................................................6725.3 Camera dimensions, side view (1) .......................................................................................6825.4 Camera dimensions, side view (2) .......................................................................................6925.5 Camera dimensions, side view (3) .......................................................................................7025.6 Infrared lens (30 mm/15°) .....................................................................................................7125.7 Infrared lens (10 mm/45°) .....................................................................................................7225.8 Battery (1) .............................................................................................................................7325.9 Battery (2) .............................................................................................................................7425.10 Battery (3) .............................................................................................................................7525.11 Battery charger (1) ................................................................................................................7625.12 Battery charger (2) ................................................................................................................7725.13 Battery charger (3) ................................................................................................................7825.14 Battery charger (4) ................................................................................................................7926 Application examples .....................................................................................................................7926.1 Moisture & water damage ....................................................................................................8026.2 Faulty contact in socket ........................................................................................................8126.3 Oxidized socket ....................................................................................................................8226.4 Insulation deficiencies ..........................................................................................................8326.5 Draft ......................................................................................................................................8427 Introduction to building thermography ........................................................................................8427.1 Disclaimer 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8427.1.1 Copyright notice ...................................................................................................8427.1.2 Training & certification ..........................................................................................8427.1.3 National or regional building codes .....................................................................8427.2 Important note ......................................................................................................................8527.3 Typical field investigations ....................................................................................................8527.3.1 Guidelines .............................................................................................................8527.3.1.1 General guidelines ............................................................................8527.3.1.2 Guidelines for moisture detection, mold detection & detection ofwater damages ..................................................................................8627.3.1.3 Guidelines for detection of air infiltration & insulation deficiencies ...8727.3.2 About moisture detection .....................................................................................8727.3.3 Moisture detection (1): Low-slope commercial roofs ..........................................8727.3.3.1 General information ...........................................................................8827.3.3.2 Safety precautions ............................................................................8927.3.3.3 Commented building structures .......................................................9027.3.3.4 Commented infrared images ............................................................9227.3.4 Moisture detection (2): Commercial & residential façades ..................................9227.3.4.1 General information ...........................................................................9227.3.4.2 Commented building structures .......................................................9427.3.4.3 Commented infrared images ............................................................9427.3.5 Moisture detection (3): Decks & balconies ..........................................................9427.3.5.1 General information ...........................................................................9527.3.5.2 Commented building structures .......................................................9727.3.5.3 Commented infrared images ............................................................9727.3.6 Moisture detection (4): Plumbing breaks & leaks ................................................9727.3.6.1 General information ...........................................................................9827.3.6.2 Commented infrared images ............................................................10027.3.7 Air infiltration .........................................................................................................10027.3.7.1 General information ...........................................................................10027.3.7.2 Commented building structures .......................................................10227.3.7.3 Commented infrared images ............................................................10327.3.8 Insulation deficiencies ..........................................................................................10327.3.8.1 General information ...........................................................................10327.3.8.2 Commented building structures .......................................................10527.3.8.3 Commented infrared images ............................................................10727.4 Theory of building science ...................................................................................................10727.4.1 General information ..............................................................................................10827.4.2 The effects of testing and checking .....................................................................10927.4.3 Sources of disruption in thermography ................................................................11127.4.4 Surface temperature and air leaks .......................................................................11127.4.4.1 Pressure conditions in a building .....................................................11727.4.5 Measuring conditions & measuring season .........................................................11727.4.6 Interpretation of infrared images ..........................................................................11927.4.7 Humidity & dew point ...........................................................................................11927.4.7.1 Relative & absolute humidity ............................................................11927.4.7.2 Definition of dew point ......................................................................11927.4.8 Excerpt from Technical Note ‘Assessing thermal bridging and insulationcontinuity’ (UK example) ......................................................................................11927.4.8.1 Credits ...............................................................................................12027.4.8.2 Introduction .......................................................................................12027.4.8.3 Background information ...................................................................12127.4.8.4 Quantitative appraisal of thermal anomalies ....................................12427.4.8.5 Conditions and equipment ...............................................................Publ. 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12527.4.8.6 Survey and analysis ..........................................................................12627.4.8.7 Reporting ...........................................................................................12828 Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations ......................................12828.1 Important note ......................................................................................................................12828.2 General information ..............................................................................................................12828.2.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................12928.2.2 General equipment data .......................................................................................13028.2.3 Inspection .............................................................................................................13028.2.4 Classification & reporting ......................................................................................13128.2.5 Priority ...................................................................................................................13128.2.6 Repair ....................................................................................................................13228.2.7 Control ..................................................................................................................13328.3 Measurement technique for thermographic inspection of electrical installations ...............13328.3.1 How to correctly set the equipment .....................................................................13328.3.2 Temperature measurement ...................................................................................13528.3.3 Comparative measurement ..................................................................................13628.3.4 Normal operating temperature .............................................................................13728.3.5 Classification of faults ...........................................................................................13928.4 Reporting ..............................................................................................................................14128.5 Different types of hot spots in electrical installations ...........................................................14128.5.1 Reflections ............................................................................................................14128.5.2 Solar heating .........................................................................................................14228.5.3 Inductive heating ...................................................................................................14228.5.4 Load variations ......................................................................................................14328.5.5 Varying cooling conditions ...................................................................................14428.5.6 Resistance variations ............................................................................................14428.5.7 Overheating in one part as a result of a fault in another ......................................14628.6 Disturbance factors at thermographic inspection of electrical installations ........................14628.6.1 Wind ......................................................................................................................14628.6.2 Rain and snow ......................................................................................................14728.6.3 Distance to object .................................................................................................14828.6.4 Object size ............................................................................................................15028.7 Practical advice for the thermographer ................................................................................15028.7.1 From cold to hot ...................................................................................................15028.7.2 Rain showers ........................................................................................................15028.7.3 Emissivity ..............................................................................................................15128.7.4 Reflected apparent temperature ...........................................................................15128.7.5 Object too far away ...............................................................................................15229 About FLIR Systems .......................................................................................................................15329.1 More than just an infrared camera .......................................................................................15429.2 Sharing our knowledge ........................................................................................................15429.3 Supporting our customers ...................................................................................................15429.4 A few images from our facilities ...........................................................................................15630 Glossary ...........................................................................................................................................16031 Thermographic measurement techniques ...................................................................................16031.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................16031.2 Emissivity ..............................................................................................................................16131.2.1 Finding the emissivity of a sample .......................................................................16131.2.1.1 Step 1: Determining reflected apparent temperature .......................16331.2.1.2 Step 2: Determining the emissivity ...................................................xPubl. 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16431.3 Reflected apparent temperature ..........................................................................................16431.4 Distance ................................................................................................................................16431.5 Relative humidity ..................................................................................................................16431.6 Other parameters ..................................................................................................................16532 History of infrared technology ......................................................................................................16933 Theory of thermography ................................................................................................................16933.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................16933.2 The electromagnetic spectrum ............................................................................................17033.3 Blackbody radiation ..............................................................................................................17133.3.1 Planck’s law ..........................................................................................................17233.3.2 Wien’s displacement law ......................................................................................17433.3.3 Stefan-Boltzmann's law .........................................................................................17533.3.4 Non-blackbody emitters .......................................................................................17733.4 Infrared semi-transparent materials .....................................................................................17934 The measurement formula .............................................................................................................18535 Emissivity tables .............................................................................................................................18535.1 References ............................................................................................................................18535.2 Important note about the emissivity tables ..........................................................................18635.3 Tables ....................................................................................................................................Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 xi
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1 Warnings & CautionsWARNING (Applies only to Class A digital devices.) This equipment generates, uses, andcan radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordancewith the instruction manual, may cause interference to radio communications. It■has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing devicepursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to providereasonable protection against such interference when operated in a commercialenvironment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to causeinterference in which case the user at his own expense will be required to takewhatever measures may be required to correct the interference.■(Applies only to Class B digital devices.) This equipment has been tested andfound to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 ofthe FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection againstharmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, usesand can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordancewith the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular in-stallation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or televisionreception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the useris encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the followingmeasures:■Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.■Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.■Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to whichthe receiver is connected.■Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.■(Applies only to digital devices subject to 15.19/RSS-210.) NOTICE: This devicecomplies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules and with RSS-210 of Industry Canada.Operation is subject to the following two conditions:1this device may not cause harmful interference, and2this device must accept any interference received, including interference thatmay cause undesired operation.■(Applies only to digital devices subject to 15.21.) NOTICE: Changes or modifica-tions made to this equipment not expressly approved by (manufacturer name)may void the FCC authorization to operate this equipment.■(Applies only to digital devices subject to 2.1091/2.1093/OET Bulletin 65.) Radiofre-quency radiation exposure Information: The radiated output power of the deviceis far below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits. Nevertheless, the deviceshall be used in such a manner that the potential for human contact during normaloperation is minimized.■(Applies only to cameras with laser pointer:) Do not look directly into the laserbeam. The laser beam can cause eye irritation.■Applies only to cameras with battery:■Do not disassemble or do a modification to the battery. The battery containssafety and protection devices which, if they become damaged, can cause thebattery to become hot, or cause an explosion or an ignition.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 1
■If there is a leak from the battery and the fluid gets into your eyes, do not rubyour eyes. Flush well with water and immediately get medical care. The batteryfluid can cause injury to your eyes if you do not do this.■Do not continue to charge the battery if it does not become charged in thespecified charging time. If you continue to charge the battery, it can becomehot and cause an explosion or ignition.■Only use the correct equipment to discharge the battery. If you do not use thecorrect equipment, you can decrease the performance or the life cycle of thebattery. If you do not use the correct equipment, an incorrect flow of currentto the battery can occur. This can cause the battery to become hot, or causean explosion and injury to persons.■Make sure that you read all applicable MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) andwarning labels on containers before you use a liquid: the liquids can be dangerous.CAUTION ■Do not point the infrared camera (with or without the lens cover) at intensive energysources, for example devices that emit laser radiation, or the sun. This can havean unwanted effect on the accuracy of the camera. It can also cause damage tothe detector in the camera.■Do not use the camera in a temperature higher than +50°C (+122°F), unlessspecified otherwise in the user documentation. High temperatures can causedamage to the camera.■(Applies only to cameras with laser pointer:) Protect the laser pointer with theprotective cap when you do not operate the laser pointer.■Applies only to cameras with battery:■Do not attach the batteries directly to a car’s cigarette lighter socket, unless aspecific adapter for connecting the batteries to a cigarette lighter socket isprovided by FLIR Systems.■Do not connect the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the batteryto each other with a metal object (such as wire).■Do not get water or salt water on the battery, or permit the battery to get wet.■Do not make holes in the battery with objects. Do not hit the battery with ahammer. Do not step on the battery, or apply strong impacts or shocks to it.■Do not put the batteries in or near a fire, or into direct sunlight. When the batterybecomes hot, the built-in safety equipment becomes energized and can stopthe battery charging process. If the battery becomes hot, damage can occurto the safety equipment and this can cause more heat, damage or ignition ofthe battery.■Do not put the battery on a fire or increase the temperature of the battery withheat.■Do not put the battery on or near fires, stoves, or other high-temperature loca-tions.■Do not solder directly onto the battery.■Do not use the battery if, when you use, charge, or store the battery, there isan unusual smell from the battery, the battery feels hot, changes color, changesshape, or is in an unusual condition. Contact your sales office if one or moreof these problems occurs.■Only use a specified battery charger when you charge the battery.2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 20111 – Warnings & Cautions
■The temperature range through which you can charge the battery is ±0°C to+45°C (+32°F to +113°F), unless specified otherwise in the user documenta-tion. If you charge the battery at temperatures out of this range, it can causethe battery to become hot or to break. It can also decrease the performanceor the life cycle of the battery.■The temperature range through which you can discharge the battery is −15°Cto +50°C (+5°F to +122°F), unless specified otherwise in the user documen-tation. Use of the battery out of this temperature range can decrease the per-formance or the life cycle of the battery.■When the battery is worn, apply insulation to the terminals with adhesive tapeor similar materials before you discard it.■Remove any water or moisture on the battery before you install it.■Do not apply solvents or similar liquids to the camera, the cables, or other items.This can cause damage.■Be careful when you clean the infrared lens. The lens has a delicate anti-reflectivecoating.■Do not clean the infrared lens too vigorously. This can damage the anti-reflectivecoating.■In furnace and other high-temperature applications, you must mount a heatshieldon the camera. Using the camera in furnace and other high-temperature applica-tions without a heatshield can cause damage to the camera.■(Applies only to cameras with an automatic shutter that can be disabled.) Do notdisable the automatic shutter in the camera for a prolonged time period (typicallymax. 30 minutes). Disabling the shutter for a longer time period may harm, or ir-reparably damage, the detector.■The encapsulation rating is valid only when all openings on the camera are sealedwith their designated covers, hatches, or caps. This includes, but is not limitedto, compartments for data storage, batteries, and connectors.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 31 – Warnings & Cautions
2 Notice to userTypographicalconventionsThis manual uses the following typographical conventions:Semibold is used for menu names, menu commands and labels, and buttons indialog boxes.■■Italic is used for important information.■Monospace is used for code samples.■UPPER CASE is used for names on keys and buttons.User-to-userforumsExchange ideas, problems, and infrared solutions with fellow thermographers aroundthe world in our user-to-user forums. To go to the forums, visit:http://www.infraredtraining.com/community/boards/Calibration (This notice only applies to cameras with measurement capabilities.)We recommend that you send in the camera for calibration once a year. Contactyour local sales office for instructions on where to send the camera.Accuracy (This notice only applies to cameras with measurement capabilities.)For very accurate results, we recommend that you wait 5 minutes after you havestarted the camera before measuring a temperature.For cameras where the detector is cooled by a mechanical cooler, this time periodexcludes the time it takes to cool down the detector.Disposal ofelectronic waste10742803;a1As with most electronic products, this equipment must be disposed of in an environ-mentally friendly way, and in accordance with existing regulations for electronic waste.Please contact your FLIR Systems representative for more details.Training To read about infrared training, visit:■http://www.infraredtraining.com■http://www.irtraining.com■http://www.irtraining.eu4Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
3 Customer helpGeneral For customer help, visit:http://support.flir.comSubmitting aquestionTo submit a question to the customer help team, you must be a registered user. Itonly takes a few minutes to register online. If you only want to search the knowledge-base for existing questions and answers, you do not need to be a registered user.When you want to submit a question, make sure that you have the following informa-tion to hand:■The camera model■The camera serial number■The communication protocol, or method, between the camera and your PC (forexample, HDMI, Ethernet, USB™, or FireWire™)■Operating system on your PC■Microsoft®Office version■Full name, publication number, and revision number of the manualDownloads On the customer help site you can also download the following:■Firmware updates for your infrared camera■Program updates for your PC software■User documentation■Application stories■Technical publicationsPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 5
4 Documentation updatesGeneral Our manuals are updated several times per year, and we also issue product-criticalnotifications of changes on a regular basis.To access the latest manuals and notifications, go to the Download tab at:http://support.flir.comIt only takes a few minutes to register online. In the download area you will also findthe latest releases of manuals for our other products, as well as manuals for ourhistorical and obsolete products.6Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
5Important note about this manualGeneral FLIR Systems issues generic manuals that cover several cameras within a modelline.This means that this manual may contain descriptions and explanations that do notapply to your particular camera model.NOTE FLIR Systems reserves the right to discontinue models, software, parts or accessories,and other items, or to change specifications and/or functionality at any time withoutprior notice.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 7
6 Parts lists6.1 Scope of deliveryContents Infrared camera with lens■■Hard transport case■Battery (2*)■Bluetooth headset*■Calibration certificate■FLIR Tools PC software CD-ROM■Handstrap■Lens cap■Memory card■Power supply, including multi-plugs■Printed Getting Started Guide■Printed Important Information Guide■USB cable■User documentation CD-ROM■Video cable■Warranty extension card or Registration card* Dependent on the camera model/customer configuration.NOTE FLIR Systems reserves the right to discontinue models, parts or accessories, andother items, or to change specifications at any time without prior notice.8Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
