Applications of Infrared Thermometers in the Chemical Industry
In the petrochemical industry, refineries use temperature display systems in their routine preventive maintenance procedures. These programs include monitoring of furnace processes and confirmation of thermocouple readings. In furnace process testing, infrared displays are used to detect the proportion of carbon accumulation in the heated surface tubes. This type of agglomeration, known as coking, leads to a higher ignition rate in the furnace and also increases the temperature of the pipes. This high temperature condition will reduce the lifespan of the pipes. Because this coking will hinder the product from uniformly absorbing the heat from the tube. When using an infrared thermometer, we often find that the surface temperature of the pipes in the contact area is higher than that in other areas.
The operation principle guidance of the two-color fixed thermometer can also serve as preventive maintenance:
With a portable heat display system, maintenance personnel can identify potential or existing issues. For example, overheating of engine coil windings, tight cooling fins on transformers, capacitor contacts, and heat accumulation in the cylinder head of compressors. Any problem that arises is accompanied by an increase in temperature, or the temperature curve is completely different from the surrounding temperature, which can be located using a portable heat display system. In most cases, problems can be identified and corrected in a timely manner before requesting to stop the process flow.
Comparative analysis of online infrared thermometer and handheld thermometer:
Online infrared thermometers are mostly used for online temperature measurement in industrial production sites. They measure the temperature of a certain link in the production line in real time and transmit/display it in the control room, and even directly participate in closed-loop control. Such thermometers generally require stability and reliability for long-term use.
Handheld infrared thermometer is a type of portable infrared thermometer, which is compact and easy to carry.
The difference between online and handheld infrared thermometers lies in their usage environment and temperature measurement accuracy. Handheld infrared thermometers are easy to carry and can be used in indoor and outdoor working environments, without being limited by environmental factors. However, compared to online infrared thermometers, their temperature measurement accuracy is slightly lower. Online infrared thermometers are larger in size and are not easy to move, but they have higher temperature measurement accuracy and can be compared and analyzed online. This is something that handheld thermometers do not have, and of course, the price of online thermometers is also higher than that of handheld thermometers. In terms of industry, the accuracy of online thermometers is much higher.
