Infrared Thermography : A versatile Technology for Condition Monitoring and Energy Conservation by S.P.Garnaik,  Asst. Director(Technology Management), National Productivity Council, Kanpur, India 

Temperature is one of the important parameters to tell the condition of internal process, material and even quality of the desired output. A qualitative but accurate conclusion can be drawn by observing the temperature profile of any surface. On the other hand higher temperature also indicates obvious loss of energy in the form of heat. Therefore temperature monitoring would give ample indication of the condition of the material, process quality and explore the possibility of energy conservation avenues.

In recent years, many temperature monitoring techniques have been in use in our industries. These techniques find their application based on the measurable temperature range, sensitivity and ease in application. A comparison of various typical techniques has been given in table no. 1.

With the on-line condition monitoring technology becoming an inevitable part of maintenance strategy in today’s scenario, non-contact type temperature monitoring methods have become more popular. Infrared Thermography is such a non-contact type technique which provides a fast, reliable and accurate temperature profile of any material surface.

This paper deals with various application of infrared thermography including the justification of energy saving potential in many cases.