6.2 List of accessories and servicesGeneral This section contains a list of accessories and services that you can purchase foryour camera.Accessories andservices1196497 Cigarette lighter adapter kit, 12 VDC, 1.2 m/3.9 ft.■■1196960 IR lens f = 10 mm, 45° including case■1196961 IR lens f = 30 mm, 15° including case■1910423 USB cable Std A to Mini-B■1910582 Video cable■ITC-ADV-3011 ITC Advanced Building—attendance 1 person■ITC-ADV-3019 ITC Advanced Building—group of 10 persons■ITC-ADV-3021 ITC Advanced General Thermography Course—attendance, 1person■ITC-ADV-3029 ITC Advanced General Thermography Course—group of 10 persons■ITC-CER-5101 ITC Level 1 Thermography Course—attendance, 1 person■ITC-CER-5109 ITC Level 1 Thermography Course—group of 10 persons■ITC-CER-5201 ITC Level 2 Thermography Course—attendance, 1 person■ITC-CER-5209 ITC Level 2 Thermography Course—group of 10 persons■T197453 FLIR ResearchIR 1.2■T197453L10 FLIR ResearchIR 1.2, 10 user licenses■T197453L5 FLIR ResearchIR 1.2, 5 user licenses■T197454 FLIR QuickPlot 1.2■T197454L10 FLIR QuickPlot 1.2, 10 user licenses■T197454L5 FLIR QuickPlot 1.2, 5 user licenses■T197717 FLIR Reporter 8.5 SP2, Professional■T197717L10 FLIR Reporter 8.5 SP2, Professional, 10 user licenses■T197717L5 FLIR Reporter 8.5 SP2, Professional, 5 user licenses■T197771 Bluetooth headset■T197778 FLIR BuildIR 2.1■T197778L10 FLIR BuildIR 2.1, 10 user licenses■T197778L5 FLIR BuildIR 2.1, 5 user licenses■T910737 Memory card micro-SD with adapters■T910972 EX845: Clamp meter + IR therm TRMS 1000A AC/DC■T910973 MO297: Moisture meter, pinless with memoryNOTE FLIR Systems reserves the right to discontinue models, parts or accessories, andother items, or to change specifications at any time without prior notice.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 96 – Parts lists
7 Quick Start GuideProcedure Follow this procedure to get started right away:Put a battery into the battery compartment.1Charge the battery for 4 hours before starting the camera for the first time,or until the green battery condition LED glows continuously.2Insert a memory card into a card slot.3Push the button to turn on the camera.4Aim the camera towards the object of interest.5Focus the camera by rotating the focus ring.6Pull and hold the trigger for more than 1 second to save an image directly.7Move the image to a computer by doing one of the following:■Remove the memory card and insert it in a card reader connected to acomputer.■Connect a computer to the camera using a USB mini-B cable.8Move the image from the card or camera, using a drag-and-drop operation.9NOTE You can also move the images to the computer using FLIR Tools, which comes withyour camera.10 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
8 Camera parts8.1 View from the rightFigure T638786;a1Explanation This table explains the figure above:Cover for the right-hand connectors compartment:■USB-A.■USB mini-B.■Power.1Trigger to preview/save images.2Tripod mount. Requires an adapter (extra accessory).3Focus ring.4Infrared lens.5Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 11
8.2 View from the leftFigure T638790;a1Explanation This table explains the figure above:Laser pointer.1Lamp for the digital camera.2Digital camera.3Cover for connectors and storage media:■Memory card.■Video out.412 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 20118 – Camera parts
8.3 KeypadFigure T638787;a2Explanation This table explains the figure above:Touch-screen LCD.1Navigation pad.2■Button to confirm choice.■Button to switch between automatic and manual adjustment modes.3Image archive.4Button to operate the laser pointer.5Power indicator.6On/off button.7Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 138 – Camera parts
■Button to display the menu system.■Back button.814 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 20118 – Camera parts
8.4 View from the bottomFigure T638785;a3Explanation This table explains the figure above:Latch to open the cover for the battery compartment. Push to open.1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 158 – Camera parts
8.5 Battery condition LED indicatorFigure T638791;a1Explanation This table explains the battery condition LED indicator:ExplanationType of signalThe battery is being charged.The green LED flashes two times persecond.The battery is fully charged.The green LED glows continuously.16 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 20118 – Camera parts
8.6 Power LED indicatorFigure T638781;a1Explanation This table explains the power LED indicator:ExplanationType of signalThe camera is off.The LED is off.The camera is on.The LED is blue.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 178 – Camera parts
8.7 Laser pointerGeneral The camera has a laser pointer. When the laser pointer is on, you can see a laserdot above the target.Figure This figure shows the difference in position between the laser pointer and the opticalcenter of the infrared lens:T638771;a1WARNING Do not look directly into the laser beam. The laser beam can cause eye irritation.NOTE The symbol is displayed on the screen when the laser pointer is on.■■The laser pointer may not be enabled in all markets.Laser warninglabelA laser warning label with the following information is attached to the camera:10743603;a218 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 20118 – Camera parts
Laser rules andregulationsWavelength: 635 nm. Maximum output power: 1 mW.This product complies with 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11 except for deviations pur-suant to Laser Notice No. 50, dated June 24, 2007.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 198 – Camera parts
9 Screen elementsFigure T638713;a3Explanation This table explains the figure above:Measurement result table.1Measurement tools (e.g., spotmeter).2Status and mode icons.3Temperature scale.4Setup mode.5Video mode recording.6Camera mode/live image mode.7View mode (infrared camera, digital camera, thermal fusion, picture-in-pic-ture).8Measurement tools.9Color palettes.10Measurement parameters.11Zoom.1220 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
10 Navigating the menu systemFigure T638777;a1 T638780;a1Explanation The figure above shows the two ways to navigate the menu system in the camera:■Using the index finger to navigate the menu system (left).■Using the navigation pad to navigate the menu system (right).Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 21
11 Connecting external devices andstorage mediaFigure T638789;a4Explanation This table explains the figure above:Indicator showing that the memory card is busy. Note: Do not remove thememory card when this indicator is glowing.1Memory card.2Headset cable.322 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
Figure T638788;a1Explanation This table explains the figure above:Power cable.1USB mini-B cable (to connect the camera to a PC).2USB-A cable (to connect the camera to an external device, e.g., a USBmemory stick).3Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 2311 – Connecting external devices and storage media
12 Pairing Bluetooth devicesGeneral Before you can use a Bluetooth device with the camera, you need to pair the devices.Procedure Follow this procedure:Go to (Settings).1Go to the Connectivity tab.2Activate Bluetooth.Note: You also need to activate Bluetooth connectivity on the external de-vice.3Select Add Bluetooth device.4Select Scan for Bluetooth device, and wait until a list of available devicesis displayed. This will take about 15 seconds.5When a Bluetooth device is found, select the device to add it. The deviceis now ready to be used.6NOTE ■You can add several devices.■You can remove an added device by selecting the device and and then selectingRemove.■After adding a MeterLink device, such as the Extech MO297 or EX845, the resultfrom the meter will be visible in the measurement result table.■After adding a Bluetooth-enabled headset, it is ready to be used in camera previewmode.■It is also possible to add live snapshot values in preview mode.24 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
13 Configuring Wi-FiGeneral Depending on your camera configuration, you can connect the camera to a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN) using Wi-Fi, or let the camera provide Wi-Fi access toanother device.You can connect the camera in two different ways:■Most common use: Setting up a peer-to-peer connection (also called ad hoc orP2P connection). This method is primarily used with other devices, e.g., an iPhoneor iPad.■Less common use: Connecting the camera to a WLAN.Setting up apeer-to-peerconnection (mostcommon use)Follow this procedure:1Go to (Settings) .Go to the Connectivity tab.2Under Wi-Fi, select Connect device.3Select Wi-Fi settings.4Enter values for the following parameters:■SSID (the name of the network).■Channel (the channel that the other device is broadcasting on).■Encryption (the encryption algorithm, e.g., TKIP or AES).■Key (the access key to the network).■Address (the IP address for the network).■Gateway (the gateway IP address for the network).Note: These parameters are set for your camera's network. They will beused by the external device to connect that device to the network.5Push to confirm the choice.6Connecting thecamera to awireless local areanetwork (lesscommon use)Follow this procedure:1Go to (Settings) .Go to the Connectivity tab.2Under Wi-Fi, select Connect to WLAN.3Select Wi-Fi settings.4Select one of the available networks.Password-protected networks are indicated with a padlock icon, and forthese you will need to enter an access key.5Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 25
Push to confirm the choice.6NOTE Some networks do not broadcast their existence. To connect to such a network, selectAdd manually and set all parameters manually according to that network.26 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201113 – Configuring Wi-Fi
14 Handling the camera14.1 Turning on the cameraProcedure To turn on the camera, push and release the button.14.2 Turning off the cameraProcedure To turn off the camera, push and hold the button for more than 0.2 second.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 27
14.3 Adjusting the infrared camera focus manuallyNOTE Do not touch the lens surface when you adjust the infrared camera focus manually.If this happens, clean the lens according to the instructions in section 23.2 – In-frared lens on page 62.■■The focus ring can be rotated infinitely, but only a certain amount of rotation isneeded when focusing.Figure T638779;a1Procedure Do one of the following:■For far focus, rotate the focus ring counter-clockwise (looking at the touch-screenLCD side).■For near focus, rotate the focus ring clockwise (looking at the touch-screen LCDside).28 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201114 – Handling the camera
14.4 Operating the laser pointerFigure T638778;a1Procedure Follow this procedure to operate the laser pointer:To turn on the laser pointer, push and hold the laser button.1To turn off the laser pointer, release the laser button.2NOTE ■A warning indicator is displayed on the screen when the laser pointer is turnedon.■The position of the laser dot is indicated on the infrared image (depending on thecamera model).Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 2914 – Handling the camera
15 Working with images15.1 Previewing an imageGeneral You can preview an infrared image or a digital photo before you save it to a memorycard. This enables you to see if the image or photo contains the information you wantbefore you save it.In preview mode, you can also manipulate the image before you save it, and addannotations.Procedure To preview an image, briefly pull and release the trigger.NOTE You can change the function of the trigger under (Settings). The function canbe set to one of the following:■Preview/Save.■Save directly.■Always preview.30 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
15.2 Saving an imageGeneral You can save an image directly, without previewing the image first.Image capacity This table gives information on the approximate number of infrared (IR) and digitalcamera (DC) images that can be saved on memory cards:IR + DC + 30seconds voiceannotationIR + DCIR onlyCard size60085055001 GB1200170011 0002 GBNamingconventionThe naming convention for images is IR_xxxx.jpg, where xxxx is a unique counter.Procedure To save an image directly, pull and hold down the trigger for more than 1 second.NOTE You can change the function of the trigger in the Settings menus. The function canbe set to one of the following:■Preview/Save.■Save directly.■Always preview.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 3115 – Working with images
15.3 Opening an imageGeneral When you save an image, the image is stored on a memory card. To display the imageagain, open it from the memory card.Procedure Follow this procedure to open an image:Push .1Push the navigation pad up/down or left/right to select the image you wantto view.2Push . This will display the image at full size.3To edit the opened image, push the button, which will bring up amenu.432 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201115 – Working with images
15.4 Adjusting an imageGeneral An image can be adjusted automatically or manually. You use the buttonto switch between these two modes. Note that this only works in live mode and notin preview/archive mode.Example 1 This figure shows two infrared images of cable connection points. In the left imagea correct analysis of the left cable is difficult to do if you only auto-adjust the image.You can analyze the left cable in more detail if you■change the temperature scale level■change the temperature scale span.The image on the left has been auto-adjusted. In the right image the maximum andminimum temperature levels have been changed to temperature levels near the object.On the temperature scale to the right of each image you can see how the temperaturelevels were changed.10577503;a2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 3315 – Working with images
Example 2 This figure shows two infrared images of an isolator in a power line.In the image on the left the cold sky and the power line structure have been recordedat a minimum temperature of –26.0°C (–14.8°F). In the right image the maximum andminimum temperature levels have been changed to temperature levels near the iso-lator. This makes it easier to analyze the temperature variations in the isolator.10742503;a334 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201115 – Working with images
Changing thetemperature scalelevelFollow this procedure to change the temperature scale level:1Push .Use the navigation pad to select (Manual).2To change the scale level, push the navigation pad up/down.3Changing thetemperature scalespanFollow this procedure to change the temperature scale span:1Push .Use the navigation pad to select (Manual).2To change the scale span, push the navigation pad left/right.3NOTE These procedures only apply to live image mode.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 3515 – Working with images
15.5 Changing the paletteGeneral You can change the color palette that the camera uses to display different tempera-tures. A different palette can make it easier to analyze an image.Procedure Follow this procedure to change the palette:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to .2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to select a different palette.4Push .536 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201115 – Working with images
15.6 Deleting an imageGeneral You can delete one or more images in a folder.Procedure Follow this procedure to delete an image:Push .1Push the navigation pad up/down or left/right to select the image you wantto delete.2Push to display the image.3Push to display a menu.4On the menu, select Delete and confirm the choice.5NOTE Note that all images in the same group will be deleted at the same time, e.g., digitalphotos.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 3715 – Working with images
15.7 Deleting all imagesGeneral You can delete all images in a folder.Procedure Follow this procedure to delete an image:Push .1Push the navigation pad up/down or left/right to select any image.2Push to display the image.3Push to display a menu.4On the menu, select Delete all and confirm the choice.538 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201115 – Working with images
15.8 Creating a PDF report in the cameraGeneral You can create a PDF report in the camera. You can then transfer the PDF report toa computer, iPhone, or iPad using the FLIR Viewer app, and send the report to acustomer.Procedure Follow this procedure to create a PDF report:Push .1Push the navigation pad up/down or left/right to select an image.2Push to display the image.3Push to display a menu.4On the menu, select Create report.This will display a menu where you can change the following:■Header.■Footer.■Logo. (The location of the logo should be /report/logo/ and the file format*.jpg.)5On the menu, select Create report.6Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 3915 – Working with images
16 Working with thermal fusion andpicture-in-picture image modesWhat is thermalfusion?Thermal fusion is a function that lets you display part of a digital photo as an infraredimage.For example, you can set the camera to display all areas of an image that have acertain temperature in infrared, with all other areas displayed as a digital photo.What is picture-in-picture?Picture-in-picture is similar to thermal fusion in that it lets you display part of a digitalphoto as an infrared image.However, picture-in-picture displays an infrared image frame on top of a digital photo.Types Depending on the camera model, up to four different types are available. These are:■Above: All areas in the digital photo with a temperature above the specified tem-perature level are displayed in infrared.■Below: All areas in the digital photo with a temperature below the specified tem-perature level are displayed in infrared.■Interval: All areas in the digital photo with a temperature between two specifiedtemperature levels are displayed in infrared.■Picture-in-Picture: An infrared image frame is displayed on top of the digitalphoto.Image examples This table explains the four different types:ImageFusion typeAboveBelow40 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
ImageFusion typeIntervalPicture-in-PicturePubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 4116 – Working with thermal fusion and picture-in-picture image modes
Procedure to setup thermal fusionFollow this procedure:1Push to display the menu system.In the menu system, select . This will display a submenu.2In the submenu, select Thermal fusion.3Push .4To change the portion of infrared in the image, do one of the following:■Push the joystick left/right to select , then push the joystick up/downto change the bottom temperature level.■Push the joystick left/right to select , then push the joystick up/downto change the top temperature level.■Push the joystick left/right to select , then push the joystick up/downto change the top and bottom temperature level at the same time, andleft/right to change the temperature span.542 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201116 – Working with thermal fusion and picture-in-picture image modes
Procedure to setup picture-in-pic-tureFollow this procedure:Push to display the menu system.1In the menu system, select . This will display a submenu.2In the submenu, select Picture-in-Picture.This will display an infrared image frame on top of a digital photo.3Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 4316 – Working with thermal fusion and picture-in-picture image modes
17 Working with measurement tools17.1 Laying out measurement tools: spots, areas, etc.General To measure a temperature, you use one or more measurement tools, e.g., a spotmeteror a box.Procedure Follow this procedure to lay out a measurement tool:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to .2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to go to a measurement tool.4Push . This will display the measurement tool on the screen.544 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
17.2 Laying out measurement tool: isothermsGeneral The isotherm command applies a contrasting color to all pixels with a temperatureabove, below, or between one or more set temperature levels.Using isotherms is a good method to easily discover anomalies in an infrared image.Procedure Follow this procedure to lay out an isotherm:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to .2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to go to .4Push . This will display a submenu.5In the submenu, select one of the following:■Above. This will apply a contrasting color to all pixels with a temperatureabove one or more set temperature levels.■Below. This will apply a contrasting color to all pixels with a temperaturebelow one or more set temperature levels.■Interval. This will apply a contrasting color to all pixels with a temperaturebetween two or more set temperature levels.■Humidity. This will apply a contrasting color to all pixels with a tempera-ture below a threshold calculated by humidity parameters.■Insulation. This will apply a contrasting color to all pixels with a temper-ature below a threshold calculated by insulation parameters.This will display a flag in the temperature scale. To change the temperaturelevel, tap and drag the flag up or down. See the image below.T639069;a16Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 4517 – Working with measurement tools
17.3 Moving or resizing a measurement toolGeneral You can move and resize a measurement tool.NOTE This procedure assumes that you have previously laid out a measurement toolon the screen.■■You can also move and resize the measurement tool using your finger.Procedure Follow this procedure to move or resize a measurement tool:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to (Tools).2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to go to (Adjust tools).4Push and select the measurement tool that you want to move orresize.5Use the navigation pad to move or resize the measurement tool.646 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201117 – Working with measurement tools
17.4 Creating and setting up a difference calculationGeneral A difference calculation gives the difference between the values of two known mea-surement results.NOTE This procedure assumes that you have previously laid out at least two measurementtools on the screen.Procedure Follow this procedure to create and set up a difference calculation:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to (Tools).2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to select (Add difference).4Push . This will display a dialog box where you can select themeasurement tools that you want to use in the difference calculation.5Push . The result of the difference calculation is now displayed inthe result table.6Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 4717 – Working with measurement tools
17.5 Changing object parametersGeneral For accurate measurements, you must set the object parameters.Types ofparametersThe camera can use these object parameters:Emissivity, i.e., how much radiation an object emits, compared with the radiationof a theoretical reference object of the same temperature (called a “blackbody”).The opposite of emissivity is reflectivity. The emissivity determines how much ofthe radiation originates from the object as opposed to being reflected by it.■■Reflected apparent temperature, which is used when compensating for the radi-ation from the surroundings reflected by the object into the camera. This propertyof the object is called reflectivity.■Object distance, i.e., the distance between the camera and the object of interest.■Atmospheric temperature, i.e., the temperature of the air between the cameraand the object of interest.■Relative humidity, i.e., the relative humidity of the air between the camera andthe object of interest.■External IR window compensation, i.e., the temperature of any protective windows,etc., that are set up between the camera and the object of interest. If no protectivewindow or protective shield is used, this value is irrelevant and should be left in-active.RecommendedvaluesIf you are unsure about the values, the following are recommended:Atmospheric temperature +20°C (+69°F)0.95Emissivity1.0 m (3.3 ft.)Object distance+20°C (+69°F)Reflected apparent temperature50%Relative humidity48 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201117 – Working with measurement tools
Procedure Follow this procedure to change the object parameters:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to .2Push to display a dialog box.3Use the navigation pad to select and change an object parameter.4Push . This will close the dialog box.5NOTE Of the parameters above, emissivity and reflected apparent temperature are the twomost important to set correctly in the camera.Related topics For in-depth information about parameters, and how to correctly set the emissivityand reflected apparent temperature, see section 31 – Thermographic measurementtechniques on page 160.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 4917 – Working with measurement tools
18 Fetching data from externalExtech metersGeneral You can fetch data from an external Extech meter and merge this data into the resulttable in the infrared image.Figure T638370;a1Supported ExtechmetersExtech Moisture Meter MO297■■Extech Clamp Meter EX845Technical supportfor Extech meterssupport@extech.comThis support is for Extech meters only. For technical support for infrared cameras,go to http://support.flir.com.NOTE This procedure assumes that you have paired the Bluetooth devices.■■For more information about products from Extech Instruments, go tohttp://www.extech.com/instruments/.Procedure Follow this procedure:Turn on the camera.1Turn on the Extech meter.250 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
On the meter, enable Bluetooth mode. Refer to the user documentation forthe meter for information on how to do this.3On the meter, choose the quantity that you want to use (voltage, current,resistance, etc.). Refer to the user documentation for the meter for informa-tion on how to do this.Results from the meter will now automatically be displayed in the result tablein the top left corner of the infrared camera screen.4Do one of the following:■To preview an image, push the Preview/Save button. At this stage, youcan add additional values. To do so, take a new measurement with themeter and select Add on the infrared camera screen.■To save an image without previewing, push and hold down the Pre-view/Save button.■(Dependent on camera model) To add a value to a recalled image, turnon the meter after you have recalled the image, then select Add on theinfrared camera screen. A maximum of eight values can be added, butnote that some values are broken into two lines.5Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 5118 – Fetching data from external Extech meters
18.1 Typical moisture measurement and documentationprocedureGeneral The following procedure can form the basis for other procedures using Extech metersand infrared cameras.Procedure Follow this procedure:Use the infrared camera to identify any potential damp areas behind wallsand ceilings.1Use the moisture meter to measure the moisture levels at various suspectlocations that may have been found.2When a spot of particular interest is located, store the moisture reading inthe moisture meter’s memory and identify the measurement spot with ahandprint or other thermal identifying marker.3Recall the reading from the meter memory. The moisture meter will nowcontinuously transmit this reading to the infrared camera.4Use the camera to take a thermal image of the area with the identifyingmarker. The stored data from the moisture meter will also be saved on theimage.552 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201118 – Fetching data from external Extech meters
19 Working with isotherms19.1 Building isothermsGeneral The camera features isotherm types that are specific to the building trade. You canmake the camera trigger the following types of isotherms:■Humidity: Triggers when a measurement tool detects a surface where the relativehumidity exceeds a preset value.■Insulation: Triggers when there is an insulation deficiency in a wall.About theHumidity isothermTo detect areas where the relative humidity is less than 100% you can use the Hu-midity isotherm, where you can set the relative humidity above which the isothermwill colorize the image.About theInsulationisothermThe Insulation isotherm can detect areas where there may be an insulation deficiencyin the building. It will trigger when the insulation level falls below a preset value ofthe energy leakage through a wall.Different building codes recommend different values, but typical values for the insu-lation level are 0.6–0.8 for new buildings. Refer to your national building code forrecommendations.Procedure Follow this procedure to set up an isotherm:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to .2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to go to .4Push . This will display a submenu.5In the submenu, select Humidity or Insulation. This will display a dialogbox where you can set the necessary parameters.6Push .The setup is now complete, and an isotherm will be displayed when theparameters are met.7NOTE For this isotherm to be meaningful, the parameters must be set with some care.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 53
20 Annotating imagesGeneral This section describes how to save additional information in an infrared image byusing annotations.Using annotations makes reporting and post-processing more efficient by providingessential information about the image, e.g., conditions, photos, and information aboutwhere an image is taken.You can set the camera to automatically add an annotation to your images.54 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
