Thermal cameras

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Thermal camera :

A thermal camera captures the infrared radiation ( heat waves ) emitted by objects, which varies according to their temperature . A thermal camera generally cannot see behind a wall or obstacle. It reproduces the heat stored by an object or shows the heat flow through a wall due to a heat source behind it.

The glass and polished metal parts reflect the thermal image like a mirror. This less sharp image can mislead an observer.

Although the wavelength of infrared radiation depends on temperature, thermal cameras generally have a single channel (like a monochrome camera ), and they simply produce an image of the radiation intensity, which also allows the temperature of the source to be estimated. The color produced by the camera is a false color , obtained by associating a color with the received intensity, in order to facilitate the direct reading of the temperature: each color in the image corresponds to a temperature.

Fight against the fire :

Infrared cameras can be used in firefighting . They allow for the very rapid detection of a fire or even a smoldering fire, for example:

• residual fire or hearth in an expansion joint;
• hot spot after a chimney or attic fire has been extinguished;
• electric fire: short circuit, false contact resulting in occasional overheating.

Industry and research:

In the field of research and development and even troubleshooting , infrared imaging allows (without touching or degrading the sample or object being studied) the revelation of many types of anomalies in manufacturing control, for example of combustion or propulsion systems, cooling systems, printed circuits , new materials, to study phase change phenomena or certain thermal reactions ( exothermic or endothermic ), or even laminar flows or certain vortices of an aerodynamic design ¹.

It allows us to better see and measure certain mechanical stresses ² , thermal stress phenomena ³ , thermal shocks ⁴ , temperature anomalies, heat dissipation, latent heat or other thermal characteristics of materials, which sometimes reflect abnormal friction ⁵ , lack of lubrication, hidden defects or flaws (bubbles, cracks, gaps, corrosion or delamination phenomena or delamination, etc.

During the unloading of wagons or tanks, the level in the tank of certain chemicals can be observed using the thermal camera.

Technical advances improve their sensitivity and precision (geometric resolution, macro objectives and applications to photothermal microscopy ⁶ …) and reactivity in the case of thermal videos ^7. The study of plants and fauna or even water surface temperatures ⁸ has also benefited from thermal cameras.