A Presentation on

INFRARED
THERMOGRAPHY

Tarun Goel
 What is Infrared?
Infrared light lies between the visible and
microwave portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum. Infrared light has a range of
wavelengths, just like visible light has
wavelengths that range from red light to violet.

“Infrared” refers to the portion of the

electromagnetic spectrum where biological life-
forms emit the most light, at wavelengths
slightly longer than what we perceive as the
color red. Basically it is the region after red color
in electromagnetic spectrum.
 Visible v/s Infrared
The boundary between visible and infrared
light is not precisely defined. The human
eye is markedly less sensitive to light above
700 nm wavelength, so longer frequencies
make insignificant contributions to scenes
illuminated by common light sources. But
particularly intense light can be detected up
to approximately 780 nm, and will be
perceived as red light.
The onset of infrared is defined at various
values typically between 700 nm and 780
nm.
 Why Don’t We See It?
Put simply, our eyes do not have the elements
necessary for detecting infrared.

While there are practical evolutionary reasons

for this, infrared is a reality that exists
behind the scenes.
 Everyday Infrared
We may not be able to see infrared, but we
can still sense it through what is commonly
called heat. Physical touch is the most
direct way of observing it. You sense it on a
hot day under the sun, or when someone
walks between you and a campfire.
 Different regions in the
infrared
The infrared band is often subdivided
into smaller sections but the
divisions are not precise.
• near: 0.75–5 µm
• mid: 5–30 µm
• long: 30–1,000 µm
 Different regions in the
infrared
These divisions are justified by the
different human response to this
radiation: near infrared is the region
closest in wavelength to the
radiation detectable by the human
eye, mid and far infrared are
progressively further from the visible
regime.
How can we "see" using
the Infrared?
Any object which has a temperature radiates in
the infrared. Even objects that we think of
as being very cold, such as an ice cube,
emit infrared. When an object is not quite
hot enough to radiate visible light, it will
emit most of its energy in the infrared.
The warmer the object, the more infrared
radiation it emits.
For example, this image shows a man
holding up a lighted match!
What is Thermography?
Heat is referred to as the transfer of
electromagnetic energy, in the infrared
band, through either conduction,
convection, or radiation between two or
more substances.
The measurement of the transfer of this
infrared energy is called temperature.
Infrared radiation can be used to remotely
determine the temperature of objects (if the
emissivity is known). This is termed as
thermography.
What is Thermography?
In other words thermography is the
use of an infrared imaging and
measurement camera to "see" and
"measure " thermal energy emitted
from an object.
With a thermographic camera we can
see much more than with our own
eyes.
 Thermographic Camera!!
All objects emit a certain amount of black body
radiation as a function of their
temperatures. A thermographic camera can
detect this radiation in a way similar to an
ordinary camera does visible light.

The thermographic camera evaluates and

converts heat energy into meaningful
temperatures. Components in various states
of failure will emit more heat as a direct
result of more energy dissipated into the
component.
Thermographic image

Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared ("thermal")

light (false color)
Why use Thermographic
Camera!!!
A thermo graphic camera has its own advantages
over normal camera.

Just as doctors use temperature in disease

diagnosis, infrared thermography allows us to
diagnose and pinpoint problems based on the
temperature differential of areas. Temperature
provides an excellent indication of the condition
of equipment.

It is the ability of the thermal camera to "see" these

early stages of increasing temperature that
makes thermography such a valuable
technology.
Infrared thermography has
proved useful in detecting
electrical, mechanical and
building problems
 Electrical Inspection

The anomaly, or hot spot, indicates a probable problem

with the disconnect.
 Mechanical Inspection

Infrared Image: Misaligned Reference Image

drive between motor and
pump
 Roof Inspection

Moisture build up under tar and gravel roof.

 Applications of Infrared
imaging

Night vision

Infrared is used in night-vision equipment when

there is insufficient visible light to see an object.
The radiation is detected and turned into an
image on a screen, hotter objects showing up in
different shades than cooler objects, enabling the
police and military to acquire warm targets, such
as human beings and automobiles.

Smoke is more transparent to infrared than to

visible light, so firefighters use infrared imaging
equipment when working in smoke-filled areas.

Heating

Infrared radiation is used in infrared saunas

to heat the occupants, and to remove ice
from the wings of aircraft (de-icing). It is
also gaining popularity as a method of
heating asphalt pavements in place during
new construction or in repair of damaged
asphalt. Infrared can be used in cooking and
heating food as it heats only opaque,
absorbent objects and not the air around
them, if there are no particles in it.

Communication

IR data transmission is also employed in

short-range communication among
computer peripherals and personal digital
assistants.
Infrared communications are useful for
indoor use in areas of high population
density. IR does not penetrate walls and so
does not interfere with other devices in
adjoining rooms. Infrared is the most
common way for remote controls to
command appliances.
The Earth as an infrared
emitter
The Earth’s surface and the clouds absorb
visible and invisible radiation from the sun
and re-emit much of the energy as infrared
back to the atmosphere. Certain substances
in the atmosphere, chiefly cloud droplets
and water vapor, but also carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafloride,
and chloroflorocarbons, absorb this infrared,
and re-radiate it in all directions including
back to Earth. Thus the greenhouse effect
keeps the atmosphere and surface much
warmer than if the infrared absorbers were
absent from the atmosphere.
 Conclusion
• Infrared imaging is very powerful tool in
preventive maintenance. Well-planned
preventive maintenance rounds with IR camera
together with good housekeeping can eliminate
many risks before they start to cause problems.

• Infrared thermography has been proved as a

useful tool in electrical, mechanical and building
inspections.
THANK YOU