20.1 Taking a digital photoGeneral When you save an infrared image you can also take a digital photo of the object ofinterest. This digital photo will automatically be grouped together with the infraredimage, which will simplify post-processing and reporting.NOTE This procedure assumes that you have not set the camera to automatically add adigital photo.Procedure Follow this procedure to take a digital photo:To preview an infrared image, briefly pull and release the trigger.1Use the navigation pad to select .2Push to display a submenu.3Use the navigation pad to select Digital camera photo.4Push to take the digital photo.The digital photo will now be added to to what is called an “group,” andwill be grouped together with the infrared image in the image archive, andalso when moving files from the camera to reporting software on the com-puter.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 5520 – Annotating images
20.2 Creating a voice annotationGeneral A voice annotation is an audio recording that is stored in an infrared image file.The voice annotation is recorded using a Bluetooth headset. The recording can beplayed back in the camera, and in image analysis and reporting software from FLIRSystems.Procedure Follow this procedure to create a voice annotation:To preview an image, pull the trigger.1Use the navigation pad to select .2Do one or more of the following, and push the joystick to confirm eachchoice. Some buttons have more than one function.■To start a recording, select .■To pause/resume a recording, select .■To stop a recording, select .■To listen to a recording, select .■To pause a voice annotation that you are listening to, select .■To go to the beginning of a recording, select .■To delete a recording, move the joystick left/right or up/down and select.■To save a recording, select Save.356 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201120 – Annotating images
20.3 Creating a text annotationGeneral A text annotation is grouped with an image file. Using this feature, you can annotateimages. This text can be revised later.This feature is very efficient when saving information on an image when you are in-specting a large number of similar objects. Using text annotations avoids filling outforms or inspection protocols manually.NOTE This procedure assumes that you have not set the camera to automatically add atext annotation.Procedure Follow this procedure to create a text annotation:To preview an image, pull the trigger.1Use the navigation pad to select .2Push to display a dialog box.3T639064;a1In this dialog box you can do one of the following:■Use an existing text annotation template, or create a new template.■Create new fields.■Enter new text values for the fields.The text annotation will now be added to to what is called a group, and willbe grouped together with the infrared image in the image archive, and alsowhen moving files from the camera to reporting software on the computer.4(Step 5–8 describes how to add values to existing labels.)Use the navigation pad to select a label in the list, e.g., Location or Object.5Push to display a dialog box.6Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 5720 – Annotating images
In this dialog, do one of the following:■Select one of the predefined descrptions, e.g., engine or vent.■Click Keyboard and type in a new description.7Click OK.858 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201120 – Annotating images
21 Recording video clipsGeneral You can record non-radiometric infrared or visual video clips. In this mode, thecamera can be regarded as an ordinary digital video camera.The video clips can be played back in Microsoft Windows Media Player, but it willnot be possible to retrieve radiometric information from the video clips.Procedure Follow this procedure to record infrared or visual non-radiometric video clips:Push to display the menu system.1Use the joystick to go to .2Do the following:■To start a recording, briefly push and release the Preview/Save button.■To stop a recording, briefly push and release the Preview/Save button.3When you have stopped the recording, a toolbar will be presented whereyou can do one or more of the following:■Save the recording.■Cancel the recording.■Play back the recording.■Add a text annotation.■Add a sketch.4Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 59
22 Changing settingsGeneral You can change a variety of settings for the camera:■Camera settings, e.g., the display intensity, power management, touch-screencalibration, and default settings.■Preferences, e.g., settings for annotations and overlay.■Connectivity, e.g., settings for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.■Regional settings, e.g., the language, date and time, date and time format, andtemperature and distance units.This area also contains uneditable camera information, e.g., the serial number,firmware version, and battery level.Procedure Follow this procedure to change settings:Push to display the menu system.1Use the navigation pad to go to (Settings) .2Push . This will display a dialog box.3Do the following:■Use the navigation pad to go between tabs and up/down on tabs.■Use the button to edit the currently selected setting.■Use the button to confirm choices.460 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
23 Cleaning the camera23.1 Camera housing, cables, and other itemsLiquids Use one of these liquids:■Warm water■A weak detergent solutionEquipment A soft clothProcedure Follow this procedure:Soak the cloth in the liquid.1Twist the cloth to remove excess liquid.2Clean the part with the cloth.3CAUTION Do not apply solvents or similar liquids to the camera, the cables, or other items.This can cause damage.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 61
23.2 Infrared lensLiquids Use one of these liquids:■96% isopropyl alcohol.■A commercial lens cleaning liquid with more than 30% isopropyl alcohol.Equipment Cotton woolProcedure Follow this procedure:Soak the cotton wool in the liquid.1Twist the cotton wool to remove excess liquid.2Clean the lens one time only and discard the cotton wool.3WARNING Make sure that you read all applicable MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) andwarning labels on containers before you use a liquid: the liquids can be dangerous.CAUTION Be careful when you clean the infrared lens. The lens has a delicate anti-reflectivecoating.■■Do not clean the infrared lens too vigorously. This can damage the anti-reflectivecoating.62 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201123 – Cleaning the camera
23.3 Infrared detectorGeneral Even small amounts of dust on the infrared detector can result in major blemishesin the image. To remove any dust from the detector, follow the procedure below.NOTE This section only applies to cameras where removing the lens exposes the infrareddetector.■■In some cases the dust cannot be removed by following this procedure: the infrareddetector must be cleaned mechanically. This mechanical cleaning must be carriedout by an authorized service partner.CAUTION In Step 2 below, do not use pressurized air from pneumatic air circuits in a workshop,etc., as this air usually contains oil mist to lubricate pneumatic tools.Procedure Follow this procedure:Remove the lens from the camera.1Use pressurized air from a compressed air canister to blow off the dust.2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 6323 – Cleaning the camera
24 Technical dataFor technical data, refer to the datasheets on the user documentation CD-ROM thatcomes with the camera.Technical data is also available at http://support.flir.com.64 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
25 Dimensional drawings25.1 Camera dimensions, front view (1)Figure T638765;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 65
25.2 Camera dimensions, front view (2)Figure T638766;a166 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
25.3 Camera dimensions, side view (1)Figure T638772;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 6725 – Dimensional drawings
25.4 Camera dimensions, side view (2)Figure T638773;a168 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
25.5 Camera dimensions, side view (3)Figure T638774;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 6925 – Dimensional drawings
25.6 Infrared lens (30 mm/15°)Figure 10762503;a170 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
25.7 Infrared lens (10 mm/45°)Figure 10762403;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 7125 – Dimensional drawings
25.8 Battery (1)Figure T638782;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you installit.72 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
25.9 Battery (2)Figure T638783;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you installit.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 7325 – Dimensional drawings
25.10 Battery (3)Figure T638784;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you installit.74 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
25.11 Battery charger (1)Figure T638767;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you putit in the battery charger.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 7525 – Dimensional drawings
25.12 Battery charger (2)Figure T638768;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you putit in the battery charger.76 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
25.13 Battery charger (3)Figure T638769;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you putit in the battery charger.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 7725 – Dimensional drawings
25.14 Battery charger (4)Figure T638770;a1NOTE Use a clean, dry cloth to remove any water or moisture on the battery before you putit in the battery charger.78 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201125 – Dimensional drawings
26 Application examples26.1 Moisture & water damageGeneral It is often possible to detect moisture and water damage in a house by using an in-frared camera. This is partly because the damaged area has a different heat conduc-tion property and partly because it has a different thermal capacity to store heat thanthe surrounding material.NOTE Many factors can come into play as to how moisture or water damage will appear inan infrared image.For example, heating and cooling of these parts takes place at different rates depend-ing on the material and the time of day. For this reason, it is important that othermethods are used as well to check for moisture or water damage.Figure The image below shows extensive water damage on an external wall where the waterhas penetrated the outer facing because of an incorrectly installed window ledge.10739503;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 79
26.2 Faulty contact in socketGeneral Depending on the type of connection a socket has, an improperly connected wirecan result in local temperature increase. This temperature increase is caused by thereduced contact area between the connection point of the incoming wire and thesocket , and can result in an electrical fire.NOTE A socket’s construction may differ dramatically from one manufacturer to another.For this reason, different faults in a socket can lead to the same typical appearancein an infrared image.Local temperature increase can also result from improper contact between wire andsocket, or from difference in load.Figure The image below shows a connection of a cable to a socket where improper contactin the connection has resulted in local temperature increase.10739603;a180 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201126 – Application examples
26.3 Oxidized socketGeneral Depending on the type of socket and the environment in which the socket is installed,oxides may occur on the socket's contact surfaces. These oxides can lead to locallyincreased resistance when the socket is loaded, which can be seen in an infraredimage as local temperature increase.NOTE A socket’s construction may differ dramatically from one manufacturer to another.For this reason, different faults in a socket can lead to the same typical appearancein an infrared image.Local temperature increase can also result from improper contact between a wireand socket, or from difference in load.Figure The image below shows a series of fuses where one fuse has a raised temperatureon the contact surfaces against the fuse holder. Because of the fuse holder’s blankmetal, the temperature increase is not visible there, while it is visible on the fuse’sceramic material.10739703;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 8126 – Application examples
26.4 Insulation deficienciesGeneral Insulation deficiencies may result from insulation losing volume over the course oftime and thereby not entirely filling the cavity in a frame wall.An infrared camera allows you to see these insulation deficiencies because they eitherhave a different heat conduction property than sections with correctly installed insu-lation, and/or show the area where air is penetrating the frame of the building.NOTE When you are inspecting a building, the temperature difference between the insideand outside should be at least 10°C (18°F). Studs, water pipes, concrete columns,and similar components may resemble an insulation deficiency in an infrared image.Minor differences may also occur naturally.Figure In the image below, insulation in the roof framing is lacking.. Due to the absence ofinsulation, air has forced its way into the roof structure, which thus takes on a differentcharacteristic appearance in the infrared image.10739803;a182 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201126 – Application examples
26.5 DraftGeneral Draft can be found under baseboards, around door and window casings, and aboveceiling trim. This type of draft is often possible to see with an infrared camera, as acooler airstream cools down the surrounding surface.NOTE When you are investigating draft in a house, there should be sub-atmospheric pressurein the house. Close all doors, windows, and ventilation ducts, and allow the kitchenfan to run for a while before you take the infrared images.An infrared image of draft often shows a typical stream pattern. You can see thisstream pattern clearly in the picture below.Also keep in mind that drafts can be concealed by heat from floor heating circuits.Figure The image below shows a ceiling hatch where faulty installation has resulted in astrong draft.10739903;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 8326 – Application examples
27 Introduction to buildingthermography27.1 Disclaimer27.1.1 Copyright noticeSome sections and/or images appearing in this chapter are copyrighted to the follow-ing organizations and companies:■FORMAS—The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciencesand Spatial Planning, Stockholm, Sweden■ITC—Infrared Training Center, Boston, MA, United States■Stockton Infrared Thermographic Services, Inc., Randleman, NC, United States■Professional Investigative Engineers, Westminster, CO, United States■United Kingdom Thermography Association (UKTA)27.1.2 Training & certificationCarrying out building thermography inspections requires substantial trainingand experience, and may require certification from a national or regional stan-dardization body. This section is provided only as an introduction to buildingthermography. The user is strongly recommended to attend relevant trainingcourses.For more information about infrared training, visit the following website:http://www.infraredtraining.com27.1.3 National or regional building codesThe commented building structures in this chapter may differ in construction fromcountry to country. For more information about construction details and standardsof procedure, always consult national or regional building codes.27.2 Important noteAll camera functions and features that are described in this section may not be sup-ported by your particular camera configuration.84 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
27.3 Typical field investigations27.3.1 GuidelinesAs will be noted in subsequent sections there are a number of general guidelines theuser should take heed of when carrying out building thermography inspection. Thissection gives a summary of these guidelines.27.3.1.1 General guidelines■The emissivity of the majority of building materials fall between 0.85 and 0.95.Setting the emissivity value in the camera to 0.90 can be regarded as a goodstarting point.■An infrared inspection alone should never be used as a decision point for furtheractions. Always verify suspicions and findings using other methods, such as con-struction drawings, moisture meters, humidity & temperature datalogging, tracergas testing etc.■Change level and span to thermally tune the infrared image and reveal more details.The figure below shows the difference between a thermally untuned and a thermallytuned infrared image.10552103;a2Figure 27.1 LEFT: A thermally untuned infrared image; RIGHT: A thermally tuned infrared image, afterhaving changed level and span.27.3.1.2 Guidelines for moisture detection, mold detection & detection ofwater damages■Building defects related to moisture and water damages may only show up whenheat has been applied to the surface, e.g. from the sun.■The presence of water changes the thermal conductivity and the thermal mass ofthe building material. It may also change the surface temperature of building mate-rial due to evaporative cooling. Thermal conductivity is a material’s ability to conductheat, while thermal mass is its ability to store heat.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 8527 – Introduction to building thermography
■Infrared inspection does not directly detect the presence of mold, rather it may beused to find moisture where mold may develop or has already developed. Moldrequires temperatures between +4°C to +38°C (+40°F to +100°F), nutrients andmoisture to grow. Humidity levels above 50% can provide sufficient moisture toenable mold to grow.10556003;a1Figure 27.2 Microscopic view of mold spore27.3.1.3 Guidelines for detection of air infiltration & insulation deficiencies■For very accurate camera measurements, take measurements of the temperatureand enter this value in the camera.■It is recommended that there is a difference in pressure between the outside andthe inside of the building structure. This facilitates the analysis of the infrared imagesand reveals deficiencies that would not be visible otherwise. Although a negativepressure of between 10 and 50 Pa is recommended, carrying out the inspectionat a lower negative pressure may be acceptable. To do this, close all windows,doors and ventilation ducts and then run the kitchen exhaust fan for some time toreach a negative pressure of 5–10 Pa (applies to residential houses only).■A difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of 10–15°C (18–27°F)is recommended. Inspections can be carried out at a lower temperature difference,but will make the analysis of the infrared images somewhat more difficult.■Avoid direct sunlight on a part of a building structure—e.g. a façade—that is to beinspected from the inside. The sunlight will heat the façade which will equalize thetemperature differences on the inside and mask deficiencies in the building structure.Spring seasons with low nighttime temperatures (±0°C (+32°F)) and high daytimetemperatures (+14°C (+57°F)) are especially risky.86 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.2 About moisture detectionMoisture in a building structure can originate from several different sources, e.g.:■External leaks, such as floods, leaking fire hydrants etc.■Internal leaks, such as freshwater piping, waste water piping etc.■Condensation, which is humidity in the air falling out as liquid water due to conden-sation on cold surfaces.■Building moisture, which is any moisture in the building material prior to erectingthe building structure.■Water remaining from firefighting.As a non-destructive detection method, using an infrared camera has a number ofadvantages over other methods, and a few disadvantages:DisadvantageAdvantage■The method only detects surface temperaturedifferentials and can not see through walls.■The method can not detect subsurface damage,i.e. mold or structural damage.■The method is quick.■The method is a non-intrusive means of investi-gation.■The method does not require relocation of theoccupants.■The method features an illustrative visual pre-sentation of findings.■The method confirms failure points and mois-ture migration paths.27.3.3 Moisture detection (1): Low-slope commercial roofs27.3.3.1 General informationLow-slope commercial roofing is one of the most common roof types for industrialbuilding, such as warehouses, industrial plants, machinery shops etc. Its major ad-vantages over a pitched roof is the lower cost in material and building. However, dueto its design where snow and ice will not fall off by itself—as is the case for the major-ity of pitched roofs—it must be strongly built to support the accumulated weight ofboth roof structure and any snow, ice and rain.Although a basic understanding of the construction of low-slope commercial roofs isdesirable when carrying out a roof thermography inspection, expert knowledge is notnecessary. There is a large number of different design principles for low-slope com-mercial roofs—both when it comes to material and design—and it would be impossiblefor the infrared inspection person to know them all. If additional information about acertain roof is needed, the architect or contractor of the building can usually supplythe relevant information.Common causes of roof failure are outlined in the table below (from SPIE ThermosenseProceedings Vol. 371 (1982), p. 177).Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 8727 – Introduction to building thermography
%Cause47.6Poor workmanship2.6Roof traffic16.7Poor design7.8Trapped moisture8.0Materials8.4Age & weatheringPotential leak locations include the following:■Flashing■Drains■Penetrations■Seams■Blisters27.3.3.2 Safety precautions■Recommend a minimum of two people on a roof, preferably three or more.■Inspect the underside of the roof for structural integrity prior to walking on it.■Avoid stepping on blisters that are common on built up bitumen and gravel roofs.■Have a cell phone or radio available in case of emergency.■Inform local police and plant security prior to doing nighttime roof survey.88 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.3.3 Commented building structuresThis section includes a few typical examples of moisture problems on low-slopecommercial roofs.CommentStructural drawingInadequate sealing of roof membrane aroundconduit and ventilation ducts leading to localleakage around the conduit or duct.10553603;a2Roof membrane inadequately sealed around roofaccess hatch.10553703;a2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 8927 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentStructural drawingDrainage channels located too high and with toolow an inclination. Some water will remain in thedrainage channel after rain, which may lead to localleakage around the channel.10553803;a2Inadequate sealing between roof membrane androof outlet leading to local leakage around the roofoutlet.10553903;a227.3.3.4 Commented infrared imagesHow do you find wet insulation below the surface of the roof? When the surface itselfis dry, including any gravel or ballast, a sunny day will warm the entire roof. Early inthe evening, if the sky is clear, the roof will begin to cool down by radiation. Becauseof its higher thermal capacity the wet insulation will stay warmer longer than the dryand will be visible in the infrared camera (see photos below). The technique is partic-ularly effective on roofs having absorbent insulation—such as wood fiber, fiberglass,and perlite—where thermal patterns correlate almost perfectly with moisture.90 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
Infrared inspections of roofs with nonabsorbent insulations, common in many single-ply systems, are more difficult to diagnose because patterns are more diffuse.This section includes a few typical infrared images of moisture problems on low-slopecommercial roofs:CommentInfrared imageMoisture detection on a roof, recorded during theevening.Since the building material affected by moisturehas a higher thermal mass, its temperature decreas-es slower than surrounding areas.10554003;a1Water-damaged roofing components and insula-tion identified from infrared scan from the under-side of the built-up roof on a structural concretetee deck.Affected areas are cooler than the surroundingsound areas, due to conductive and/or thermalcapacitive effect.10554103;a1Daytime survey of built-up low-slope commercialroof.Affected areas are cooler than the surrounding dryareas, due to conductive and/or thermal capacitiveeffect.10554203;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 9127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.4 Moisture detection (2): Commercial & residential façades27.3.4.1 General informationThermography has proven to be invaluable in the assessment of moisture infiltrationinto commercial and residential façades. Being able to provide a physical illustrationof the moisture migration paths is more conclusive than extrapolating moisture meterprobe locations and more cost-effective than large intrusive test cuts.27.3.4.2 Commented building structuresThis section includes a few typical examples of moisture problems on commercialand residential façades.CommentStructural drawingPelting rain penetrates the façade due to badlyexecuted bed joints. Moisture builds up in themasonry above the window.10554303;a2Pelting rain hits the window at an angle. Most ofthe rain runs off the window edge flashing butsome finds its way into the masonry where theplaster meets the underside of the flashing.10554403;a292 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentStructural drawingRain hits the façade at an angle and penetratesthe plaster through cracks. The water then followsthe inside of the plaster and leads to frost erosion.10554503;a2Rain splashes on the façade and penetrates theplaster and masonry by absorption, which eventu-ally leads to frost erosion.10554603;a2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 9327 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.4.3 Commented infrared imagesThis section includes a few typical infrared images of moisture problems on commercial& residential façades.CommentInfrared imageImproperly terminated and sealed stone veneer towindow frame and missing flashings has resultedin moisture infiltration into the wall cavity and inte-rior living space.10554703;a1Moisture migration into drywall from capillary driveand interior finish components from inadequateclearance and slope of grade from vinyl sidingfaçade on an apartment complex.10554803;a127.3.5 Moisture detection (3): Decks & balconies27.3.5.1 General informationAlthough there are differences in design, materials and construction, decks—plazadecks, courtyard decks etc—suffer from the same moisture and leaking problems aslow-slope commercial roofs. Improper flashing, inadequately sealed membranes,and insufficient drainage may lead to substantial damage in the building structuresbelow.Balconies, although smaller in size, require the same care in design, choice of mate-rial, and workmanship as any other building structure. Since balconies are usuallysupported on one side only, moisture leading to corrosion of struts and concrete re-inforcement can cause problems and lead to hazardous situations.94 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.5.2 Commented building structuresThis section includes a few typical examples of moisture problems on decks andbalconies.CommentStructural drawingImproper sealing of paving and membrane to roofoutlet, leading to leakage during rain.10555203;a2No flashing at deck-to-wall connection, leading torain penetrating the concrete and insulation.10555103;a2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 9527 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentStructural drawingWater has penetrated the concrete due to inade-quately sized drop apron and has led to concretedisintegration and corrosion of reinforcement.SECURITY RISK!10555003;a2Water has penetrated the plaster and underlyingmasonry at the point where the handrail is fastenedto the wall.SECURITY RISK!10554903;a296 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.5.3 Commented infrared imagesThis section includes a few typical infrared images of moisture problems on decksand balconies.CommentInfrared imageImproper flashing at balcony-to-wall connectionsand missing perimeter drainage system resultedin moisture intrusion into the wood framing supportstructure of the exterior walkway balcony of a loftcomplex.10555303;a1A missing composite drainage plane or mediumon a below-grade parking garage plaza deckstructure resulted in standing water between thestructural concrete deck and the plaza wearingsurface.10555403;a127.3.6 Moisture detection (4): Plumbing breaks & leaks27.3.6.1 General informationWater from plumbing leaks can often lead to severe damage on a building structure.Small leaks may be difficult to detect, but can—over the years—penetrate structuralwalls and foundations to a degree where the building structure is beyond repair.Using building thermography at an early stage when plumbing breaks and leaks aresuspected can lead to substantial savings on material and labor.