Application of Far-Infrared Thermometers in Equipment Routine Inspection
After electric equipment is energized with current, its temperature will change, and the heat generated is proportional to the square of the applied current. For rotating electrical and mechanical equipment, the temperature variation of bearings is closely related to cooling media, sliding friction and rolling friction. Almost all types of equipment faults are manifested in the form of temperature changes. By monitoring temperature variations, potential abnormalities and faults can be identified in a timely manner. This is of great significance for improving equipment operation reliability, extending service life, preventing equipment damage and avoiding personal injury.
As we all know, traditional temperature measurement methods for routine equipment inspection rely on mercury thermometers and alcohol (kerosene) thermometers. Mercury thermometers are highly susceptible to electromagnetic field interference, while alcohol (kerosene) thermometers produce substantial errors when measuring high-temperature equipment. Therefore, a new type of temperature measuring tool - far-infrared thermometers - has been widely applied.
2 Current Application Status of Far-Infrared Temperature Measurement Technology
Far-infrared temperature measurement is a non-contact testing technology introduced to China from European and American countries in recent years, and it has been widely adopted in the power industry. In power plants and substations, this technology is mainly used to measure the temperature of electrical equipment, including heat generation and overload caused by operating current, overheating faults at the contacts and metal connections of disconnectors and circuit breakers, as well as overheating defects of cable terminals.
However, it is less applied in measuring bearing temperature of rotating machinery, detecting leakage of sealed containers, inspecting steam separators, and locating heat insulation defects in process pipelines and other insulated facilities. In practical work, the author has encountered several typical and representative equipment fault cases discovered by measuring the temperature of non-current-carrying components.
