ThermalTrend: A Tool for Organizing and Analyzing Thermal Images

ThermalTrend: A Tool for Organizing and Analyzing Thermal Images

Infrared thermography, as a non–contact condition monitoring technique, measures the temperature distribution of machines and components to detect anomalous thermal behaviors. It is usually considered as a complimentary technique, and nowadays is used in a wide variety of industrial applications. In this paper, two commonly–used criteria to assess the condition of machines based on the infrared thermography technique, i.e. absolute and relative temperature criteria, are represented. Then, the importance of temperature trend in condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of machines and components is described. The ThermalTrend software, which was developed in “Condition Monitoring Unit, Smelting Department, Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex”, is introduced, and its most important and unique features are discussed. This software package helps thermographers to organize thermal images, and provides the temperature trend of machines and components that are under regular monitoring. Finally, some industrial case studies on the usefulness and applicability of the infrared thermography technique and the ThermalTrend software are reported.

Infrared thermography, as a non–contact condition monitoring technique, measures the temperature distribution of machines and components to detect anomalous thermal behaviors. It is usually considered as a complimentary technique, and nowadays is used in a wide variety of industrial applications. In this paper, two commonly–used criteria to assess the condition of machines based on the infrared thermography technique, i.e. absolute and relative temperature criteria, are represented. Then, the importance of temperature trend in condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of machines and components is described. The ThermalTrend software, which was developed in “Condition Monitoring Unit, Smelting Department, Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex”, is introduced, and its most important and unique features are discussed. This software package helps thermographers to organize thermal images, and provides the temperature trend of machines and components that are under regular monitoring. Finally, some industrial case studies on the usefulness and applicability of the infrared thermography technique and the ThermalTrend software are reported.