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 9727 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.6.2 Commented infrared imagesThis section includes a few typical infrared images of plumbing breaks & leaks.CommentInfrared imageMoisture migration tracking along steel joist chan-nels inside ceiling of a single family home wherea plumbing line had ruptured.10555503;a1Water from plumbing leak was found to have mi-grated farther than originally anticipated by thecontractor during remediation techniques of cuttingback carpet and installing dehumidifiers.10555603;a198 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentInfrared imageThe infrared image of this vinyl-sided 3-floorapartment house clearly shows the path of a seri-ous leak from a washing machine on the third floor,which is completely hidden within the wall.10555703;a1Water leak due to improper sealing between floordrain and tiles.10555803;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 9927 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.7 Air infiltration27.3.7.1 General informationDue to the wind pressure on a building, temperature differences between the insideand the outside of the building, and the fact that most buildings use exhaust air terminaldevices to extract used air from the building, a negative pressure of 2–5 Pa can beexpected. When this negative pressure leads to cold air entering the building structuredue to deficiencies in building insulation and/or building sealing, we have what iscalled air infiltration. Air infiltration can be expected at joints and seams in the buildingstructure.Due to the fact that air infiltration creates an air flow of cool air into e.g. a room, it canlead to substantial deterioration of the indoor climate. Air flows as small as 0.15 m/s(0.49 ft./s) are usually noticed by inhabitants, although these air flows may be difficultto detect using ordinary measurement devices.On an infrared image air infiltration can be identified by its typical ray pattern, whichemanates from the point of exit in the building structure—e.g. from behind a skirtingstrip. Furthermore, areas of air infiltration typically have a lower detected temperaturethan areas where there is only an insulation deficiency. This is due to the chill factorof the air flow.27.3.7.2 Commented building structuresThis section includes a few typical examples of details of building structures whereair infiltration may occur.CommentStructural drawingInsulation deficiencies at the eaves of a brickwallhouse due to improperly installed fiberglass insu-lation batts.The air infiltration enters the room from behind thecornice.10552503;a2100 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentStructural drawingInsulation deficiencies in an intermediate flow dueto improperly installed fiberglass insulation batts.The air infiltration enters the room from behind thecornice.10552303;a2Air infiltration in a concrete floor-over-crawl-spacedue to cracks in the brick wall façade.The air infiltration enters the room beneath theskirting strip.10552603;a2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 10127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.7.3 Commented infrared imagesThis section includes a few typical infrared images of details of building structureswhere air infiltration has occurred.CommentInfrared imageAir infiltration from behind a skirting strip. Note thetypical ray pattern.10552703;a1Air infiltration from behind a skirting strip. Note thetypical ray pattern.The white area to the left is a radiator.10552803;a1Air infiltration from behind a skirting strip. Note thetypical ray pattern.10552903;a1102 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.8 Insulation deficiencies27.3.8.1 General informationInsulation deficiencies do not necessarily lead to air infiltration. If fiberglass insulationbatts are improperly installed air pockets will form in the building structure. Sincethese air pockets have a different thermal conductivity than areas where the insulationbatts are properly installed, the air pockets can be detected during a building ther-mography inspection.As a rule of thumb, areas with insulation deficiencies typically have higher temperaturesthan where there is only an air infiltration.When carrying out building thermography inspections aimed at detecting insulationdeficiencies, be aware of the following parts in a building structure, which may looklike insulation deficiencies on the infrared image:■Wooden joists, studs, rafter, beams■Steel girders and steel beams■Water piping inside walls, ceilings, floors■Electrical installations inside walls, ceilings, floors—such as trunking, piping etc.■Concrete columns inside timber framed walls■Ventilation ducts & air ducts27.3.8.2 Commented building structuresThis section includes a few typical examples of details of building structures with in-sulation deficiencies:CommentStructural drawingInsulation deficiencies (and air infiltration) due toimproper installation of insulation batts around anelectrical mains supply.This kind of insulation deficiency will show up asdark areas on an infrared image.10553203;a2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 10327 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentStructural drawingInsulation deficiencies due to improper installationof insulation batts around an attic floor beam. Coolair infiltrates the structure and cools down the in-side of the ceiling.This kind of insulation deficiency will show up asdark areas on an infrared image.10553103;a2Insulation deficiencies due to improper installationof insulation batts creating an air pocket on theoutside of an inclined ceiling.This kind of insulation deficiency will show up asdark areas on an infrared image.10553003;a2104 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.3.8.3 Commented infrared imagesThis section includes a few typical infrared images of insulation deficiencies.CommentInfrared imageInsulation deficiencies in an intermediate floorstructure. The deficiency may be due to eithermissing insulation batts or improperly installed in-sulations batts (air pockets).10553303;a1Improperly installed fiberglass batts in a suspend-ed ceiling.10553403;a1Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 10527 – Introduction to building thermography
CommentInfrared imageInsulation deficiencies in an intermediate floorstructure. The deficiency may be due to eithermissing insulation batts or improperly installed in-sulations batts (air pockets).10553503;a1106 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.4 Theory of building science27.4.1 General informationThe demand for energy-efficient constructions has increased significantly in recenttimes. Developments in the field of energy, together with the demand for pleasantindoor environments, have resulted in ever-greater significance having to be attachedto both the function of a building’s thermal insulation and airtightness and the efficiencyof its heating and ventilation systems.Defective insulation and tightness in highly insulated and airtight structures can havea great impact on energy losses. Defects in a building’s thermal insulation and airtight-ness do not merely entail risk of excessive heating and maintenance costs, they alsocreate the conditions for a poor indoor climate.A building’s degree of insulation is often stated in the form of a thermal resistance ora coefficient of thermal transmittance (Uvalue) for the various parts of the building.However, the stated thermal resistance values rarely provide a measure of the actualenergy losses in a building. Air leakage from joints and connections that are not airtightand insufficiently filled with insulation often gives rise to considerable deviations fromthe designed and expected values.Verification that individual materials and building elements have the promised prop-erties is provided by means of laboratory tests. Completed buildings have to bechecked and inspected in order to ensure that their intended insulation and airtightnessfunctions are actually achieved.In its structural engineering application, thermography is used to study temperaturevariations over the surfaces of a structure. Variations in the structure’s thermal resis-tance can, under certain conditions, produce temperature variations on its surfaces.Leakage of cold (or warm) air through the structure also affects the variation in surfacetemperature. This means that insulation defects, thermal bridges and air leaks in abuilding’s enclosing structural components can be located and surveyed.Thermography itself does not directly show the structure’s thermal resistance or air-tightness. Where quantification of thermal resistance or airtightness is required, addi-tional measurements have also to be taken. Thermographic analysis of buildings relieson certain prerequisites in terms of temperature and pressure conditions across thestructure.Details, shapes and contrasts in the thermal image can vary quite clearly with changesin any of these parameters. The in-depth analysis and interpretation of thermal imagestherefore requires thorough knowledge of such aspects as material and structuralproperties, the effects of climate and the latest measuring techniques. For assessingPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 10727 – Introduction to building thermography
the results of measurements, there are special requirements in terms of the skills andexperience of those taking the measurements, e.g. by means of authorization by anational or regional standardization body.27.4.2 The effects of testing and checkingIt can be difficult to anticipate how well the thermal insulation and airtightness of acompleted building will work. There are certain factors involved in assembling thevarious components and building elements that can have a considerable impact onthe final result. The effects of transport, handling and storage at the site and the waythe work is done cannot be calculated in advance. To ensure that the intended functionis actually achieved, verification by testing and checking the completed building isrequired.Modern insulation technology has reduced the theoretical heat requirement. Thisdoes mean, however, that defects that are relatively minor, but at important locations,e.g. leaking joints or incorrectly installed insulation, can have considerable conse-quences in terms both of heat and comfort. Verification tests, e.g. by means of ther-mography, have proved their value, from the point of view both of the designer andthe contractor and of the developer, the property manager and the user.■For the designer, the important thing is to find out about the function of varioustypes of structures, so that they can be designed to take into account both workingmethods and functional requirements. The designer must also know how differentmaterials and combinations of materials function in practice. Effective testing andchecking, as well as experiential feedback, can be used to achieve the requireddevelopment in this area.■The contractor is keen on more testing and inspection in order to ensure that thestructures keep to an expected function that corresponds to established require-ments in the regulations issued by authorities and in contractual documents. Thecontractor wants to know at an early stage of construction about any changes thatmay be necessary so that systematic defects can be prevented. During construction,a check should therefore be carried out on the first apartments completed in amass production project. Similar checking then follows as production continues.In this way systematic defects can be prevented and unnecessary costs and futureproblems can be avoided. This check is of benefit both to manufacturers and tousers.■For the developer and the property manager it is essential that buildings are checkedwith reference to heat economy, maintenance (damage from moisture or moistureinfiltration) and comfort for the occupants (e.g. cooled surfaces and air movementsin occupied zones).108 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
■For the user the important thing is that the finished product fulfills the promisedrequirements in terms of the building’s thermal insulation and airtightness. For theindividual, buying a house involves a considerable financial commitment, and thepurchaser therefore wants to know that any defects in the construction will not in-volve serious financial consequences or hygiene problems.The effects of testing and checking a building’s insulation and airtightness are partlyphysiological and partly financial.The physiological experience of an indoor climatic environment is very subjective,varying according to the particular human body’s heat balance and the way the indi-vidual experiences temperature. The experience of climate depends on both the indoorair temperature and that of the surrounding surfaces. The speed of movement andmoisture content of indoor air are also of some significance. Physiologically, a draftproduces the sensation of local cooling of the body’s surface caused by■excessive air movements in the occupied zone with normal air temperature;■normal air movements in the occupied zone but a room temperature that is toolow;■substantial radiated heat exchange with a cold surface.It is difficult to assess the quantitative effects of testing and checking a building’sthermal insulation.Investigations have shown that defects found in the thermal insulation and airtightnessof buildings cause heat losses that are about 20–30% more than was expected.Monitoring energy consumption before and after remedial measures in relatively largecomplexes of small houses and in multi-dwelling blocks has also demonstrated this.The figures quoted are probably not representative of buildings in general, since theinvestigation data cannot be said to be significant for the entire building stock. Acautious assessment however would be that effectively testing and checking abuilding’s thermal insulation and airtightness can result in a reduction in energyconsumption of about 10%.Research has also shown that increased energy consumption associated with defectsis often caused by occupants increasing the indoor temperature by one or a few de-grees above normal to compensate for the effect of annoying thermal radiation towardscooled surfaces or a sensation of disturbing air movements in a room.27.4.3 Sources of disruption in thermographyDuring a thermographic survey, the risk of confusing temperature variations causedby insulation defects with those associated with the natural variation in Uvalues alongwarm surfaces of a structure is considered slight under normal conditions.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 10927 – Introduction to building thermography
The temperature changes associated with variations in the Uvalue are generallygradual and symmetrically distributed across the surface. Variations of this kind doof course occur at the angles formed by roofs and floors and at the corners of walls.Temperature changes associated with air leaks or insulation defects are in mostcases more evident with characteristically shaped sharp contours. The temperaturepattern is usually asymmetrical.During thermography and when interpreting an infrared image, comparison infraredimages can provide valuable information for assessment.The sources of disruption in thermography that occur most commonly in practice are■the effect of the sun on the surface being thermographed (sunlight shining inthrough a window);■hot radiators with pipes;■lights directed at, or placed near, the surface being measured;■air flows (e.g. from air intakes) directed at the surface;■the effect of moisture deposits on the surface.Surfaces on which the sun is shining should not be subjected to thermography. Ifthere is a risk of an effect by sunlight, windows should be covered up (closing Venetianblinds). However, be aware that there are building defects or problems (typicallymoisture problems) that only show up when heat has been applied to the surface,e.g. from the sun.For more information about moisture detection, see section 27.3.2 – About moisturedetection on page 87.A hot radiator appears as a bright light surface in an infrared image. The surfacetemperature of a wall next to a radiator is raised, which may conceal any defectspresent.For maximum prevention of disruptive effects from hot radiators, these may be shutoff a short while before the measurement is taken. However, depending on the con-struction of the building (low or high mass), these may need to be shut off severalhours before a thermographic survey. The room air temperature must not fall so muchas to affect the surface temperature distribution on the structure’s surfaces. There islittle timelag with electric radiators, so they cool down relatively quickly once theyhave been switched off (20–30 minutes).Lights placed against walls should be switched off when the infrared image is taken.During a thermographic survey there should not be any disruptive air flows (e.g. openwindows, open valves, fans directed at the surface being measured) that could affectthe surfaces being thermographed.110 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
Any wet surfaces, e.g. as a result of surface condensation, have a definite effect onheat transfer at the surface and the surface temperature. Where there is moisture ona surface, there is usually some evaporation which draws off heat, thus lowering thetemperature of the surface by several degrees. There is risk of surface condensationat major thermal bridges and insulation defects.Significant disruptions of the kind described here can normally be detected andeliminated before measuring.If during thermography it is not possible to shield surfaces being measured fromdisruptive factors, these must be taken into account when interpreting and evaluatingthe results. The conditions in which the thermography was carried out should berecorded in detail when each measurement is taken.27.4.4 Surface temperature and air leaksDefects in building airtightness due to small gaps in the structure can be detectedby measuring the surface temperature. If there is a negative pressure in the buildingunder investigation, air flows into the space through leaks in the building. Cold airflowing in through small gaps in a wall usually lowers the temperature in adjacentareas of the wall. The result is that a cooled surface area with a characteristic shapedevelops on the inside surface of the wall. Thermography can be used to detectcooled surface areas. Air movements at the wall surface can be measured using anair velocity indicator. If there is a positive pressure inside the building being investi-gated, warm room air will leak out through gaps in the wall, resulting in locally warmsurface areas around the locations of the leaks.The amount of leakage depends partly on gaps and partly on the differential pressureacross the structure.27.4.4.1 Pressure conditions in a buildingThe most important causes of differential pressure across a structural element in abuilding are■wind conditions around the building;■the effects of the ventilation system;■temperature differences between air inside and outside (thermal differential pres-sure).The actual pressure conditions inside a building are usually caused by a combinationof these factors.The resultant pressure gradient across the various structural elements can be illustratedby the figure on page 113. The irregular effects of wind on a building means that inpractice the pressure conditions may be relatively variable and complicated.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 11127 – Introduction to building thermography
In a steady wind flow, Bernoulli’s Law applies:where:Air density in kg/m3ρWind velocity in m/svStatic pressure in Papand where:denotes the dynamic pressure and pthe static pressure. The total of these pressuresgives the total pressure.Wind load against a surface makes the dynamic pressure become a static pressureagainst the surface. The magnitude of this static pressure is determined by, amongstother things, the shape of the surface and its angle to the wind direction.The portion of the dynamic pressure that becomes a static pressure on the surface(pstat) is determined by what is known as a stress concentration factor:If ρis 1.23 kg/m3(density of air at +15°C (+59°F)), this gives the following localpressures in the wind flow:112 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
10551803;a1Figure 27.3 Distribution of resultant pressures on a building’s enclosing surfaces depending on wind effects,ventilation and internal/external temperature difference. 1: Wind direction; Tu: Thermodynamic air temper-ature outdoors in K; Ti: Thermodynamic air temperature indoors in K.If the whole of the dynamic pressure becomes static pressure, then C = 1. Examplesof stress concentration factor distributions for a building with various wind directionsare shown in the figure on page 114.The wind therefore causes an internal negative pressure on the windward side andan internal positive pressure on the leeward side. The air pressure indoors dependson the wind conditions, leaks in the building and how these are distributed in relationto the wind direction. If the leaks in the building are evenly distributed, the internalpressure may vary by ±0.2 pstat. If most of the leaks are on the windward side, theinternal pressure increases somewhat. In the opposite case, with most of the leakson the leeward side, the internal pressure falls.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 11327 – Introduction to building thermography
10551903;a1Figure 27.4 Stress concentration factor (C) distributions for various wind directions and wind velocities(v) relative to a building.Wind conditions can vary substantially over time and between relatively closely situ-ated locations. In thermography, such variations can have a clear effect on the mea-surement results.It has been demonstrated experimentally that the differential pressure on a façadeexposed to an average wind force of about 5 m/s (16.3 ft/s) will be about 10 Pa.Mechanical ventilation results in a constant internal negative or positive pressure(depending on the direction of the ventilation). Research has showed that the negativepressure caused by mechanical extraction (kitchen fans) in small houses is usuallybetween 5 and 10 Pa. Where there is mechanical extraction of ventilation air, e.g. inmulti-dwelling blocks, the negative pressure is somewhat greater, 10–50 Pa. Wherethere is so-called balanced ventilation (mechanically controlled supply and extractair), this is normally adjusted to produce a slight negative pressure inside (3–5 Pa).The differential pressure caused by temperature differences, the so-called chimneyeffect (airtightness differences of air at different temperatures) means that there is anegative pressure in the building’s lower part and a positive pressure in the upper114 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
part. At a certain height there is a neutral zone where the pressures on the inside andoutside are the same, see the figure on page 116. This differential pressure may bedescribed by the relationship:Air pressure differential within the structure in PaΔp9.81 m/s2gAir density in kg/m3ρuThermodynamic air temperature outdoors in KTuThermodynamic air temperature indoors in KTiDistance from the neutral zone in metershIf ρu= 1.29 kg/m3(density of air at a temperature of 273 K and ≈100 kPa), this pro-duces:With a difference of +25°C (+77°F) between the ambient internal and external tem-peratures, the result is a differential pressure difference within the structure of about1 Pa/m difference in height (= 3.28 Pa/ft.).Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 11527 – Introduction to building thermography
10552003;a1Figure 27.5 Distribution of pressures on a building with two openings and where the external temperatureis lower than the internal temperature. 1: Neutral zone; 2: Positive pressure; 3: Negative pressure;h: Distance from the neutral zone in meters.The position of the neutral zone may vary, depending on any leaks in the building. Ifthe leaks are evenly distributed vertically, this zone will be about halfway up thebuilding. If more of the leaks are in the lower part of the building, the neutral zone willmove downwards. If more of the leaks are in the upper part, it will move upwards.Where a chimney opens above the roof, this has a considerable effect on the positionof the neutral zone, and the result may be a negative pressure throughout the building.This situation most commonly occurs in small buildings.In a larger building, such as a tall industrial building, with leaks at doors and anywindows in the lower part of the building, the neutral zone is about one-third of theway up the building.116 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.4.5 Measuring conditions & measuring seasonThe foregoing may be summarized as follows as to the requirements with regard tomeasuring conditions when carrying out thermographic imaging of buildings.Thermographic imaging is done in such a way that the disruptive influence from ex-ternal climatic factors is as slight as possible. The imaging process is therefore carriedout indoors, i.e. where a building is heated, the structure’s warm surfaces are exam-ined.Outdoor thermography is only used to obtain reference measurements of largerfaçade surfaces. In certain cases, e.g. where the thermal insulation is very bad orwhere there is an internal positive pressure, outdoor measurements may be useful.Even when investigating the effects of installations located within the building’s climaticenvelope, there may be justification for thermographic imaging from outside thebuilding.The following conditions are recommended:■The air temperature difference within the relevant part of the building must be atleast +10°C (+18°F) for a number of hours before thermographic imaging and foras long as the procedure takes. For the same period, the ambient temperaturedifference must not vary by more than ±30% of the difference when the thermo-graphic imaging starts. During the thermographic imaging, the indoor ambienttemperature should not change by more than ±2°C (±3.6°F).■For a number of hours prior before thermographic imaging and as long as it con-tinues, no influencing sunlight may fall upon the relevant part of the building.■Negative pressure within the structure ≈ 10–50 Pa.■When conducting thermographic imaging in order to locate only air leaks in thebuilding’s enclosing sections, the requirements in terms of measuring conditionsmay be lower. A difference of 5°C (9°F) between the inside and outside ambienttemperatures ought to be sufficient for detecting such defects. To be able to detectair leaks, certain requirements must however be made with regard to the differentialpressure; about 10 Pa should be sufficient.27.4.6 Interpretation of infrared imagesThe main purpose of thermography is to locate faults and defects in thermal insulationin exterior walls and floor structures and to determine their nature and extent. Themeasuring task can also be formulated in such a way that the aim of the thermographyis to confirm whether or not the wall examined has the promised insulation and air-tightness characteristics. The ‘promised thermal insulation characteristics’ for the wallaccording to the design can be converted into an expected surface temperature dis-tribution for the surface under investigation if the measuring conditions at the timewhen the measurements are taken are known.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 11727 – Introduction to building thermography
In practice the method involves the following:Laboratory or field tests are used to produce an expected temperature distribution inthe form of typical or comparative infrared images for common wall structures, com-prising both defect-free structures and structures with in-built defects.Examples of typical infrared images are shown in section 27.3 – Typical field investi-gations on page 85.If infrared images of structural sections taken during field measurements are intendedfor use as comparison infrared images, then the structure’s composition, the way itwas built, and the measurement conditions at the time the infrared image was takenmust be known in detail and documented.In order, during thermography, to be able to comment on the causes of deviationsfrom the expected results, the physical, metrological and structural engineering pre-requisites must be known.The interpretation of infrared images taken during field measurements may be de-scribed in brief as follows:A comparison infrared image for a defect-free structure is selected on the basis ofthe wall structure under investigation and the conditions under which the field mea-surement was taken. An infrared image of the building element under investigationis then compared with the selected infrared image. Any deviation that cannot be ex-plained by the design of the structure or the measurement conditions is noted as asuspected insulation defect. The nature and extent of the defect is normally determinedusing comparison infrared images showing various defects.If no suitable comparison infrared image is available, evaluation and assessment aredone on the basis of experience. This requires more precise reasoning during theanalysis.When assessing an infrared image, the following should be looked at:■Uniformity of brightness in infrared images of surface areas where there are nothermal bridges■Regularity and occurrence of cooled surface areas, e.g. at studding and corners■Contours and characteristic shapes in the cooled surface area■Measured temperature differences between the structure’s normal surface temper-ature and the selected cooled surface area■Continuity and uniformity of the isotherm curve on the surface of the structure. Inthe camera software the isotherm function is called Isotherm or Color alarm, de-pending on camera model.118 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
