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Residential
/ Commercial Energy Audits
The Palm IR
PRO is the most popular choice for this application. The light
weight, ease of use, and crisp imagery produced combine to
make your job easy. The basics of the energy audit application
involves a scan of the structure with the inside and outside
temperatures having a difference of at least 15 degrees.
The classic home / residential energy audit scan.
Another energy audit image shows the infiltration of
heat into the structure. The yellow and red area to
the left of the shutters indicates an area of increased
infrared energy penetrating the building envelope. There
is a good chance that this pattern indicates an
area of damaged or missing insulation.
A commercial scan can be done with the IR PRO.
A variety of available optics allow you to
scan almost any size structure from almost any distance.
There is no other economical way to gather the
same data as you would from the camera. For detailed step
by step instructions on the proper procedures for a thermal
energy audit check out this useful
Resource.
Mold Spore Detection and Abatement
We have all heard about the "sick building syndrome"
plaguing people in North America. One of the leading causes
of this is bacterial growth in buildings with improper construction
or damaged insulation. Mold is a very serious problem that
has forced people to abandon homes, offices, and schools.
Mold growth typically occurs in areas of a specific temperature
and more importantly moisture content. The Palm IR PRO camera
can detect the infrared signature caused by moisture damage
to drywall, insulation, and other building materials. Once
moisture penetrates the building envelope it becomes trapped
inside areas with little or no ventilation and subsequently
never dries. This creates the ideal environment for mold spore
growth.
The black area on this HVAC vent is very cold
while the red and yellow area are much warmer.
The area around the vent is damaged by moisture.
Moisture damage from an old water leak. This
moisture will remain in the drywall and insulation
for a long time. This wet area creates an environment
that is conducive to deadly mold spore growth.
Stachybotrys Chartarum is the toxic indoor mold. Over the
past 20
years evidence has mounted indicating that this mold is one
of the
leading causes of so called "sick building syndrome".
The IR PRO can
easily detect moisture damage inside walls and ceilings which
is where
this toxic bacteria lives.
Electrical Predictive Preventative Maintenance
This application has been proven, over the past 20+ years,
to be one of the most beneficial uses of thermal infrared
imaging equipment in the commercial sector. The basic principle
of this application rest in the fact that as resistance in
a circuit rises so does the temperature. Infrared cameras
can "see" this temperature rise in real time. This
data can alert you to many serious problems before the become
catastrophic. Common situations the imager can detect include;
loose or dirty connections, phase imbalance, and overloaded
circuits. The same technology will work on all electrical
equipment from power generation to distribution to the end
users plant facility. You can even diagnose non-charged elements
of your equipment like oil level in transformers, and overall
condition of support components.
Common electrical breaker panel. Thermal imaging
takes the guess work out of inspecting your
facilities electrical connections. One pass of
the infrared camera and you know instantly if
you have problems. The dissipation of energy along the
connection indicates a possible fault in the connection.
This is commonly a loose, dirty, or corroded connection.
If the infrared energy pattern was consistent along
the entire connection than you might suspect
an overloaded circuit to be the cause.
The world of power transmission and generation is
no stranger to the benefits of thermal infrared imaging.
Every component including high tension lines, generators,
pole
mount transformers, substation facilities, knife disconnect
switches,
and more can be quickly scanned for defect with the Palm IR
PRO.
Note the hot connection on this transformer. Calculate in
the cost
of replacement including unscheduled down time, loss of service,
and
factor in possible damage to property or even human injury.
This is
what you can save with the simple application of a thermal
camera
to your regular maintenance tasks.
Printed Circuit Board Design
Today's printed circuit board designs demand the most
stringent of specifications be meet. As we try to bleed every
drop of speed from modern silicone we must guarantee that
every part is operating at maximum efficiency and that no
one part or whole system goes meltdown on us. The palm IR
PRO is ideal for detecting not only design flaws but also
as a quality control tool allowing you to quickly detect shorts
or faulty components.
The Palm IR PRO is an invaluable tool for PCB research
and development and quality control. This defective printed
circuit board
component is exhibiting a thermal anomaly in the left of the
picture. The image shows the effect a connection
that is loose or shorting to ground will have
when viewed with the IR PRO. Thermocouples and complicated
software simulations are a thing of the past. With an infrared
camera
system you can easily make important design decisions backed
by
reliable data, in much less time. Productivity will soar with
the proper
use of the IR PRO.
Medical and Veterinary Diagnostics
The infrared energy emitted from our bodies can
give you valuable data regarding the health of the subject.
Many conditions from breast cancer to vascular disease can
be diagnosed with an infrared camera. The veterinary world
can use thermal imaging on any animal but the equine world
seems to have embraced the technology the strongest. Valuable
horses can be screened for a variety of conditions including
hoof abscess, early lameness detection, vascular conditions,
and assorted muscle tears and strains.
The recent advances in low cost thermal imaging have
enabled many medical applications to become affordable.
The IR PRO is an excellent tool for qualitative medical analysis.
Thermal image of a canine suspect. This
is the most thermally photographed dog
in the world.
Research and Development
The applications of the PRO in research and development
are to numerous to mention. If you have an R&D concept
that you think this technology would be useful for, contact
us to discuss your options with a professional.
This image of a halogen lamp shows off
the rainbow color palette. This is an ideal
palette for a variety of applications that require
detailed analysis of subtle changes in IR energy.
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