If you’re new to the world of thermography, you’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed. Handy devices they may be, but thermal cameras are full of confusing technology that you’re probably staring at a bit blankly. Thankfully, help is at hand; here are a few explanations of some of the most commonly referenced features and what exactly they mean.
What is a Thermal Image?
It may seem like the most obvious thing out of this entire list, but a thermal image is, of course, the basis of thermography.
A thermal image is essentially a picture of an environment seen using infrared light, which isn’t usually discernable by human eyes.
This allows the user of the thermal camera to detect thermal hotspots and analyze an environment’s temperature output.
What Do The Thermal Colours Mean?
When a thermal image is displayed, it’s all displayed as different colours. As a rule of thumb, the brighter the image, the hotter it is.
So if something is pretty dark, it’s cold, but if it’s bright white, it’s pretty much red hot.
What Is Picture-in-Picture Technology?
Ever seen a TV news report where there’s an anchor in the studio talking to reporter outside but they’re both on screen at the same time? That’s what picture-in-picture is.
When used on thermal cameras, picture-in-picture allows the thermographer to see a normal digital image that also shows a thermal image at the same time, allowing you to analyze both your normal environment and see any thermal hotspots.
What is Thermal Fusion?
Quite simply, thermal fusion (sometimes known by other names), is the process of blending together a digital image with a thermal image.
This allows the surveyor to get a clearer view of the surrounding environment, and this technology generally isn’t available on lower budget thermal cameras.
Most lower-end thermal cameras only display the thermal image without an overlaid digital image, which means more expensive models are better for clearly identifying thermal hotspots.
What is Thermal Resolution?
Similar to when you’re hearing all the specs of computer screens (number x number) a thermal camera also has a resolution.
Dependant on the model, the resolution of the camera will be different. As a rule of thumb, the higher the resolution of the camera, the larger (and higher quality) the images gained will be.
The resolution basically showcases how many pixels by pixels an image obtained by a camera is; in the case of thermal cameras, this isn’t any different.
What is the Temperature Range?
It may seem simple, but the temperature range of your thermal camera could be very important.
Depending upon what you need it for, having a thermal camera with a higher range could be essential. Certain models can only see temperatures up until a certain point; for higher temperatures, you’ll have to use a camera that has a wider temperature range.
What Is Thermal Sensitivity?
A basic definition of thermal sensitivity is a thermal imaging camera’s ability to adjust to changes in temperature.
Different ratings of thermal sensitivity are available depending on the camera; again, those cameras that have a higher price band generally are capable of coping with more minute changes in temperature and therefore have higher thermal sensitivity.
What Is a Focal Plane Array?
It may sound all complicated and fancy and is perhaps one of the most jargon-y items on this list, but a focal plane array isn’t that complicated if you don’t delve into the science.
At its basic level, the focal plane array attached to a thermal image camera will help to improve the speed of the image displayed, allowing you to see thermal images in a quicker time than on a thermal camera without a focal plane array.
What is a Laser Pointer?
Well..it’s a laser, that points.
Totally obvious statement aside, a thermal imaging camera with a built-in laser pointer will allow you to pinpoint exactly where you want a thermal image to be, allowing you to enhance your analysis capabilities and zoom in exactly on components that may be outputting too much heat.
What is Min/Max Temperature?
This feature will allow you to set different parameters so that the thermal camera only obtains readings between a certain range.
Written by Barry Atkins at www.pass-thermal.co.uk