Deviations and irregularities in the appearance of the infrared image often indicateinsulation defects. There may obviously be considerable variations in the appearanceof infrared images of structures with insulation defects. Certain types of insulationdefects have a characteristic shape on the infrared image.Section 27.3 – Typical field investigations on page 85 shows examples of interpreta-tions of infrared images.When taking infrared images of the same building, the infrared images from differentareas should be taken with the same settings on the infrared camera, as this makescomparison of the various surface areas easier.27.4.7 Humidity & dew point27.4.7.1 Relative & absolute humidityHumidity can be expressed in two different ways—either as relative humidity or asabsolute humidity. Relative humidity is expressed in percent of how much water acertain volume of air can hold at a certain temperature, while absolute humidity isexpressed in percent water by weight of material. The latter way to express humidityis common when measuring humidity in wood and other building materials.The higher the temperature of air, the larger the amount of water this certain volumeof air can hold.27.4.7.2 Definition of dew pointDew point is the temperature at which the humidity in a certain volume of air willcondense as liquid water.27.4.8 Excerpt from Technical Note ‘Assessing thermal bridging andinsulation continuity’ (UK example)27.4.8.1 CreditsThis Technical Note was produced by a working group including expert thermogra-phers, and research consultants. Additional consultation with other persons and or-ganisations results in this document being widely accepted by all sides of industries.The contents of this Technical Note is reproduced with kind permission from, andfully copyrighted to, United Kingdom Thermography Association (UKTA).UK Thermography Associationc/o British Institute of Nondestructive Testing1 Spencer ParadeNorthampton NN1 5AAUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0)1604 630124Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 11927 – Introduction to building thermography
Fax: +44 (0)1604 23148927.4.8.2 IntroductionOver the last few years the equipment, applications, software, and understandingconnected with thermography have all developed at an astonishing rate. As thetechnology has gradually become integrated into mainstream practises, a correspond-ing demand for application guides, standards and thermography training has arisen.The UKTA is publishing this technical note in order to establish a consistent approachto quantifying the results for a ‘Continuity of Thermal Insulation’ examination. It is in-tended that specifiers should refer to this document as a guide to satisfying the re-quirement in the Building Regulations, therefore enabling the qualified thermographerto issue a pass or fail report.27.4.8.3 Background informationThermography can detect surface temperature variations as small as 0.1 K andgraphic images can be produced that visibly illustrate the distribution of temperatureon building surfaces.Variations in the thermal properties of building structures, such as poorly fitted ormissing sections of insulation, cause variations in surface temperature on both sidesof the structure. They are therefore visible to the thermographer. However, manyother factors such as local heat sources, reflections and air leakage can also causesurface temperature variations.The professional judgement of the thermographer is usually required to differentiatebetween real faults and other sources of temperature variation. Increasingly, thermo-graphers are asked to justify their assessment of building structures and, in the ab-sence of adequate guidance, it can be difficult to set definite levels for acceptable orunacceptable variation in temperature.The current Standard for thermal iamging of building fabric in the UK is BS EN13187:1999 (BS EN 13187:1999, Thermal Performance of Buildings—Qualitative de-tection of thermal properties in building envelopes—Infrared method (ISO 6781:1983modified). However, this leaves interpretation of the thermal image to the professionalexpertise of of the thermographer and provides little guidance on the demarcationbetween acceptable and unacceptable variations. Guidance on the appearance of arange of thermal anomalies can be found in BINDT Guides to thermal imaging (InfraredThermography Handbook; Volume 1, Principles and Practise, Norman Walker, ISBN0903132338, Volume 2, Applications, A. N. Nowicki, ISBN 090313232X, BINDT, 2005).27.4.8.3.1 RequirementsA thermographic survey to demonstrate continuity of insulation, areas of thermalbridging and compliance with Building Regulations should include the following:120 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
■Thermal anomalies.■Differentiate between real thermal anomalies, where temperature differences arecaused by deficiencies in thermal insulation, and those that occur through con-founding factors such as localised differences in air movement, reflection andemissivity.■Quantify affected areas in relation to the total insulated areas.■State whether the anomalies and the building thermal insulation as a whole areacceptable.27.4.8.4 Quantitative appraisal of thermal anomaliesA thermographic survey will show differences in apparent temperature of areas withinthe field of view. To be useful, however, it must systematically detect all the apparentdefects; assess them against a predetermined set of criteria; reliably discount thoseanomalies that are not real defects; evaluate those that are real defects, and reportthe results to the client.27.4.8.4.1 Selection of critical temperature parameterThe BRE information Paper IP17/01 (Information Paper IP17/01, Assessing the Effectsof Thermal Bridging at Junctions and Around Openings. Tim Ward, BRE, 2001) pro-vides useful guidance on minimum acceptable internal surface temperatures andappropriate values of Critical Surface Temperature Factor, fCRsi. The use of a surfacetemperature factor allows surveys under any thermal conditions to show areas thatare at risk of condensation or mould growth under design conditions.The actual surface temperature will depend greatly on the temperatures inside andoutside at the time of the survey, but a ‘Surface Temperature Factor’ (fRsi) has beendevised that is independent of the absolute conditions. It is a ratio of temperaturedrop across the building fabric to the total temperature drop between inside andoutside air.For internal surveys: fRsi = (Tsi – Te)/(Ti– Te)Tsi = internal surface temperatureTi= internal air temperatureTe= external air temperatureA value for fCRsi of 0.75 is considered appropriate across new building as the upperend usage is not a factor considered in testing for ‘Continuity of Insulation’, or ‘ThermalBridging’. However, when considering refurbished or extended buildings, for exampleswimming pools, internal surveys may need to account for unusal circumstances.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 12127 – Introduction to building thermography
27.4.8.4.2 Alternative method using only surface temperaturesThere are strong arguments for basing thermographic surveys on surface temperaturesalone, with no need to measure air temperature.■Stratification inside the building makes reference to air internal temperatures verydifficult. Is it mean air temperature, low level, high level or temperature at the levelof the anomaly and how far from the wall should it be measured?■Radiation effects, such as radiation to the night sky, make use of of external airtemperature difficult. It is not unusual for the outside surface of building fabric tobe below air temperature because of radiation to the sky which may be as low as–50℃ (–58℉). This can be seen with the naked eye by the fact that dew and frostoften appear on building surfaces even when the air temperature does not dropbelow the dewpoint.■It should be noted that the concept of U values is based on ‘environmental temper-atures’ on each side of the structure. This is neglected by many inexperiencedanalysts.■The two temperatures that are firmly related to the transfer of heat through buildingfabric (and any solid) are the surface temperatures on each side.■Therefore, by referring to surface temperatures the survey is more repeatable.■The surface temperatures used are the averages of surface temperatures on thesame material in an area near the anomaly on the inside and the outside of thefabric. Together with the temperature of the anomaly, a threshold level can be setdependent on these temperatures using the critical surface temperature factor.■These arguments do not obviate the need for the thermographer to beware of re-flections of objects at unusual temperatures in the background facing the buildingfabric surfaces.■The thermographer should also use a comparison between external faces facingdifferent directions to determine whether there is residual heat from solar gain af-fecting the external surfaces.■External surveys should not be conducted on a surface where Tsi – Tso on the faceis more than 10% greater than Tsi – Tso on the north or nearest to north face.■For a defect that causes a failure under the 0.75 condition of IP17/01 the criticalsurface factors are 0.78 on the inside surface and 0.93 on the outside surface.The table below shows the internal and external surface temperatures at an anomalywhich would lead to failure under IP17/01. It also shows the deterioration in thermalinsulation that is necessary to cause this.Failing areaGood areaExample for lightweight built-up cladding with defectiveinsulation00Outside temperature in ℃15.019.1Inside surface temperature in ℃122 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
Failing areaGood areaExample for lightweight built-up cladding with defectiveinsulation1.50.3Outside surface temperature in ℃0.750.95Surface factor from IP17/010.92Critical external surface temperature factor, after IP17/015.180Insulation thickness to give this level of performance, mm1.920.35Local U value W/m2K0.78UKTA TN1 surface factor0.93UKTA TN1 surface factor outsideNotes to the table1Values of surface resistances taken from ADL2 2001, are:■Inside surface 0.13 m2K/W■Outside surface 0.04 m2K/WThese originate from BS EN ISO 6946 (BN EN ISO 6946:1997 Building componentsand building elements - Thermal resistance and thermal transmittance - Calculationmethod).2Thermal insulation used here is assumed to have a conductivity of 0.03 W/m K.3The difference in temperature between an anomaly and the good areas is 1.2 de-grees on the outside and 4.1 degrees on the inside.4The UKTA TN1 surface temperature factor for internal surveys is:Fsi = (Tsia – Tso)/(Tsi – Tso)where:Tsia = internal surface temperature at anomalyTso = external surface temperature (good area)Tsi = internal surface temperature (good area)5The UKTA TN1 surface temperature factor for external surveys is:Fso = (Tsoa – Tsi)/(Tso – Tsi)where Tsoa = external surface temperature at anomaly27.4.8.4.3 Selecting maximum acceptable defect areaThe allowable area of defect is a quality control issue. It can be argued that thereshould be no area on which condensation, mould growth or defective insulation willoccur and any such anomalies should be included in the report. However, a commonlyused value of 0.1% of the building exposed surface area is generally accepted as themaximum combined defect area allowable to comply with the Building Regulations.This represents one square metre in every thousand.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 12327 – Introduction to building thermography
27.4.8.4.4 Measuring surface temperatureMeasurement of surface temperature is the function of the infrared imaging system.The trained thermographer will recognise, account for and report on the variation ofemissivity and reflectivity of the surfaces under consideration.27.4.8.4.5 Measuring area of the defectsMeasurement of defect area can be performed by pixel counting in the thermal anal-ysis software or most spreadhseet packages provided that:■the distance from camera to object is accurately measured probably using a lasermeasurement system,■the target distance should take into account the IFOV of the imaging system,■any angular change between the camera and the object surface from the perpen-dicular is accounted for.Buildings consist of numerous construction features that are not conducive to quan-titative surveys including windows, roof lights, luminaries, heat emitters, coolingequipment, service pipes and electrical conductors. However, the joints and connec-tions between these objects and the building envelope should be considered as partof the survey.27.4.8.5 Conditions and equipmentTo achieve best results from a thermal insulation survey it is important to considerthe environmental conditions and to use the most appropriate thermographic techniquefor the task.Thermal anomalies will only present themselves to the thermographer where temper-ature differences exist and environmental phenomena are accounted for. As a mini-mum, the following conditions should be complied with:■Temperature differences across the building fabric to be greater than 10℃ (18℉).■Internal air to ambient air temperature difference to be greater than 5℃ (9℉) forthe last twentyfour hours before survey.■External air temperature to be within ±3℃ (±5.4℉) for duration of survey and forthe previous hour.■External air temperature to be within ±10℃ (±18℉) for the preceding twentyfourhours.In addition, external surveys should also comply with the following:■Necessary surfaces free from direct solar radiation and the residual effects of pastsolar radiation. This can be checked by comparing the surface temperatures ofopposite sides of the building.■No precipitation either just prior to or during the survey.■Ensure all building surfaces to be inspected are dry.124 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
■Wind speed to be less than 10 metres / second (19.5 kn.).As well as temperature, there are other environmental conditions that should also betaken into account when planning a thermographic building survey. External inspec-tions, for example, may be influenced by radiation emissions and reflections fromadjacent buildings or a cold clear sky, and even more significantly the heating effectthat the sun may have on surface.Additionally, where background temperatures differ from air temperatures either inter-nally or externally by more than 5 K, then background temperatures should be mea-sured on all effected surfaces to allow surface temperature to be measured with suf-ficient accuracy.27.4.8.6 Survey and analysisThe following provides some operational guidance to the thermographic operator.The survey must collect sufficient thermographic information to demonstrate that allsurfaces have been inspected in order that all thermal anomalies are reported andevaluated.Initially, environmental data must be collected, as with any thermographic survey in-cluding:■Internal temperature in the region of the anomaly.■External temperature in the region of the anomaly.■Emissivity of the surface.■Background temperature.■Distance from the surface.By interpolation, determine the threshold temperature to be used.■For internal surveys the threshold surface temperature (Tsia) is Tsia = fsi(Tsi – Tso)+ Tso. The thermographer will be looking for evidence of surface temperature belowthis threshold.■For external surveys the threshold temperature (Tsoa) is Tsoa = fso(Tso – Tsi) + Tsi.The thermographer will be looking for evidence of surface temperature above thisthreshold.Images of anomalies must be captured in such a way that they are suitable for analysis:■The image is square to any features of the wall or roof.■The viewing angle is nearly perpendicular to the surface being imaged. Interferingsources of infrared radiation such as lights, heat emitters, electric conductors, re-flective elements are minimised.The method of analysis will depend somewhat on analysis software used, but the keystages are as follows:Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 12527 – Introduction to building thermography
Produce an image of each anomaly or cluster of anomalies.■Use a software analysis tool to enclose the anomalous area within the image, takingcare not to include construction details that are to be excluded.■Calculate the area below the threshold temperature for internal surveys or abovethe threshold temperature for external surveys. This is the defect area. Someanomalies that appeared to be defects at the time of the survey may not show defectareas at this stage.■Add the defect areas from all the images ∑Ad.■Calculate the total area of exposed building fabric. This is the surface area of allthe walls and roof. It is conventional to use the external surface area. For a simpleshape building this is calculated from overall width, length and height.At= (2h(L + w)) + (Lw)■Identify the critical defect area Ac. Provisionally this is set at one thousandth or0.1% of the total surface area.Ac= At/1000■If ∑Ad< Acthe building as a whole can be considered to have ‘reasonably contin-uous’ insulation.27.4.8.7 ReportingReports should certificate a pass/fail result, comply with customers requirements andas a minimum include the information required by BSEN 13187. The following datais normally required so that survey can be repeated following remedial action.■Background to the objective and principles of the test.■Location, orientation, date and time of survey.■A unique identifying reference.■Thermographer’s name and qualifications.■Type of construction.■Weather conditions, wind speed and direction, last precipitation, sunshine, degreeof cloud cover.■Ambient temperatures inside and outside before, at the beginning of survey andthe time of each image. Air temperature and radiant temperature should berecorded.■Statement of any deviation from relevant test requirements.■Equipment used, last calibration date, any knows defects.■Name, affiliation and qualifications of tester.■Type, extent and position of each observed defect.■Results of any supplementary measurements and investigations.■Reports should be indexed and archived by thermographers.27.4.8.7.1 Considerations and limitationsThe choice between internal and external surveys will depend on:126 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201127 – Introduction to building thermography
■Access to the surface. Buildings where both the internal and the external surfacesare obscured, e.g., by false ceilings racking or materials stacked against walls maynot be amenable to this type of survey.■Location of the thermal insulation. Surveys are usually more effective from the sidenearest to the thermal insulation.■Location of heavyweight materials. Surveys are usually less effective from the sidenearest to the heavyweight material.■The purpose of the survey. If the survey aims to show risk of condensation andmould growth it should be internal.■Location of glass, bare metal or other materials that may be highly reflective. Surveysare usually less effective on highly reflective surfaces.■A defect will usually produce a smaller temperature difference on the outside of awall exposed to external air movement. However, missing or defective insulationnear the external surface can often be more readily indentified externally.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 12727 – Introduction to building thermography
28 Introduction to thermographicinspections of electricalinstallations28.1 Important noteAll camera functions and features that are described in this section may not be sup-ported by your particular camera configuration.Electrical regulations differ from country to country. For that reason, the electricalprocedures described in this section may not be the standard of procedure in yourparticular country. Also, in many countries carrying out electrical inspections requiresformal qualification. Always consult national or regional electrical regulations.28.2 General information28.2.1 IntroductionToday, thermography is a well-established technique for the inspection of electricalinstallations. This was the first and still is the largest. the largest application of ther-mography. The infrared camera itself has gone through an explosive developmentand we can say that today, the 8th generation of thermographic systems is available.It all began in 1964, more than 40 years ago. The technique is now establishedthroughout the whole world. Industrialized countries as well as developing countrieshave adopted this technique.Thermography, in conjunction with vibration analysis, has over the latest decadesbeen the main method for fault diagnostics in the industry as a part of the preventivemaintenance program. The great advantage with these methods is that it is not onlypossible to carry out the inspection on installations in operation; normal workingcondition is in fact a prerequisite for a correct measurement result, so the ongoingproduction process is not disturbed. Thermographic inspection of electrical installationsare used in three main areas:■Power generation■Power transmission■Power distribution, that is, industrial use of electrical energy.The fact that these controls are carried out under normal operation conditions hascreated a natural division between these groups. The power generation companiesmeasure during the periods of high load. These periods vary from country to country128 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
and for the climatic zones. The measurement periods may also differ depending onthe type of plant to be inspected, whether they are hydroelectric, nuclear, coal-basedor oil-based plants.In the industry the inspections are—at least in Nordic countries with clear seasonaldifferences—carried out during spring or autumn or before longer stops in the oper-ation. Thus, repairs are made when the operation is stopped anyway. However, thisseems to be the rule less and less, which has led to inspections of the plants undervarying load and operating conditions.28.2.2 General equipment dataThe equipment to be inspected has a certain temperature behavior that should beknown to the thermographer before the inspection takes place. In the case of electricalequipment, the physical principle of why faults show a different temperature patternbecause of increased resistance or increased electrical current is well known.However, it is useful to remember that, in some cases, for example solenoids, ‘over-heating’ is natural and does not correspond to a developing defect. In other cases,like the connections in electrical motors, the overheating might depend on the factthat the healthy part is taking the entire load and therefore becomes overheated.A similar example is shown in section 28.5.7 – Overheating in one part as a result ofa fault in another on page 144.Defective parts of electrical equipment can therefore both indicate overheating andbe cooler than the normal ‘healthy’ components. It is necessary to be aware of whatto expect by getting as much information as possible about the equipment before itis inspected.The general rule is, however, that a hot spot is caused by a probable defect. Thetemperature and the load of that specific component at the moment of inspection willgive an indication of how serious the fault is and can become in other conditions.Correct assessment in each specific case demands detailed information about thethermal behavior of the components, that is, we need to know the maximum allowedtemperature of the materials involved and the role the component plays in the system.Cable insulations, for example, lose their insulation properties above a certain tem-perature, which increases the risk of fire.In the case of breakers, where the temperature is too high, parts can melt and makeit impossible to open the breaker, thereby destroying its functionality.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 12928 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
The more the IR camera operator knows about the equipment that he or she is aboutto inspect, the higher the quality of the inspection. But it is virtually impossible for anIR thermographer to have detailed knowledge about all the different types of equipmentthat can be controlled. It is therefore common practice that a person responsible forthe equipment is present during the inspection.28.2.3 InspectionThe preparation of the inspection should include the choice of the right type of report.It is often necessary to use complementary equipment such as ampere meters in orderto measure the current in the circuits where defects were found. An anemometer isnecessary if you want to measure the wind speed at inspection of outdoor equipment.Automatic functions help the IR operator to visualize an IR image of the componentswith the right contrast to allow easy identification of a fault or a hot spot. It is almostimpossible to miss a hot spot on a scanned component. A measurement function willalso automatically display the hottest spot within an area in the image or the differencebetween the maximum temperature in the chosen area and a reference, which canbe chosen by the operator, for example the ambient temperature.10712703;a3Figure 28.1 An infrared and a visual image of a power line isolatorWhen the fault is clearly identified and the IR thermographer has made sure that it isnot a reflection or a naturally occurring hot spot, the collection of the data starts, whichwill allow the correct reporting of the fault. The emissivity, the identification of thecomponent, and the actual working conditions, together with the measured tempera-ture, will be used in the report. In order to make it easy to identify the component avisual photo of the defect is often taken.28.2.4 Classification & reportingReporting has traditionally been the most time-consuming part of the IR survey. Aone-day inspection could result in one or two days’ work to report and classify thefound defects. This is still the case for many thermographers, who have chosen notto use the advantages that computers and modern reporting software have broughtto IR condition monitoring.130 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
The classification of the defects gives a more detailed meaning that not only takesinto account the situation at the time of inspection (which is certainly of great impor-tance), but also the possibility to normalize the over-temperature to standard loadand ambient temperature conditions.An over-temperature of +30°C (+86°F) is certainly a significant fault. But if that over-temperature is valid for one component working at 100% load and for another at 50%load, it is obvious that the latter will reach a much higher temperature should its loadincrease from 50% to 100%. Such a standard can be chosen by the plant’s circum-stances. Very often, however, temperatures are predicted for 100% load. A standardmakes it easier to compare the faults over time and thus to make a more completeclassification.28.2.5 PriorityBased on the classification of the defects, the maintenance manager gives the defectsa repair priority. Very often, the information gathered during the infrared survey is puttogether with complementary information on the equipment collected by other meanssuch as vibration monitoring, ultrasound or the preventive maintenance scheduled.Even if the IR inspection is quickly becoming the most used method of collecting in-formation about electrical components safely with the equipment under normal oper-ating conditions, there are many other sources of information the maintenance or theproduction manager has to consider.The priority of repair should therefore not be a task for the IR camera operator in thenormal case. If a critical situation is detected during the inspection or during theclassification of the defects, the attention of the maintenance manager should ofcourse be drawn to it, but the responsibility for determining the urgency of the repairshould be his.28.2.6 RepairTo repair the known defects is the most important function of preventive maintenance.However, to assure production at the right time or at the right cost can also be impor-tant goals for a maintenance group. The information provided by the infrared surveycan be used to improve the repair efficiency as well as to reach the other goals witha calculated risk.To monitor the temperature of a known defect that can not be repaired immediatelyfor instance because spare parts are not available, can often pay for the cost of in-spection a thousandfold and sometimes even for the IR camera. To decide not torepair known defects to save on maintenance costs and avoid unnecessary downtimeis also another way of using the information from the IR survey in a productive way.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 13128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
