Thermography Case Studies

In a, we reported how firefighters are now armed with thermal imaging equipment to help them detect thermal hotspots, see through smoke and identify the body signatures of people who might be trapped.

The Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia is examining thermal imagery of the Indian ocean from several additional satellites to measure the temperature of the surface of the ocean in the hunt for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.

Using a thermal imaging camera to outline electronic components enhances electronic troubleshooting. The new FLIR E4 has proved to be a hot seller for PASS Ltd, the independent test equipment professionals. One particularly enthusiastic electronics engineer uses it to monitor the temperature of circuit boards for potential faults, by finding where heat sources are on a board.

Through the use of a thermal camera scientist types have found out some pretty interesting things about the human body.

New technology used within thermal imaging cameras could, apparently, be used to determine whether a person is drunk or not.

In theory it is possible, but surface area and emissivity have to be taken into account. Then you will have different convective coefficients for vertical and horizontal surfaces. Looking at  a motor body there are many fins which will increase the surface area; accuracy is paramount here as an incorrect area measure will throw out the results in a big way.

Italy has, arguably, some of the best historical architecture in the world, so the preservation of these important cultural buildings is vital. An Altamura based survey company called IR HotSpot has been set up to directly focus on investigating historical buildings using thermography equipment. This allows these iconic buildings to be preserved and maintained without any complicated invasive investigation taking place beforehand. Also, it ensures that any small unseen problems can show up on the thermal image and can be dealt with before it can develop into something serious.

It has been reported recently that industrial technicians of the future should use the most advanced equipment available.

The famous BMW car manufacturer is known worldwide for making high quality luxury cars with all the latest technological advances included. BMW’s research campus, near the Munich headquarters, employs a wide range of engineers, computer experts, scientists and many others in order to research ways to produce BMW models in faster and more cost effective ways.

Since the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano grounded most of UK airspace, scientists have been trying to come up with some kind of Ash cloud detection system. A standard jet engine superheats the ash particles, which turns them to glass inside the engine itself resulting in the engine stopping mid air.