Infrared thermography is a technique for measuring and spatially assessing temperature patterns due to temperature differences. In recent years, infrared (IR) thermal imaging has become a powerful tool in various fields, such as industrial surveys, environmental and military monitoring. It is used in law enforcement, especially in the boating industry.
The boating community benefits from this technology in two main areas of application:
1) The hull of a ship can be quickly and efficiently scanned to gain an overview of potential problems. To do this, it is necessary to monitor the hull in a state of "thermal imbalance". If, after a thermography session, surveyors suspect damage to the hull, they can resort to a detailed but slow NDT survey, such as an ultrasonic survey.
2) The mechanical, electrical and electronic systems of ships have become more complex over the years, with plumbing and heating/cooling being the exception these days. Thermal imaging is a fast and highly reliable method for identifying where high temperatures should not be expected, such as power cables with overloads or cable connectors with high transition resistance, and where no temperature is expected.
FLIR thermal imaging cameras can perform thermal imaging inspections of various equipment and ship hulls.
The parts of the hull that need to be inspected regularly are as follows:
water and moisture intrusion into the hull and other areas,
Structural defects
Engines, generators, gearboxes and their components,
potential electrical overload
Splices and sections of wires, such as circuit breakers, busbars, etc.
Heating and air conditioning units
Insulation
Bearings, shafts, pulleys, etc.
Pipe leaks and blockages.
Infrared thermal imaging technology can identify problems before they become serious problems. For complex machinery such as junction boxes, conventional thermal imaging is common good practice and can be a simple and effective way to prevent fires.