However, the most common result of the identification and classification of the detectedfaults is a recommendation to repair immediately or as soon as it is practically possible.It is important that the repair crew is aware of the physical principles for the identifica-tion of defects. If a defect shows a high temperature and is in a critical situation, it isvery common that the repair personnel expect to find a highly corroded component.It should also come as no surprise to the repair crew that a connection, which isusually healthy, can give the same high temperatures as a corroded one if it has comeloose. These misinterpretations are quite common and risk putting in doubt the relia-bility of the infrared survey.28.2.7 ControlA repaired component should be controlled as soon as possible after the repair. It isnot efficient to wait for the next scheduled IR survey in order to combine a new inspec-tion with the control of the repaired defects. The statistics on the effect of the repairshow that up to a third of the repaired defects still show overheating. That is the sameas saying that those defects present a potential risk of failure.To wait until the next scheduled IR survey represents an unnecessary risk for theplant.Besides increasing the efficiency of the maintenance cycle (measured in terms oflower risk for the plant) the immediate control of the repair work brings other advan-tages to the performance of the repair crew itself.When a defect still shows overheating after the repair, the determination of the causeof overheating improves the repair procedure, helps choose the best componentsuppliers and detect design shortcomings on the electrical installation. The crewrapidly sees the effect of the work and can learn quickly both from successful repairsand from mistakes.Another reason to provide the repair crew with an IR instrument is that many of thedefects detected during the IR survey are of low gravity. Instead of repairing them,which consumes maintenance and production time, it can be decided to keep thesedefects under control. Therefore the maintenance personnel should have access totheir own IR equipment.It is common to note on the report form the type of fault observed during the repairas well as the action taken. These observations make an important source of experi-ence that can be used to reduce stock, choose the best suppliers or to train newmaintenance personnel.132 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.3 Measurement technique for thermographic inspectionof electrical installations28.3.1 How to correctly set the equipmentA thermal image may show high temperature variations:10712803;a4Figure 28.2 Temperature variations in a fuseboxIn the images above, the fuse to the right has a maximum temperature of +61°C(+142°F), whereas the one to the left is maximum +32°C (+90°F) and the one in themiddle somewhere in between. The three images are different inasmuch as the tem-perature scale enhances only one fuse in each image. However, it is the same imageand all the information about all three fuses is there. It is only a matter of setting thetemperature scale values.28.3.2 Temperature measurementSome cameras today can automatically find the highest temperature in the image.The image below shows how it looks to the operator.10712903;a3Figure 28.3 An infrared image of a fusebox where the maximum temperature is displayedThe maximum temperature in the area is +62.2°C (+144.0°F). The spot meter showsthe exact location of the hot spot. The image can easily be stored in the cameramemory.The correct temperature measurement depends, however, not only on the functionof the evaluation software or the camera. It may happen that the actual fault is, forexample, a connection, which is hidden from the camera in the position it happensPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 13328 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
to be in for the moment. It might be so that you measure heat, which has been con-ducted over some distance, whereas the ‘real’ hot spot is hidden from you. An exampleis shown in the image below.10717603;a3Figure 28.4 A hidden hot spot inside a boxTry to choose different angles and make sure that the hot area is seen in its full size,that is, that it is not disappearing behind something that might hide the hottest spot.In this image, the hottest spot of what the camera can ‘see’, is +83°C (+181°F), wherethe operating temperature on the cables below the box is +60°C (+140°F). However,the real hot spot is most probably hidden inside the box, see the in yellow encircledarea. This fault is reported as a +23.0°C (+41.4°F) excess temperature, but the realproblem is probably essentially hotter.Another reason for underestimating the temperature of an object is bad focusing. Itis very important that the hot spot found is in focus. See the example below.10717403;a2Figure 28.5 LEFT: A hot spot in focus; RIGHT: A hot spot out of focusIn the left image, the lamp is in focus. Its average temperature is +64°C (+147°F). Inthe right image, the lamp is out of focus, which will result in only +51°C (+124°F) asthe average temperature.134 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.3.3 Comparative measurementFor thermographic inspections of electrical installations a special method is used,which is based on comparison of different objects, so-called measurement with areference. This simply means that you compare the three phases with each other.This method needs systematic scanning of the three phases in parallel in order toassess whether a point differs from the normal temperature pattern.A normal temperature pattern means that current carrying components have a givenoperation temperature shown in a certain color (or gray tone) on the display, whichis usually identical for all three phases under symmetrical load. Minor differences inthe color might occur in the current path, for example, at the junction of two differentmaterials, at increasing or decreasing conductor areas or on circuit breakers wherethe current path is encapsulated.The image below shows three fuses, the temperatures of which are very close to eachother. The inserted isotherm actually shows less than +2°C (+3.6°F) temperaturedifference between the phases.Different colors are usually the result if the phases are carrying an unsymmetricalload. This difference in colors does not represent any overheating since this does notoccur locally but is spread along the whole phase.10713203;a3Figure 28.6 An isotherm in an infrared image of a fuseboxA ‘real’ hot spot, on the other hand, shows a rising temperature as you look closerto the source of the heat. See the image below, where the profile (line) shows asteadily increasing temperature up to about +93°C (+199°F) at the hot spot.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 13528 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
10713303;a4Figure 28.7 A profile (line) in an infrared image and a graph displaying the increasing temperature28.3.4 Normal operating temperatureTemperature measurement with thermography usually gives the absolute temperatureof the object. In order to correctly assess whether the component is too hot, it isnecessary to know its operating temperature, that is, its normal temperature if weconsider the load and the temperature of its environment.As the direct measurement will give the absolute temperature—which must be con-sidered as well (as most components have an upper limit to their absolute tempera-tures)—it is necessary to calculate the expected operating temperature given the loadand the ambient temperature. Consider the following definitions:■Operating temperature: the absolute temperature of the component. It dependson the current load and the ambient temperature. It is always higher than the am-bient temperature.■Excess temperature (overheating): the temperature difference between a properlyworking component and a faulty one.The excess temperature is found as the difference between the temperature of a‘normal’ component and the temperature of its neighbor. It is important to comparethe same points on the different phases with each other.As an example, see the following image taken from indoor equipment:10713403;a4Figure 28.8 An infrared image of indoor electrical equipment (1).136 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
The two left phases are considered as normal, whereas the right phase shows a veryclear excess temperature. Actually, the operating temperature of the left phase is+68°C (+154°F), that is, quite a substantial temperature, whereas the faulty phaseto the right shows a temperature of +86°C (+187°F). This means an excess temper-ature of +18°C (+33°F), that is, a fault that has to be attended to quickly.For practical reasons, the (normal, expected) operating temperature of a componentis taken as the temperature of the components in at least two out of three phases,provided that you consider them to be working normally.. The ‘most normal’ case isof course that all three phases have the same or at least almost the same temperature.The operating temperature of outdoor components in substations or power lines isusually only 1°C or 2°C above the air temperature (1.8°F or 3.6°F). In indoor substa-tions, the operating temperatures vary a lot more.This fact is clearly shown by the image below as well. Here the left phase is the one,which shows an excess temperature. The operating temperature, taken from the two‘cold’ phases, is +66°C (+151°F). The faulty phase shows a temperature of +127°C(+261°F), which has to be attended to without delay.10713503;a5Figure 28.9 An infrared image of indoor electrical equipment (2).28.3.5 Classification of faultsOnce a faulty connection is detected, corrective measures may be necessary—ormay not be necessary for the time being. In order to recommend the most appropriateaction the following criteria should be evaluated:■Load during the measurement■Even or varying load■Position of the faulty part in the electrical installation■Expected future load situation■Is the excess temperature measured directly on the faulty spot or indirectly throughconducted heat caused by some fault inside the apparatus?Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 13728 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
Excess temperatures measured directly on the faulty part are usually divided intothree categories relating to 100% of the maximum load.The start of the overheat condi-tion. This must be carefullymonitored.< 5°C (9°F)IDeveloped overheating. It mustbe repaired as soon as possible(but think about the load situa-tion before a decision is made).5–30°C (9–54°F)IIAcute overheating. Must be re-paired immediately (but thinkabout the load situation beforea decision is made).>30°C (54°F)III138 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.4 ReportingNowadays, thermographic inspections of electrical installations are probably, withoutexception, documented and reported by the use of a report program. These programs,which differ from one manufacturer to another, are usually directly adapted to thecameras and will thus make reporting very quick and easy.The program, which has been used for creating the report page shown below, iscalled FLIR Reporter. It is adapted to several types of infrared cameras from FLIRSystems.A professional report is often divided into two sections:■Front pages, with facts about the inspection, such as:■Who the client is, for example, customer’s company name and contact person■Location of the inspection: site address, city, and so on■Date of inspection■Date of report■Name of thermographer■Signature of thermographer■Summary or table of contents■Inspection pages containing IR images to document and analyze thermal propertiesor anomalies.■Identification of the inspected object:■What is the object: designation, name, number, and so on■Photo■IR image. When collecting IR images there are some details to consider:■Optical focus■Thermal adjustment of the scene or the problem (level & span)■Composition: proper observation distance and viewing angle.■Comment■Is there an anomaly or not?■Is there a reflection or not?■Use a measurement tool—spot, area or isotherm—to quantify the problem.Use the simplest tool possible; a profile graph is almost never needed inelectrical reports.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 13928 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
10713603;a3Figure 28.10 A report example140 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.5 Different types of hot spots in electrical installations28.5.1 ReflectionsThe thermographic camera sees any radiation that enters the lens, not only originatingfrom the object that you are looking at, but also radiation that comes from othersources and has been reflected by the target. Most of the time, electrical componentsare like mirrors to the infrared radiation, even if it is not obvious to the eye. Baremetal parts are particularly shiny, whereas painted, plastic or rubber insulated partsare mostly not. In the image below, you can clearly see a reflection from the thermo-grapher. This is of course not a hot spot on the object. A good way to find out if whatyou see is a reflection or not, is for you to move. Look at the target from a differentangle and watch the ‘hot spot.’ If it moves when you do, it is a reflection.Measuring temperature of mirror like details is not possible. The object in the imagesbelow has painted areas which are well suited for temperature measurement. Thematerial is copper, which is a very good heat conductor. This means that temperaturevariation over the surface is small.10717503;a2Figure 28.11 Reflections in an object28.5.2 Solar heatingThe surface of a component with a high emissivity, for example, a breaker, can on ahot summer day be heated up to quite considerable temperatures by irradiation fromthe sun. The image shows a circuit breaker, which has been heated by the sun.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 14128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
10713803;a3Figure 28.12 An infrared image of a circuit breaker28.5.3 Inductive heating10713903;a3Figure 28.13 An infrared image of hot stabilizing weightsEddy currents can cause a hot spot in the current path. In cases of very high currentsand close proximity of other metals, this has in some cases caused serious fires. Thistype of heating occurs in magnetic material around the current path, such as metallicbottom plates for bushing insulators. In the image above, there are stabilizing weights,through which a high current is running. These metal weights, which are made of aslightly magnetic material, will not conduct any current but are exposed to the alter-nating magnetic fields, which will eventually heat up the weight. The overheating inthe image is less than +5°C (+9°F). This, however, need not necessarily always bethe case.28.5.4 Load variations3-phase systems are the norm in electric utilities. When looking for overheated places,it is easy to compare the three phases directly with each other, for example, cables,breakers, insulators. An even load per phase should result in a uniform temperaturepattern for all three phases. A fault may be suspected in cases where the temperatureof one phase differs considerably from the remaining two. However, you should alwaysmake sure that the load is indeed evenly distributed. Looking at fixed ampere metersor using a clip-on ampere meter (up to 600 A) will tell you.142 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
10714003;a3Figure 28.14 Examples of infrared images of load variationsThe image to the left shows three cables next to each other. They are so far apart thatthey can be regarded as thermally insulated from each other. The one in the middleis colder than the others. Unless two phases are faulty and overheated, this is a typicalexample of a very unsymmetrical load. The temperature spreads evenly along thecables, which indicates a load-dependent temperature increase rather than a faultyconnection.The image to the right shows two bundles with very different loads. In fact, the bundleto the right carries next to no load. Those which carry a considerable current load,are about 5°C (9°F) hotter than those which do not. No fault to be reported in theseexamples.28.5.5 Varying cooling conditions10714103;a3Figure 28.15 An infrared image of bundled cablesWhen, for example, a number of cables are bundled together it can happen that theresulting poor cooling of the cables in the middle can lead to them reaching very hightemperatures. See the image above.The cables to the right in the image do not show any overheating close to the bolts.In the vertical part of the bundle, however, the cables are held together very tightly,the cooling of the cables is poor, the convection can not take the heat away, and thecables are notably hotter, actually about 5°C (9°F) above the temperature of the bettercooled part of the cables.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 14328 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.5.6 Resistance variationsOverheating can have many origins. Some common reasons are described below.Low contact pressure can occur when mounting a joint, or through wear of the mate-rial, for example, decreasing spring tension, worn threads in nuts and bolts, even toomuch force applied at mounting. With increasing loads and temperatures, the yieldpoint of the material is exceeded and the tension weakens.The image to the left below shows a bad contact due to a loose bolt. Since the badcontact is of very limited dimensions, it causes overheating only in a very small spotfrom which the heat is spread evenly along the connecting cable. Note the loweremissivity of the screw itself, which makes it look slightly colder than the insulated—andthereby it has a high emissivity—cable insulation.The image to the right shows another overheating situation, this time again due to aloose connection. It is an outdoor connection, hence it is exposed to the cooling effectof the wind and it is likely that the overheating would have shown a higher temperature,if mounted indoors.10714203;a3Figure 28.16 LEFT: An infrared image showing bad contact due to a loose bolt; RIGHT: A loose outdoorconnection, exposed to the wind cooling effect.28.5.7 Overheating in one part as a result of a fault in anotherSometimes, overheating can appear in a component although that component is OK.The reason is that two conductors share the load. One of the conductors has an in-creased resistance, but the other is OK. Thus, the faulty component carries a lowerload, whereas the fresh one has to take a higher load, which may be too high andwhich causes the increased temperature. See the image.144 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
10714303;a3Figure 28.17 Overheating in a circuit breakerThe overheating of this circuit breaker is most probably caused by bad contact in thenear finger of the contactor. Thus, the far finger carries more current and gets hotter.The component in the infrared image and in the photo is not the same, however, it issimilar).Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 14528 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.6 Disturbance factors at thermographic inspection ofelectrical installationsDuring thermographic inspections of different types of electrical installations, distur-bance factors such as wind, distance to object, rain or snow often influence themeasurement result.28.6.1 WindDuring outdoor inspection, the cooling effect of the wind should be taken into account.An overheating measured at a wind velocity of 5 m/s (10 knots) will be approximatelytwice as high at 1 m/s (2 knots). An excess temperature measured at 8 m/s (16 knots)will be 2.5 times as high at 1 m/s (2 knots). This correction factor, which is based onempirical measurements, is usually applicable up to 8 m/s (16 knots).There are, however, cases when you have to inspect even if the wind is stronger than8 m/s (16 knots). There are many windy places in the world, islands, mountains, andso on but it is important to know that overheated components found would haveshown a considerably higher temperature at a lower wind speed. The empirical cor-rection factor can be listed.Correction factorWind speed (knots)Wind speed (m/s)1211.36421.64631.86842.061052.231262.401472.54168The measured overheating multiplied by the correction factor gives the excess tem-perature with no wind, that is, at 1 m/s (2 knots).28.6.2 Rain and snowRain and snow also have a cooling effect on electrical equipment. Thermographicmeasurement can still be conducted with satisfactory results during light snowfallwith dry snow and light drizzle, respectively. The image quality will deteriorate in heavy146 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
snow or rain and reliable measurement is no longer possible. This is mainly becausea heavy snowfall as well as heavy rain is impenetrable to infrared radiation and it israther the temperature of the snowflakes or raindrops that will be measured.28.6.3 Distance to objectThis image is taken from a helicopter 20 meters (66 ft.) away from this faulty connec-tion. The distance was incorrectly set to 1 meter (3 ft.) and the temperature wasmeasured to +37.9°C (+100.2°F). The measurement value after changing the distanceto 20 meters (66 ft.), which was done afterwards, is shown in the image to the right,where the corrected temperature is +38.8°C (+101.8°F). The difference is not toocrucial, but may take the fault into a higher class of seriousness. So the distancesetting must definitely not be neglected.10714403;a3Figure 28.18 LEFT: Incorrect distance setting; RIGHT: Correct distance settingThe images below show the temperature readings from a blackbody at +85°C(+185°F) at increasing distances.10714503;a3Figure 28.19 Temperature readings from a blackbody at +85°C (+185°F) at increasing distancesPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 14728 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
The measured average temperatures are, from left to right, +85.3°C(+185.5°F),+85.3°C (+185.5°F), +84.8°C (+184.6°F), +84.8°C (+184.6°F), +84.8°C(+184.6°F) and +84.3°C (+183.7°F) from a blackbody at +85°C (+185°F). The ther-mograms are taken with a 12° lens. The distances are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 meters (3,7, 10, 13, 16 and 33 ft.). The correction for the distance has been meticulously setand works, because the object is big enough for correct measurement.28.6.4 Object sizeThe second series of images below shows the same but with the normal 24° lens.Here, the measured average temperatures of the blackbody at +85°C (+185°F) are:+84.2°C (+183.6°F), +83.7°C (+182.7°F), +83.3°C (+181.9°F), +83.3°C (+181.9°F),+83.4°C (+181.1°F) and +78.4°C (+173.1°F).The last value, (+78.4°C (+173.1°F)), is the maximum temperature as it was notpossible to place a circle inside the now very small blackbody image. Obviously, itis not possible to measure correct values if the object is too small. Distance wasproperly set to 10 meters (33 ft.).10714603;a3Figure 28.20 Temperature readings from a blackbody at +85°C (+185°F) at increasing distances (24°lens)The reason for this effect is that there is a smallest object size, which gives correcttemperature measurement. This smallest size is indicated to the user in all FLIR Sys-tems cameras. The image below shows what you see in the viewfinder of cameramodel 695. The spot meter has an opening in its middle, more easily seen in the detailto the right. The size of the object has to be bigger than that opening or some radiationfrom its closest neighbors, which are much colder, will come into the measurement148 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
as well, strongly lowering the reading. In the above case, where we have a point-shaped object, which is much hotter than the surroundings, the temperature readingwill be too low.10714703;a3Figure 28.21 Image from the viewfinder of a ThermaCAM 695This effect is due to imperfections in the optics and to the size of the detector elements.It is typical for all infrared cameras and can not be avoided.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 14928 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.7 Practical advice for the thermographerWorking in a practical way with a camera, you will discover small things that makeyour job easier. Here are five of them to start with.28.7.1 From cold to hotYou have been out with the camera at +5°C (+41°F). To continue your work, younow have to perform the inspection indoors. If you wear glasses, you are used tohaving to wipe off condensed water, or you will not be able to see anything. The samething happens with the camera. To measure correctly, you should wait until thecamera has become warm enough for the condensation to evaporate. This will alsoallow for the internal temperature compensation system to adjust to the changedcondition.28.7.2 Rain showersIf it starts raining you should not perform the inspection because the water will drasti-cally change the surface temperature of the object that you are measuring. Neverthe-less, sometimes you need to use the camera even under rain showers or splashes.Protect your camera with a simple transparent polyethylene plastic bag. Correctionfor the attenuation which is caused by the plastic bag can be made by adjusting theobject distance until the temperature reading is the same as without the plastic cover.Some camera models have a separate External optics transmission entry.28.7.3 EmissivityYou have to determine the emissivity for the material, which you are measuring.Mostly, you will not find the value in tables. Use optical black paint, that is, NextelBlack Velvet. Paint a small piece of the material you are working with. The emissivityof the optical paint is normally 0.94. Remember that the object has to have a temper-ature, which is different—usually higher—than the ambient temperature. The largerthe difference the better the accuracy in the emissivity calculation. The differenceshould be at least 20°C (36°F). Remember that there are other paints that supportvery high temperatures up to +800°C (+1472°F). The emissivity may, however, belower than that of optical black.Sometimes you can not paint the object that you are measuring. In this case you canuse a tape. A thin tape for which you have previously determined the emissivity willwork in most cases and you can remove it afterwards without damaging the objectof your study. Pay attention to the fact that some tapes are semi-transparent and thusare not very good for this purpose. One of the best tapes for this purpose is Scotchelectrical tape for outdoor and sub-zero conditions.150 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
28.7.4 Reflected apparent temperatureYou are in a measurement situation where there are several hot sources that influenceyour measurement. You need to have the right value for the reflected apparent tem-perature to input into the camera and thus get the best possible correction. Do it inthis way: set the emissivity to 1.0. Adjust the camera lens to near focus and, lookingin the opposite direction away from the object, save one image. With the area or theisotherm, determine the most probable value of the average of the image and usethat value for your input of reflected apparent temperature.28.7.5 Object too far awayAre you in doubt that the camera you have is measuring correctly at the actual dis-tance? A rule of thumb for your lens is to multiply the IFOV by 3. (IFOV is the detailof the object seen by one single element of the detector). Example: 25 degrees cor-respond to about 437 mrad. If your camera has a 120 × 120 pixel image, IFOV be-comes 437/120 = 3.6 mrad (3.6 mm/m) and your spot size ratio is about1000/(3 × 3.6)=92:1. This means that at a distance of 9.2 meters (30.2 ft.), your targethas to be at least about 0.1 meter or 100 mm wide (3.9"). Try to work on the safe sideby coming closer than 9 meters (30 ft.). At 7–8 meters (23–26 ft.), your measurementshould be correct.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 15128 – Introduction to thermographic inspections of electrical installations
29 About FLIR SystemsFLIR Systems was established in 1978 to pioneer the development of high-performanceinfrared imaging systems, and is the world leader in the design, manufacture, andmarketing of thermal imaging systems for a wide variety of commercial, industrial,and government applications. Today, FLIR Systems embraces five major companieswith outstanding achievements in infrared technology since 1958—the SwedishAGEMA Infrared Systems (formerly AGA Infrared Systems), the three United Statescompanies Indigo Systems, FSI, and Inframetrics, and the French company Cedip.In November 2007, Extech Instruments was acquired by FLIR Systems.T638608;a1Figure 29.1 Patent documents from the early 1960sThe company has sold more than 140,000 infrared cameras worldwide for applicationssuch as predictive maintenance, R & D, non-destructive testing, process control andautomation, and machine vision, among many others.FLIR Systems has three manufacturing plants in the United States (Portland, OR,Boston, MA, Santa Barbara, CA) and one in Sweden (Stockholm). Since 2007 thereis also a manufacturing plant in Tallinn, Estonia. Direct sales offices in Belgium, Brazil,152 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Sweden, andthe USA—together with a worldwide network of agents and distributors—support ourinternational customer base.FLIR Systems is at the forefront of innovation in the infrared camera industry. We an-ticipate market demand by constantly improving our existing cameras and developingnew ones. The company has set milestones in product design and development suchas the introduction of the first battery-operated portable camera for industrial inspec-tions, and the first uncooled infrared camera, to mention just two innovations.10722703;a2Figure 29.2 LEFT: Thermovision® Model 661 from 1969. The camera weighed approximately 25 kg(55 lb.), the oscilloscope 20 kg (44 lb.), and the tripod 15 kg (33 lb.). The operator also needed a 220 VACgenerator set, and a 10 L (2.6 US gallon) jar with liquid nitrogen. To the left of the oscilloscope the Polaroidattachment (6 kg/13 lb.) can be seen. RIGHT: FLIR i7 from 2009. Weight: 0.34 kg (0.75 lb.), including thebattery.FLIR Systems manufactures all vital mechanical and electronic components of thecamera systems itself. From detector design and manufacturing, to lenses and systemelectronics, to final testing and calibration, all production steps are carried out andsupervised by our own engineers. The in-depth expertise of these infrared specialistsensures the accuracy and reliability of all vital components that are assembled intoyour infrared camera.29.1 More than just an infrared cameraAt FLIR Systems we recognize that our job is to go beyond just producing the bestinfrared camera systems. We are committed to enabling all users of our infraredcamera systems to work more productively by providing them with the most powerfulPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 15329 – About FLIR Systems
camera–software combination. Especially tailored software for predictive maintenance,R & D, and process monitoring is developed in-house. Most software is available ina wide variety of languages.We support all our infrared cameras with a wide variety of accessories to adapt yourequipment to the most demanding infrared applications.29.2 Sharing our knowledgeAlthough our cameras are designed to be very user-friendly, there is a lot more tothermography than just knowing how to handle a camera. Therefore, FLIR Systemshas founded the Infrared Training Center (ITC), a separate business unit, that providescertified training courses. Attending one of the ITC courses will give you a truly hands-on learning experience.The staff of the ITC are also there to provide you with any application support youmay need in putting infrared theory into practice.29.3 Supporting our customersFLIR Systems operates a worldwide service network to keep your camera running atall times. If you discover a problem with your camera, local service centers have allthe equipment and expertise to solve it within the shortest possible time. Therefore,there is no need to send your camera to the other side of the world or to talk tosomeone who does not speak your language.29.4 A few images from our facilities10401303;a1Figure 29.3 LEFT: Development of system electronics; RIGHT: Testing of an FPA detector154 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201129 – About FLIR Systems
10401403;a1Figure 29.4 LEFT: Diamond turning machine; RIGHT: Lens polishing10401503;a1Figure 29.5 LEFT: Testing of infrared cameras in the climatic chamber; RIGHT: Robot used for cameratesting and calibrationPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 15529 – About FLIR Systems
30 GlossaryExplanationTerm or expressionThe amount of radiation absorbed by an object relative to thereceived radiation. A number between 0 and 1.absorption (absorption factor)The gases between the object being measured and the camera,normally air.atmosphereA function making a camera perform an internal image correc-tion.autoadjustThe IR image is shown with an uneven spread of colors, display-ing cold objects as well as hot ones at the same time.autopaletteTotally non-reflective object. All its radiation is due to its owntemperature.blackbodyAn IR radiating equipment with blackbody properties used tocalibrate IR cameras.blackbody radiatorA transmission value computed from the temperature, the relativehumidity of air and the distance to the object.calculated atmospheric transmissionA bottle shaped radiator with an absorbing inside, viewedthrough the bottleneck.cavity radiatorThe temperature for which the color of a blackbody matches aspecific color.color temperatureThe process that makes heat diffuse into a material.conductionA function that adjusts the image. The function works all thetime, continuously adjusting brightness and contrast accordingto the image content.continuous adjustConvection is a heat transfer mode where a fluid is brought intomotion, either by gravity or another force, thereby transferringheat from one place to another.convectionAn isotherm with two color bands, instead of one.dual isothermThe amount of radiation coming from an object, compared tothat of a blackbody. A number between 0 and 1.emissivity (emissivity factor)Amount of energy emitted from an object per unit of time andarea (W/m2)emittanceObjects and gases that emit radiation towards the object beingmeasured.environmentA transmission value, supplied by a user, replacing a calculatedoneestimated atmospheric transmission156 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
ExplanationTerm or expressionExtra lenses, filters, heat shields etc. that can be put betweenthe camera and the object being measured.external opticsA material transparent only to some of the infrared wavelengths.filterField of view: The horizontal angle that can be viewed throughan IR lens.FOVFocal plane array: A type of IR detector.FPAAn object that emits a fixed fraction of the amount of energy ofa blackbody for each wavelength.graybodyInstantaneous field of view: A measure of the geometrical reso-lution of an IR camera.IFOVA way of compensating for sensitivity differences in various partsof live images and also of stabilizing the camera.image correction (internal or external)Non-visible radiation, having a wavelength from about 2–13 μm.infraredinfraredIRA function highlighting those parts of an image that fall above,below or between one or more temperature intervals.isothermA bottle-shaped radiator with a uniform temperature viewedthrough the bottleneck.isothermal cavityAn electrically powered light source on the camera that emitslaser radiation in a thin, concentrated beam to point at certainparts of the object in front of the camera.Laser LocatIRAn electrically powered light source on the camera that emitslaser radiation in a thin, concentrated beam to point at certainparts of the object in front of the camera.laser pointerThe center value of the temperature scale, usually expressedas a signal value.levelA way to adjust the image by manually changing certain param-eters.manual adjustNoise equivalent temperature difference. A measure of the imagenoise level of an IR camera.NETDUndesired small disturbance in the infrared imagenoiseA set of values describing the circumstances under which themeasurement of an object was made, and the object itself (suchas emissivity, reflected apparent temperature, distance etc.)object parametersA non-calibrated value related to the amount of radiation re-ceived by the camera from the object.object signalPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 15730 – Glossary
ExplanationTerm or expressionThe set of colors used to display an IR image.paletteStands for picture element. One single spot in an image.pixelAmount of energy emitted from an object per unit of time, areaand angle (W/m2/sr)radianceAmount of energy emitted from an object per unit of time (W)radiant powerThe process by which electromagnetic energy, is emitted by anobject or a gas.radiationA piece of IR radiating equipment.radiatorThe current overall temperature measurement limitation of anIR camera. Cameras can have several ranges. Expressed astwo blackbody temperatures that limit the current calibration.rangeA temperature which the ordinary measured values can becompared with.reference temperatureThe amount of radiation reflected by an object relative to thereceived radiation. A number between 0 and 1.reflectionRelative humidity represents the ratio between the current watervapour mass in the air and the maximum it may contain in satu-ration conditions.relative humidityThe areas that contain temperatures outside the present lev-el/span settings are colored with the saturation colors. The sat-uration colors contain an ‘overflow’ color and an ‘underflow’color. There is also a third red saturation color that marks every-thing saturated by the detector indicating that the range shouldprobably be changed.saturation colorThe interval of the temperature scale, usually expressed as asignal value.spanAmount of energy emitted from an object per unit of time, areaand wavelength (W/m2/μm)spectral (radiant) emittanceA value which is the result of a subtraction between two temper-ature values.temperature difference, or differenceof temperature.The current overall temperature measurement limitation of anIR camera. Cameras can have several ranges. Expressed astwo blackbody temperatures that limit the current calibration.temperature rangeThe way in which an IR image currently is displayed. Expressedas two temperature values limiting the colors.temperature scaleinfrared imagethermogram158 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201130 – Glossary
ExplanationTerm or expressionGases and materials can be more or less transparent. Transmis-sion is the amount of IR radiation passing through them. Anumber between 0 and 1.transmission (or transmittance) factorAn isotherm showing a linear spread of colors, instead of cover-ing the highlighted parts of the image.transparent isothermRefers to the video mode of a IR camera, as opposed to thenormal, thermographic mode. When a camera is in video modeit captures ordinary video images, while thermographic imagesare captured when the camera is in IR mode.visualPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 15930 – Glossary
31 Thermographic measurementtechniques31.1 IntroductionAn infrared camera measures and images the emitted infrared radiation from an object.The fact that radiation is a function of object surface temperature makes it possiblefor the camera to calculate and display this temperature.However, the radiation measured by the camera does not only depend on the tem-perature of the object but is also a function of the emissivity. Radiation also originatesfrom the surroundings and is reflected in the object. The radiation from the objectand the reflected radiation will also be influenced by the absorption of the atmosphere.To measure temperature accurately, it is therefore necessary to compensate for theeffects of a number of different radiation sources. This is done on-line automaticallyby the camera. The following object parameters must, however, be supplied for thecamera:■The emissivity of the object■The reflected apparent temperature■The distance between the object and the camera■The relative humidity■Temperature of the atmosphere31.2 EmissivityThe most important object parameter to set correctly is the emissivity which, in short,is a measure of how much radiation is emitted from the object, compared to that froma perfect blackbody of the same temperature.Normally, object materials and surface treatments exhibit emissivity ranging fromapproximately 0.1 to 0.95. A highly polished (mirror) surface falls below 0.1, while anoxidized or painted surface has a higher emissivity. Oil-based paint, regardless ofcolor in the visible spectrum, has an emissivity over 0.9 in the infrared. Human skinexhibits an emissivity 0.97 to 0.98.Non-oxidized metals represent an extreme case of perfect opacity and high reflexivity,which does not vary greatly with wavelength. Consequently, the emissivity of metalsis low – only increasing with temperature. For non-metals, emissivity tends to be high,and decreases with temperature.160 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011
31.2.1 Finding the emissivity of a sample31.2.1.1 Step 1: Determining reflected apparent temperatureUse one of the following two methods to determine reflected apparent temperature:31.2.1.1.1 Method 1: Direct methodLook for possible reflection sources, considering that the incident angle = reflection angle (a= b).10588903;a1Figure 31.1 1 = Reflection source1If the reflection source is a spot source, modify the source by obstructing it using a piece ifcardboard.10589103;a2Figure 31.2 1 = Reflection source2Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 16131 – Thermographic measurement techniques
Measure the radiation intensity (= apparent temperature) from the reflecting source using thefollowing settings:■Emissivity: 1.0■Dobj: 0You can measure the radiation intensity using one of the following two methods:10589003;a2Figure 31.3 1 = Reflection source3Note: Using a thermocouple to measure reflected apparent temperature is not recom-mended for two important reasons:■A thermocouple does not measure radiation intensity■A thermocouple requires a very good thermal contact to the surface, usually bygluing and covering the sensor by a thermal isolator.31.2.1.1.2 Method 2: Reflector methodCrumble up a large piece of aluminum foil.1Uncrumble the aluminum foil and attach it to a piece of cardboard of the same size.2Put the piece of cardboard in front of the object you want to measure. Make sure that the sidewith aluminum foil points to the camera.3Set the emissivity to 1.0.4162 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201131 – Thermographic measurement techniques
Measure the apparent temperature of the aluminum foil and write it down.10727003;a2Figure 31.4 Measuring the apparent temperature of the aluminum foil531.2.1.2 Step 2: Determining the emissivitySelect a place to put the sample.1Determine and set reflected apparent temperature according to the previous procedure.2Put a piece of electrical tape with known high emissivity on the sample.3Heat the sample at least 20 K above room temperature. Heating must be reasonably even.4Focus and auto-adjust the camera, and freeze the image.5Adjust Level and Span for best image brightness and contrast.6Set emissivity to that of the tape (usually 0.97).7Measure the temperature of the tape using one of the following measurement functions:■Isotherm (helps you to determine both the temperature and how evenly you have heatedthe sample)■Spot (simpler)■Box Avg (good for surfaces with varying emissivity).8Write down the temperature.9Move your measurement function to the sample surface.10Change the emissivity setting until you read the same temperature as your previous measure-ment.11Write down the emissivity.12Note:Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 16331 – Thermographic measurement techniques
■Avoid forced convection■Look for a thermally stable surrounding that will not generate spot reflections■Use high quality tape that you know is not transparent, and has a high emissivityyou are certain of■This method assumes that the temperature of your tape and the sample surfaceare the same. If they are not, your emissivity measurement will be wrong.31.3 Reflected apparent temperatureThis parameter is used to compensate for the radiation reflected in the object. If theemissivity is low and the object temperature relatively far from that of the reflected itwill be important to set and compensate for the reflected apparent temperature cor-rectly.31.4 DistanceThe distance is the distance between the object and the front lens of the camera. Thisparameter is used to compensate for the following two facts:■That radiation from the target is absorbed by the athmosphere between the objectand the camera.■That radiation from the atmosphere itself is detected by the camera.31.5 Relative humidityThe camera can also compensate for the fact that the transmittance is also dependenton the relative humidity of the atmosphere. To do this set the relative humidity to thecorrect value. For short distances and normal humidity the relative humidity can nor-mally be left at a default value of 50%.31.6 Other parametersIn addition, some cameras and analysis programs from FLIR Systems allow you tocompensate for the following parameters:■Atmospheric temperature – i.e. the temperature of the atmosphere between thecamera and the target■External optics temperature – i.e. the temperature of any external lenses or windowsused in front of the camera■External optics transmittance – i.e. the transmission of any external lenses or win-dows used in front of the camera164 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201131 – Thermographic measurement techniques
32 History of infrared technologyBefore the year 1800, the existence of the infrared portion of the electromagneticspectrum wasn't even suspected. The original significance of the infrared spectrum,or simply ‘the infrared’ as it is often called, as a form of heat radiation is perhaps lessobvious today than it was at the time of its discovery by Herschel in 1800.10398703;a1Figure 32.1 Sir William Herschel (1738–1822)The discovery was made accidentally during the search for a new optical material.Sir William Herschel – Royal Astronomer to King George III of England, and alreadyfamous for his discovery of the planet Uranus – was searching for an optical filtermaterial to reduce the brightness of the sun’s image in telescopes during solar obser-vations. While testing different samples of colored glass which gave similar reductionsin brightness he was intrigued to find that some of the samples passed very little ofthe sun’s heat, while others passed so much heat that he risked eye damage afteronly a few seconds’ observation.Herschel was soon convinced of the necessity of setting up a systematic experiment,with the objective of finding a single material that would give the desired reduction inbrightness as well as the maximum reduction in heat. He began the experiment byactually repeating Newton’s prism experiment, but looking for the heating effect ratherthan the visual distribution of intensity in the spectrum. He first blackened the bulb ofa sensitive mercury-in-glass thermometer with ink, and with this as his radiation de-tector he proceeded to test the heating effect of the various colors of the spectrumformed on the top of a table by passing sunlight through a glass prism. Other ther-mometers, placed outside the sun’s rays, served as controls.As the blackened thermometer was moved slowly along the colors of the spectrum,the temperature readings showed a steady increase from the violet end to the redend. This was not entirely unexpected, since the Italian researcher, Landriani, in asimilar experiment in 1777 had observed much the same effect. It was Herschel,Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 165
however, who was the first to recognize that there must be a point where the heatingeffect reaches a maximum, and that measurements confined to the visible portion ofthe spectrum failed to locate this point.10398903;a1Figure 32.2 Marsilio Landriani (1746–1815)Moving the thermometer into the dark region beyond the red end of the spectrum,Herschel confirmed that the heating continued to increase. The maximum point, whenhe found it, lay well beyond the red end – in what is known today as the ‘infraredwavelengths’.When Herschel revealed his discovery, he referred to this new portion of the electro-magnetic spectrum as the ‘thermometrical spectrum’. The radiation itself he sometimesreferred to as ‘dark heat’, or simply ‘the invisible rays’. Ironically, and contrary topopular opinion, it wasn't Herschel who originated the term ‘infrared’. The word onlybegan to appear in print around 75 years later, and it is still unclear who should receivecredit as the originator.Herschel’s use of glass in the prism of his original experiment led to some earlycontroversies with his contemporaries about the actual existence of the infraredwavelengths. Different investigators, in attempting to confirm his work, used varioustypes of glass indiscriminately, having different transparencies in the infrared. Throughhis later experiments, Herschel was aware of the limited transparency of glass to thenewly-discovered thermal radiation, and he was forced to conclude that optics forthe infrared would probably be doomed to the use of reflective elements exclusively(i.e. plane and curved mirrors). Fortunately, this proved to be true only until 1830,when the Italian investigator, Melloni, made his great discovery that naturally occurringrock salt (NaCl) – which was available in large enough natural crystals to be madeinto lenses and prisms – is remarkably transparent to the infrared. The result was thatrock salt became the principal infrared optical material, and remained so for the nexthundred years, until the art of synthetic crystal growing was mastered in the 1930’s.166 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201132 – History of infrared technology
10399103;a1Figure 32.3 Macedonio Melloni (1798–1854)Thermometers, as radiation detectors, remained unchallenged until 1829, the yearNobili invented the thermocouple. (Herschel’s own thermometer could be read to0.2 °C (0.036 °F), and later models were able to be read to 0.05 °C (0.09 °F)). Thena breakthrough occurred; Melloni connected a number of thermocouples in seriesto form the first thermopile. The new device was at least 40 times as sensitive as thebest thermometer of the day for detecting heat radiation – capable of detecting theheat from a person standing three meters away.The first so-called ‘heat-picture’ became possible in 1840, the result of work by SirJohn Herschel, son of the discoverer of the infrared and a famous astronomer in hisown right. Based upon the differential evaporation of a thin film of oil when exposedto a heat pattern focused upon it, the thermal image could be seen by reflected lightwhere the interference effects of the oil film made the image visible to the eye. SirJohn also managed to obtain a primitive record of the thermal image on paper, whichhe called a ‘thermograph’.10399003;a2Figure 32.4 Samuel P. Langley (1834–1906)Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 16732 – History of infrared technology
The improvement of infrared-detector sensitivity progressed slowly. Another majorbreakthrough, made by Langley in 1880, was the invention of the bolometer. Thisconsisted of a thin blackened strip of platinum connected in one arm of a Wheatstonebridge circuit upon which the infrared radiation was focused and to which a sensitivegalvanometer responded. This instrument is said to have been able to detect the heatfrom a cow at a distance of 400 meters.An English scientist, Sir James Dewar, first introduced the use of liquefied gases ascooling agents (such as liquid nitrogen with a temperature of -196 °C (-320.8 °F)) inlow temperature research. In 1892 he invented a unique vacuum insulating containerin which it is possible to store liquefied gases for entire days. The common ‘thermosbottle’, used for storing hot and cold drinks, is based upon his invention.Between the years 1900 and 1920, the inventors of the world ‘discovered’ the infrared.Many patents were issued for devices to detect personnel, artillery, aircraft, ships –and even icebergs. The first operating systems, in the modern sense, began to bedeveloped during the 1914–18 war, when both sides had research programs devotedto the military exploitation of the infrared. These programs included experimentalsystems for enemy intrusion/detection, remote temperature sensing, secure commu-nications, and ‘flying torpedo’ guidance. An infrared search system tested during thisperiod was able to detect an approaching airplane at a distance of 1.5 km (0.94 miles),or a person more than 300 meters (984 ft.) away.The most sensitive systems up to this time were all based upon variations of thebolometer idea, but the period between the two wars saw the development of tworevolutionary new infrared detectors: the image converter and the photon detector.At first, the image converter received the greatest attention by the military, becauseit enabled an observer for the first time in history to literally ‘see in the dark’. However,the sensitivity of the image converter was limited to the near infrared wavelengths,and the most interesting military targets (i.e. enemy soldiers) had to be illuminatedby infrared search beams. Since this involved the risk of giving away the observer’sposition to a similarly-equipped enemy observer, it is understandable that militaryinterest in the image converter eventually faded.The tactical military disadvantages of so-called 'active’ (i.e. search beam-equipped)thermal imaging systems provided impetus following the 1939–45 war for extensivesecret military infrared-research programs into the possibilities of developing ‘passive’(no search beam) systems around the extremely sensitive photon detector. Duringthis period, military secrecy regulations completely prevented disclosure of the statusof infrared-imaging technology. This secrecy only began to be lifted in the middle ofthe 1950’s, and from that time adequate thermal-imaging devices finally began to beavailable to civilian science and industry.168 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201132 – History of infrared technology
33 Theory of thermography33.1 IntroductionThe subjects of infrared radiation and the related technique of thermography are stillnew to many who will use an infrared camera. In this section the theory behind ther-mography will be given.33.2 The electromagnetic spectrumThe electromagnetic spectrum is divided arbitrarily into a number of wavelength re-gions, called bands, distinguished by the methods used to produce and detect theradiation. There is no fundamental difference between radiation in the different bandsof the electromagnetic spectrum. They are all governed by the same laws and theonly differences are those due to differences in wavelength.10067803;a1Figure 33.1 The electromagnetic spectrum. 1: X-ray; 2: UV; 3: Visible; 4: IR; 5: Microwaves; 6: Radiowaves.Thermography makes use of the infrared spectral band. At the short-wavelength endthe boundary lies at the limit of visual perception, in the deep red. At the long-wave-length end it merges with the microwave radio wavelengths, in the millimeter range.The infrared band is often further subdivided into four smaller bands, the boundariesof which are also arbitrarily chosen. They include: the near infrared (0.75–3 μm), themiddle infrared (3–6 μm), the far infrared (6–15 μm) and the extreme infrared (15–100Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 169
μm). Although the wavelengths are given in μm (micrometers), other units are oftenstill used to measure wavelength in this spectral region, e.g. nanometer (nm) andÅngström (Å).The relationships between the different wavelength measurements is:33.3 Blackbody radiationA blackbody is defined as an object which absorbs all radiation that impinges on itat any wavelength. The apparent misnomer black relating to an object emitting radia-tion is explained by Kirchhoff’s Law (after Gustav Robert Kirchhoff, 1824–1887), whichstates that a body capable of absorbing all radiation at any wavelength is equallycapable in the emission of radiation.10398803;a1Figure 33.2 Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824–1887)The construction of a blackbody source is, in principle, very simple. The radiationcharacteristics of an aperture in an isotherm cavity made of an opaque absorbingmaterial represents almost exactly the properties of a blackbody. A practical applicationof the principle to the construction of a perfect absorber of radiation consists of a boxthat is light tight except for an aperture in one of the sides. Any radiation which thenenters the hole is scattered and absorbed by repeated reflections so only an infinites-imal fraction can possibly escape. The blackness which is obtained at the apertureis nearly equal to a blackbody and almost perfect for all wavelengths.By providing such an isothermal cavity with a suitable heater it becomes what istermed a cavity radiator. An isothermal cavity heated to a uniform temperature gener-ates blackbody radiation, the characteristics of which are determined solely by thetemperature of the cavity. Such cavity radiators are commonly used as sources ofradiation in temperature reference standards in the laboratory for calibrating thermo-graphic instruments, such as a FLIR Systems camera for example.170 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201133 – Theory of thermography
If the temperature of blackbody radiation increases to more than 525°C (977°F), thesource begins to be visible so that it appears to the eye no longer black. This is theincipient red heat temperature of the radiator, which then becomes orange or yellowas the temperature increases further. In fact, the definition of the so-called colortemperature of an object is the temperature to which a blackbody would have to beheated to have the same appearance.Now consider three expressions that describe the radiation emitted from a blackbody.33.3.1 Planck’s law10399203;a1Figure 33.3 Max Planck (1858–1947)Max Planck (1858–1947) was able to describe the spectral distribution of the radiationfrom a blackbody by means of the following formula:where:Blackbody spectral radiant emittance at wavelength λ.WλbVelocity of light = 3 × 108m/scPlanck’s constant = 6.6 × 10-34 Joule sec.hBoltzmann’s constant = 1.4 × 10-23 Joule/K.kAbsolute temperature (K) of a blackbody.TWavelength (μm).λPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 17133 – Theory of thermography
➲ The factor 10-6 is used since spectral emittance in the curves is expressed inWatt/m2, μm.Planck’s formula, when plotted graphically for various temperatures, produces afamily of curves. Following any particular Planck curve, the spectral emittance is zeroat λ = 0, then increases rapidly to a maximum at a wavelength λmax and after passingit approaches zero again at very long wavelengths. The higher the temperature, theshorter the wavelength at which maximum occurs.10327103;a4Figure 33.4 Blackbody spectral radiant emittance according to Planck’s law, plotted for various absolutetemperatures. 1: Spectral radiant emittance (W/cm2× 103(μm)); 2: Wavelength (μm)33.3.2 Wien’s displacement lawBy differentiating Planck’s formula with respect to λ, and finding the maximum, wehave:This is Wien’s formula (after Wilhelm Wien, 1864–1928), which expresses mathemati-cally the common observation that colors vary from red to orange or yellow as thetemperature of a thermal radiator increases. The wavelength of the color is the sameas the wavelength calculated for λmax. A good approximation of the value of λmax fora given blackbody temperature is obtained by applying the rule-of-thumb 3 000/T172 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201133 – Theory of thermography
μm. Thus, a very hot star such as Sirius (11 000 K), emitting bluish-white light, radiateswith the peak of spectral radiant emittance occurring within the invisible ultravioletspectrum, at wavelength 0.27 μm.10399403;a1Figure 33.5 Wilhelm Wien (1864–1928)The sun (approx. 6 000 K) emits yellow light, peaking at about 0.5 μm in the middleof the visible light spectrum.At room temperature (300 K) the peak of radiant emittance lies at 9.7 μm, in the farinfrared, while at the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 K) the maximum of the almostinsignificant amount of radiant emittance occurs at 38 μm, in the extreme infraredwavelengths.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 17333 – Theory of thermography
10327203;a4Figure 33.6 Planckian curves plotted on semi-log scales from 100 K to 1000 K. The dotted line representsthe locus of maximum radiant emittance at each temperature as described by Wien's displacement law.1: Spectral radiant emittance (W/cm2(μm)); 2: Wavelength (μm).33.3.3 Stefan-Boltzmann's lawBy integrating Planck’s formula from λ = 0 to λ = ∞, we obtain the total radiantemittance (Wb) of a blackbody:This is the Stefan-Boltzmann formula (after Josef Stefan, 1835–1893, and LudwigBoltzmann, 1844–1906), which states that the total emissive power of a blackbody isproportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. Graphically, Wbrepresentsthe area below the Planck curve for a particular temperature. It can be shown that theradiant emittance in the interval λ = 0 to λmax is only 25% of the total, which representsabout the amount of the sun’s radiation which lies inside the visible light spectrum.174 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201133 – Theory of thermography
10399303;a1Figure 33.7 Josef Stefan (1835–1893), and Ludwig Boltzmann (1844–1906)Using the Stefan-Boltzmann formula to calculate the power radiated by the humanbody, at a temperature of 300 K and an external surface area of approx. 2 m2, weobtain 1 kW. This power loss could not be sustained if it were not for the compensatingabsorption of radiation from surrounding surfaces, at room temperatures which donot vary too drastically from the temperature of the body – or, of course, the additionof clothing.33.3.4 Non-blackbody emittersSo far, only blackbody radiators and blackbody radiation have been discussed.However, real objects almost never comply with these laws over an extended wave-length region – although they may approach the blackbody behavior in certainspectral intervals. For example, a certain type of white paint may appear perfectlywhite in the visible light spectrum, but becomes distinctly gray at about 2 μm, andbeyond 3 μm it is almost black.There are three processes which can occur that prevent a real object from acting likea blackbody: a fraction of the incident radiation α may be absorbed, a fraction ρ maybe reflected, and a fraction τ may be transmitted. Since all of these factors are moreor less wavelength dependent, the subscript λ is used to imply the spectral depen-dence of their definitions. Thus:■The spectral absorptance αλ= the ratio of the spectral radiant power absorbed byan object to that incident upon it.■The spectral reflectance ρλ= the ratio of the spectral radiant power reflected byan object to that incident upon it.■The spectral transmittance τλ= the ratio of the spectral radiant power transmittedthrough an object to that incident upon it.The sum of these three factors must always add up to the whole at any wavelength,so we have the relation:Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 17533 – Theory of thermography
For opaque materials τλ= 0 and the relation simplifies to:Another factor, called the emissivity, is required to describe the fraction ε of the radiantemittance of a blackbody produced by an object at a specific temperature. Thus, wehave the definition:The spectral emissivity ελ= the ratio of the spectral radiant power from an object tothat from a blackbody at the same temperature and wavelength.Expressed mathematically, this can be written as the ratio of the spectral emittanceof the object to that of a blackbody as follows:Generally speaking, there are three types of radiation source, distinguished by theways in which the spectral emittance of each varies with wavelength.■A blackbody, for which ελ= ε = 1■A graybody, for which ελ= ε = constant less than 1■A selective radiator, for which ε varies with wavelengthAccording to Kirchhoff’s law, for any material the spectral emissivity and spectral ab-sorptance of a body are equal at any specified temperature and wavelength. That is:From this we obtain, for an opaque material (since αλ+ ρλ= 1):For highly polished materials ελapproaches zero, so that for a perfectly reflectingmaterial (i.e. a perfect mirror) we have:For a graybody radiator, the Stefan-Boltzmann formula becomes:This states that the total emissive power of a graybody is the same as a blackbodyat the same temperature reduced in proportion to the value of ε from the graybody.176 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201133 – Theory of thermography
10401203;a2Figure 33.8 Spectral radiant emittance of three types of radiators. 1: Spectral radiant emittance; 2:Wavelength; 3: Blackbody; 4: Selective radiator; 5: Graybody.10327303;a4Figure 33.9 Spectral emissivity of three types of radiators. 1: Spectral emissivity; 2: Wavelength; 3:Blackbody; 4: Graybody; 5: Selective radiator.33.4 Infrared semi-transparent materialsConsider now a non-metallic, semi-transparent body – let us say, in the form of a thickflat plate of plastic material. When the plate is heated, radiation generated within itsvolume must work its way toward the surfaces through the material in which it ispartially absorbed. Moreover, when it arrives at the surface, some of it is reflectedback into the interior. The back-reflected radiation is again partially absorbed, butPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 17733 – Theory of thermography
some of it arrives at the other surface, through which most of it escapes; part of it isreflected back again. Although the progressive reflections become weaker andweaker they must all be added up when the total emittance of the plate is sought.When the resulting geometrical series is summed, the effective emissivity of a semi-transparent plate is obtained as:When the plate becomes opaque this formula is reduced to the single formula:This last relation is a particularly convenient one, because it is often easier to measurereflectance than to measure emissivity directly.178 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201133 – Theory of thermography
34 The measurement formulaAs already mentioned, when viewing an object, the camera receives radiation notonly from the object itself. It also collects radiation from the surroundings reflectedvia the object surface. Both these radiation contributions become attenuated to someextent by the atmosphere in the measurement path. To this comes a third radiationcontribution from the atmosphere itself.This description of the measurement situation, as illustrated in the figure below, is sofar a fairly true description of the real conditions. What has been neglected could forinstance be sun light scattering in the atmosphere or stray radiation from intense ra-diation sources outside the field of view. Such disturbances are difficult to quantify,however, in most cases they are fortunately small enough to be neglected. In casethey are not negligible, the measurement configuration is likely to be such that therisk for disturbance is obvious, at least to a trained operator. It is then his responsibil-ity to modify the measurement situation to avoid the disturbance e.g. by changingthe viewing direction, shielding off intense radiation sources etc.Accepting the description above, we can use the figure below to derive a formula forthe calculation of the object temperature from the calibrated camera output.10400503;a1Figure 34.1 A schematic representation of the general thermographic measurement situation.1: Surround-ings; 2: Object; 3: Atmosphere; 4: CameraAssume that the received radiation power Wfrom a blackbody source of temperatureTsource on short distance generates a camera output signal Usource that is proportionalto the power input (power linear camera). We can then write (Equation 1):Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 179
or, with simplified notation:where C is a constant.Should the source be a graybody with emittance ε, the received radiation wouldconsequently be εWsource.We are now ready to write the three collected radiation power terms:1 – Emission from the object =ετWobj, where εis the emittance of the object and τis the transmittance of the atmosphere. The object temperature is Tobj.2 – Reflected emission from ambient sources =(1 – ε)τWrefl, where (1 – ε) is the re-flectance of the object. The ambient sources have the temperature Trefl.It has here been assumed that the temperature Trefl is the same for all emitting surfaceswithin the halfsphere seen from a point on the object surface. This is of coursesometimes a simplification of the true situation. It is, however, a necessary simplificationin order to derive a workable formula, and Trefl can – at least theoretically – be givena value that represents an efficient temperature of a complex surrounding.Note also that we have assumed that the emittance for the surroundings = 1. This iscorrect in accordance with Kirchhoff’s law: All radiation impinging on the surroundingsurfaces will eventually be absorbed by the same surfaces. Thus the emittance = 1.(Note though that the latest discussion requires the complete sphere around the objectto be considered.)3 – Emission from the atmosphere =(1 – τ)τWatm, where (1 – τ) is the emittance ofthe atmosphere. The temperature of the atmosphere is Tatm.The total received radiation power can now be written (Equation 2):We multiply each term by the constant Cof Equation 1 and replace the CW productsby the corresponding Uaccording to the same equation, and get (Equation 3):Solve Equation 3 for Uobj (Equation 4):180 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201134 – The measurement formula
This is the general measurement formula used in all the FLIR Systems thermographicequipment. The voltages of the formula are:Figure 34.2 VoltagesCalculated camera output voltage for a blackbody of temperatureTobj i.e. a voltage that can be directly converted into true requestedobject temperature.UobjMeasured camera output voltage for the actual case.UtotTheoretical camera output voltage for a blackbody of temperatureTrefl according to the calibration.UreflTheoretical camera output voltage for a blackbody of temperatureTatm according to the calibration.UatmThe operator has to supply a number of parameter values for the calculation:■the object emittance ε,■the relative humidity,■Tatm■object distance (Dobj)■the (effective) temperature of the object surroundings, or the reflected ambienttemperature Trefl, and■the temperature of the atmosphere TatmThis task could sometimes be a heavy burden for the operator since there are normallyno easy ways to find accurate values of emittance and atmospheric transmittance forthe actual case. The two temperatures are normally less of a problem provided thesurroundings do not contain large and intense radiation sources.A natural question in this connection is: How important is it to know the right valuesof these parameters? It could though be of interest to get a feeling for this problemalready here by looking into some different measurement cases and compare therelative magnitudes of the three radiation terms. This will give indications about whenit is important to use correct values of which parameters.The figures below illustrates the relative magnitudes of the three radiation contributionsfor three different object temperatures, two emittances, and two spectral ranges: SWand LW. Remaining parameters have the following fixed values:■τ= 0.88■Trefl = +20°C (+68°F)■Tatm = +20°C (+68°F)Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 18134 – The measurement formula
It is obvious that measurement of low object temperatures are more critical thanmeasuring high temperatures since the ‘disturbing’ radiation sources are relativelymuch stronger in the first case. Should also the object emittance be low, the situationwould be still more difficult.We have finally to answer a question about the importance of being allowed to usethe calibration curve above the highest calibration point, what we call extrapolation.Imagine that we in a certain case measure Utot = 4.5 volts. The highest calibrationpoint for the camera was in the order of 4.1 volts, a value unknown to the operator.Thus, even if the object happened to be a blackbody, i.e. Uobj = Utot, we are actuallyperforming extrapolation of the calibration curve when converting 4.5 volts into tem-perature.Let us now assume that the object is not black, it has an emittance of 0.75, and thetransmittance is 0.92. We also assume that the two second terms of Equation 4 amountto 0.5 volts together. Computation of Uobj by means of Equation 4 then results in Uobj= 4.5 / 0.75 / 0.92 – 0.5 = 6.0. This is a rather extreme extrapolation, particularly whenconsidering that the video amplifier might limit the output to 5 volts! Note, though,that the application of the calibration curve is a theoretical procedure where no elec-tronic or other limitations exist. We trust that if there had been no signal limitations inthe camera, and if it had been calibrated far beyond 5 volts, the resulting curve wouldhave been very much the same as our real curve extrapolated beyond 4.1 volts, pro-vided the calibration algorithm is based on radiation physics, like the FLIR Systemsalgorithm. Of course there must be a limit to such extrapolations.182 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201134 – The measurement formula
10400603;a2Figure 34.3 Relative magnitudes of radiation sources under varying measurement conditions (SW camera).1: Object temperature; 2: Emittance; Obj: Object radiation; Refl: Reflected radiation; Atm: atmosphereradiation. Fixed parameters: τ= 0.88; Trefl = 20°C (+68°F); Tatm = 20°C (+68°F).Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 18334 – The measurement formula
10400703;a2Figure 34.4 Relative magnitudes of radiation sources under varying measurement conditions (LW camera).1: Object temperature; 2: Emittance; Obj: Object radiation; Refl: Reflected radiation; Atm: atmosphereradiation. Fixed parameters: τ= 0.88; Trefl = 20°C (+68°F); Tatm = 20°C (+68°F).184 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201134 – The measurement formula
35 Emissivity tablesThis section presents a compilation of emissivity data from the infrared literature andmeasurements made by FLIR Systems.35.1 ReferencesMikaél A. Bramson: Infrared Radiation, A Handbook for Applications, Plenum press,N.Y.1William L. Wolfe, George J. Zissis: The Infrared Handbook, Office of Naval Research,Department of Navy, Washington, D.C.2Madding, R. P.: Thermographic Instruments and systems. Madison, Wisconsin: Univer-sity of Wisconsin – Extension, Department of Engineering and Applied Science.3William L. Wolfe: Handbook of Military Infrared Technology, Office of Naval Research,Department of Navy, Washington, D.C.4Jones, Smith, Probert: External thermography of buildings..., Proc. of the Society ofPhoto-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, vol.110, Industrial and Civil Applications ofInfrared Technology, June 1977 London.5Paljak, Pettersson: Thermography of Buildings, Swedish Building Research Institute,Stockholm 1972.6Vlcek, J: Determination of emissivity with imaging radiometers and some emissivitiesat λ = 5 µm. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing.7Kern: Evaluation of infrared emission of clouds and ground as measured by weathersatellites, Defence Documentation Center, AD 617 417.8Öhman, Claes: Emittansmätningar med AGEMA E-Box. Teknisk rapport, AGEMA 1999.(Emittance measurements using AGEMA E-Box. Technical report, AGEMA 1999.)9Matteï, S., Tang-Kwor, E: Emissivity measurements for Nextel Velvet coating 811-21between –36°C AND 82°C.10Lohrengel & Todtenhaupt (1996)11ITC Technical publication 32.12ITC Technical publication 29.1335.2 Important note about the emissivity tablesThe emissivity values in the table below are recorded using a shortwave (SW) camera.The values should be regarded as recommendations only and used with caution.Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 185
35.3 TablesFigure 35.1 T: Total spectrum; SW: 2–5 µm; LW: 8–14 µm, LLW: 6.5–20 µm; 1: Material; 2: Specification;3: Temperature in °C; 4: Spectrum; 5: Emissivity: 6: Reference65432113Ca. 0.96LW< 80Vinyl electricaltape (several col-ors)3M type 3513Ca. 0.96LW< 105Black vinyl electri-cal tape3M type 8813< 0.96MW< 105Black vinyl electri-cal tape3M type 8813Ca. 0.96LW< 80Black vinyl electri-cal tape3M type Super33+90.95LW70anodized, black,dullAluminum90.67SW70anodized, black,dullAluminum90.97LW70anodized, lightgray, dullAluminum90.61SW70anodized, lightgray, dullAluminum20.55T100anodized sheetAluminum40.09T100as received, plateAluminum20.09T100as received, sheetAluminum90.46LW70cast, blast cleanedAluminum90.47SW70cast, blast cleanedAluminum40.05T100dipped in HNO3,plateAluminum30.093 µm27foilAluminum30.0410 µm27foilAluminum10.2–0.3T50–500oxidized, stronglyAluminum10.04–0.06T50–100polishedAluminum20.05T100polished, sheetAluminum40.05T100polished plateAluminum186 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432130.283 µm27roughenedAluminum30.1810 µm27roughenedAluminum10.06–0.07T20–50rough surfaceAluminum90.03–0.06LW70sheet, 4 samplesdifferentlyscratchedAluminum90.05–0.08SW70sheet, 4 samplesdifferentlyscratchedAluminum20.04T20vacuum depositedAluminum50.83–0.94SW17weathered, heavilyAluminum10.60T20Aluminum bronze10.28TpowderAluminum hydrox-ide10.46Tactivated, powderAluminum oxide10.16Tpure, powder (alu-mina)Aluminum oxide10.96T20boardAsbestos10.78TfabricAsbestos70.94SW35floor tileAsbestos10.93–0.95T40–400paperAsbestos10.40–0.60TpowderAsbestos10.96T20slateAsbestos80.967LLW4Asphalt paving10.22T20–350dull, tarnishedBrass90.04–0.09SW70oxidizedBrass90.03–0.07LW70oxidizedBrass20.61T100oxidizedBrass10.59–0.61T200–600oxidized at 600°CBrass10.03T200polishedBrass20.03T100polished, highlyBrassPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 18735 – Emissivity tables
65432120.20T20rubbed with 80-grit emeryBrass10.06T20sheet, rolledBrass10.2T20sheet, worked withemeryBrass50.68SW17aluminaBrick50.86–0.81SW17commonBrick10.85T1100Dinas silica,glazed, roughBrick10.66T1000Dinas silica, refrac-toryBrick10.80T1000Dinas silica,unglazed, roughBrick50.68SW17firebrickBrick10.85T20fireclayBrick10.75T1000fireclayBrick10.59T1200fireclayBrick70.94SW35masonryBrick10.94T20masonry, plas-teredBrick20.93T20red, commonBrick10.88–0.93T20red, roughBrick10.46T1000refractory, corun-dumBrick10.38T1000–1300refractory, magne-siteBrick10.8–0.9T500–1000refractory, stronglyradiatingBrick10.65–0.75T500–1000refractory, weaklyradiatingBrick10.66T1230silica, 95% SiO2Brick10.29T1500sillimanite, 33%SiO2, 64% Al2O3Brick188 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432150.87SW17waterproofBrick90.06LW70phosphor bronzeBronze90.08SW70phosphor bronzeBronze10.1T50polishedBronze10.55T50–150porous, roughBronze10.76–0.80TpowderBronze20.95T20candle sootCarbon10.96Tcharcoal powderCarbon20.98T20graphite, filed sur-faceCarbon10.97Tgraphite powderCarbon10.95–0.97T20–400lampblackCarbon60.90SW20untreatedChipboard10.10T50polishedChromium10.28–0.38T500–1000polishedChromium10.91T70firedClay10.98T20blackCloth20.92T20Concrete70.95SW36dryConcrete50.97SW17roughConcrete80.974LLW5walkwayConcrete10.07T20commercial, bur-nishedCopper10.018T80electrolytic, careful-ly polishedCopper40.006T–34electrolytic, pol-ishedCopper10.13–0.15T1100–1300moltenCopper10.6–0.7T50oxidizedCopper40.78T27oxidized, blackCopperPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 18935 – Emissivity tables
65432120.78T20oxidized, heavilyCopper10.88Toxidized to black-nessCopper10.02T50–100polishedCopper20.03T100polishedCopper40.03T27polished, commer-cialCopper40.015T22polished, mechan-icalCopper40.008T22pure, carefullyprepared surfaceCopper40.07T27scrapedCopper10.84TpowderCopper dioxide10.70Tred, powderCopper oxide10.89TEbonite10.85T80coarseEmery10.9T20Enamel10.85–0.95T20lacquerEnamel60.85SW20hard, untreatedFiber board90.88LW70masoniteFiber board90.75SW70masoniteFiber board90.89LW70particle boardFiber board90.77SW70particle boardFiber board60.85SW20porous, untreatedFiber board10.018T130polishedGold10.02–0.03T200–600polished, carefullyGold20.02T100polished, highlyGold80.849LLW20polishedGranite80.879LLW21roughGranite90.77–0.87LW70rough, 4 differentsamplesGranite190 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432190.95–0.97SW70rough, 4 differentsamplesGranite10.8–0.9T20GypsumIce: See Water10.81T50castingIron, cast10.95T1000ingotsIron, cast10.28T1300liquidIron, cast10.60–0.70T800–1000machinedIron, cast40.63T38oxidizedIron, cast20.64T100oxidizedIron, cast40.66T260oxidizedIron, cast40.76T538oxidizedIron, cast10.64–0.78T200–600oxidized at 600°CIron, cast40.21T38polishedIron, cast20.21T40polishedIron, cast10.21T200polishedIron, cast10.87–0.95T900–1100unworkedIron, cast90.09LW70cold rolledIron and steel90.20SW70cold rolledIron and steel10.61–0.85T20covered with redrustIron and steel40.05T22electrolyticIron and steel40.05T100electrolyticIron and steel40.07T260electrolyticIron and steel10.05–0.06T175–225electrolytic, careful-ly polishedIron and steel10.24T20freshly workedwith emeryIron and steel10.55–0.61T950–1100ground sheetIron and steel20.69T20heavily rustedsheetIron and steelPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 19135 – Emissivity tables
65432110.77T20hot rolledIron and steel10.60T130hot rolledIron and steel10.74T100oxidizedIron and steel40.74T100oxidizedIron and steel10.78–0.82T125–525oxidizedIron and steel20.79T200oxidizedIron and steel40.89T1227oxidizedIron and steel10.80T200–600oxidizedIron and steel10.88T50oxidized stronglyIron and steel10.98T500oxidized stronglyIron and steel20.07T100polishedIron and steel10.14–0.38T400–1000polishedIron and steel10.52–0.56T750–1050polished sheetIron and steel10.24T20rolled, freshlyIron and steel10.56T50rolled sheetIron and steel10.95–0.98T50rough, plane sur-faceIron and steel50.96SW17rusted, heavilyIron and steel40.69T22rusted red, sheetIron and steel10.69T20rusty, redIron and steel10.16T150shiny, etchedIron and steel10.82T20shiny oxide layer,sheet,Iron and steel10.28T40–250wrought, carefullypolishedIron and steel90.85LW70heavily oxidizedIron galvanized90.64SW70heavily oxidizedIron galvanized40.07T92sheetIron galvanized10.23T30sheet, burnishedIron galvanized10.28T20sheet, oxidizedIron galvanized192 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432140.064T24sheetIron tinned12Ca. 0.96LWRoom temperatureup to 175Flat blackKrylon Ultra-flatblack 160212Ca. 0.97MWRoom temperatureup to 175Flat blackKrylon Ultra-flatblack 160290.92–0.94LW703 colors sprayedon AluminumLacquer90.50–0.53SW703 colors sprayedon AluminumLacquer10.4T20Aluminum onrough surfaceLacquer10.83T80bakeliteLacquer10.96–0.98T40–100black, dullLacquer20.97T100black, matteLacquer10.87T20black, shiny,sprayed on ironLacquer10.92T100heat–resistantLacquer10.8–0.95T40–100whiteLacquer20.92T100whiteLacquer10.28T20oxidized, grayLead40.28T22oxidized, grayLead10.63T200oxidized at 200°CLead10.08T250shinyLead40.05T100unoxidized, pol-ishedLead40.93T100Lead red10.93T100Lead red, powder10.75–0.80TtannedLeather10.3–0.4TLime40.07T22Magnesium40.13T260MagnesiumPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 19335 – Emissivity tables
65432140.18T538Magnesium20.07T20polishedMagnesium10.86TMagnesium pow-der10.08–0.13T600–1000Molybdenum10.19–0.26T1500–2200Molybdenum10.1–0.3T700–2500filamentMolybdenum50.87SW17Mortar70.94SW36dryMortar10 and11> 0.97LW–60–150Flat blackNextel Velvet 811-21 Black10.25T700rolledNichrome10.70T700sandblastedNichrome10.65T50wire, cleanNichrome10.71–0.79T500–1000wire, cleanNichrome10.95–0.98T50–500wire, oxidizedNichrome40.041T122bright matteNickel10.045T100commerciallypure, polishedNickel10.07–0.09T200–400commerciallypure, polishedNickel40.04T22electrolyticNickel40.06T38electrolyticNickel40.07T260electrolyticNickel40.10T538electrolyticNickel20.05T20electroplated, pol-ishedNickel40.045T22electroplated oniron, polishedNickel10.11–0.40T20electroplated oniron, unpolishedNickel194 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432140.11T22electroplated oniron, unpolishedNickel20.37T200oxidizedNickel40.37T227oxidizedNickel40.85T1227oxidizedNickel10.37–0.48T200–600oxidized at 600°CNickel40.045T122polishedNickel10.1–0.2T200–1000wireNickel10.52–0.59T500–650Nickel oxide10.75–0.86T1000–1250Nickel oxide20.27T200.025 mm filmOil, lubricating20.46T200.050 mm filmOil, lubricating20.72T200.125 mm filmOil, lubricating20.05T20film on Ni base: Nibase onlyOil, lubricating20.82T20thick coatingOil, lubricating90.92–0.94LW708 different colorsand qualitiesPaint90.88–0.96SW708 different colorsand qualitiesPaint10.27–0.67T50–100Aluminum, variousagesPaint10.28–0.33Tcadmium yellowPaint10.65–0.70Tchrome greenPaint10.7–0.8Tcobalt bluePaint50.87SW17oilPaint60.94SW20oil, black flatPaint60.92SW20oil, black glossPaint60.97SW20oil, gray flatPaint60.96SW20oil, gray glossPaint10.92–0.96T100oil, various colorsPaintPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 19535 – Emissivity tables
65432120.94T100oil based, averageof 16 colorsPaint60.95SW20plastic, blackPaint60.84SW20plastic, whitePaint90.92–0.94LW704 different colorsPaper90.68–0.74SW704 different colorsPaper10.90TblackPaper10.94Tblack, dullPaper90.89LW70black, dullPaper90.86SW70black, dullPaper10.84Tblue, darkPaper10.93Tcoated with blacklacquerPaper10.85TgreenPaper10.76TredPaper10.7–0.9T20whitePaper90.88–0.90LW70white, 3 differentglossesPaper90.76–0.78SW70white, 3 differentglossesPaper20.93T20white bondPaper10.72TyellowPaper50.86SW17Plaster60.90SW20plasterboard, un-treatedPlaster20.91T20rough coatPlaster90.91LW70glass fibre lami-nate (printed circ.board)Plastic90.94SW70glass fibre lami-nate (printed circ.board)Plastic196 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432190.55LW70polyurethane isola-tion boardPlastic90.29SW70polyurethane isola-tion boardPlastic90.93LW70PVC, plastic floor,dull, structuredPlastic90.94SW70PVC, plastic floor,dull, structuredPlastic40.016T17Platinum40.03T22Platinum40.05T100Platinum40.06T260Platinum40.10T538Platinum10.14–0.18T1000–1500Platinum40.18T1094Platinum10.05–0.10T200–600pure, polishedPlatinum10.12–0.17T900–1100ribbonPlatinum10.06–0.07T50–200wirePlatinum10.10–0.16T500–1000wirePlatinum10.18T1400wirePlatinum10.92T20glazedPorcelain10.70–0.75Twhite, shinyPorcelain10.95T20hardRubber10.95T20soft, gray, roughRubber10.60TSand20.90T20Sand80.909LLW19polishedSandstone80.935LLW19roughSandstone20.03T100polishedSilver10.02–0.03T200–600pure, polishedSilverPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 19735 – Emissivity tables
65432120.98T32humanSkin10.97–0.93T0–100boilerSlag10.89–0.78T200–500boilerSlag10.76–0.70T600–1200boilerSlag10.69–0.67T1400–1800boilerSlagSnow: See Water20.92T20drySoil20.95T20saturated with wa-terSoil10.35T500alloy, 8% Ni, 18%CrStainless steel10.45T700rolledStainless steel10.70T700sandblastedStainless steel90.14LW70sheet, polishedStainless steel90.18SW70sheet, polishedStainless steel90.28LW70sheet, untreated,somewhatscratchedStainless steel90.30SW70sheet, untreated,somewhatscratchedStainless steel20.16T20type 18-8, buffedStainless steel20.85T60type 18-8, oxi-dized at 800°CStainless steel10.91T10–90rough, limeStucco70.60SW37insulationStyrofoam10.79–0.84TTar10.91–0.93T20paperTar50.94SW17glazedTile10.04–0.06T20–50burnishedTin20.07T100tin–plated sheetironTin198 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
65432110.40T200oxidized at 540°CTitanium10.50T500oxidized at 540°CTitanium10.60T1000oxidized at 540°CTitanium10.15T200polishedTitanium10.20T500polishedTitanium10.36T1000polishedTitanium10.05T200Tungsten10.1–0.16T600–1000Tungsten10.24–0.31T1500–2200Tungsten10.39T3300filamentTungsten60.93SW20flatVarnish90.90–0.93LW70on oak parquetfloorVarnish90.90SW70on oak parquetfloorVarnish60.85SW20slight pattern, lightgrayWallpaper60.90SW20slight pattern, redWallpaper20.96T20distilledWater20.98T–10frost crystalsWater10.98T0ice, covered withheavy frostWater20.96T–10ice, smoothWater10.97T0ice, smoothWater10.95–0.98T0–100layer >0.1 mmthickWater10.8TsnowWater20.85T–10snowWater50.98SW17Wood80.962LLW19Wood10.5–0.7TgroundWoodPubl. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 19935 – Emissivity tables
65432190.81–0.89LW70pine, 4 differentsamplesWood90.67–0.75SW70pine, 4 differentsamplesWood10.8–0.9T20planedWood20.90T20planed oakWood90.88LW70planed oakWood90.77SW70planed oakWood70.82SW36plywood, smooth,dryWood60.83SW20plywood, untreat-edWood10.7–0.8T20white, dampWood10.11T400oxidized at 400°CZinc10.50–0.60T1000–1200oxidized surfaceZinc10.04–0.05T200–300polishedZinc10.20T50sheetZinc200 Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 201135 – Emissivity tables
A note on the technical production of this publicationThis publication was produced using XML—the eXtensible Markup Language. For more information about XML, please visithttp://www.w3.org/XML/A note on the typeface used in this publicationThis publication was typeset using Swiss 721, which is Bitstream’s pan-European version of the Helvetica™ typeface. Helvetica™ was designedby Max Miedinger (1910–1980).List of effective files20235103.xml a2420235203.xml a2120235303.xml a1820236703.xml a5620237103.xml a1020238503.xml a920238703.xml b820250403.xml a2120254903.xml a7120257003.xml a4020257103.xml a1720257303.xml a3320273203.xml a1320275203.xml a1420279803.xml a820281003.xml a120287303.xml a920292403.xml a520295003.xml a1320295703.xml a720295803.xml a620295903.xml a520296103.xml a920296203.xml a1120296303.xml a920296403.xml a920296503.xml a1020296603.xml a1120296703.xml a820296803.xml a1120296903.xml a920297003.xml a1120297203.xml a820297303.xml a720297403.xml a720297503.xml a320297603.xml a220299603.xml a4R133.rcp a4config.xml a5Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 201
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Corporate HeadquartersFLIR Systems, Inc.27700 SW Parkway AvenueWilsonville, OR 97070USATelephone: +1-800-727-3547Website: http://www.flir.com

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