Thermalspection series

Select ThermalSpection 724 for electrical substations and industrial sites where one camera position must inspect several distributed assets. Its TS724DV-PT assembly combines thermal and visual cameras with continuous 360° pan and ±45° tilt, while fixed TS724 imagers can cover permanently assigned targets. ThermalSpection CVM is configured for gasifiers and other high-temperature or high-pressure vessels requiring continuous surface-temperature mapping. Its purged hazardous-area housing and optional auxiliary pyrometers suit process installations with contamination, classified zones or obstructed views. The final choice should therefore follow the site classification, required viewing geometry, ambient conditions and control-system architecture.

Lens selection should begin with the physical size of the smallest component that must be measured, rather than the overall scene size alone. At a distance of 25 m, the TS724DV-PT 8° lens covers approximately 3.6 × 2.7 m, while the TS724 70° lens covers approximately 35 × 26 m. A narrower field of view places more detector pixels across a small target, whereas a wider lens covers more equipment but reduces spatial detail. The target should occupy at least 3 × 3 detector pixels to support precise temperature measurement. Engineers should check the measurement-field table against mounting distance, target movement, required thermal resolution and any future expansion of the monitored area.

ThermalSpection uses Gigabit Ethernet for camera and controller communication, with OPC, Modbus serial, Modbus Ethernet and physical I/O available through the software and interface modules. Calculated region temperatures, alarms and other processed values can therefore be transferred without sending the full thermal image into the control system. Analogue output modules, relays and digital I/O can support local alarms or process interlocks where required. Thermal images and temperature records can also be archived for trends, reports and event review, with optional connection to a PI database. Network segmentation, account permissions, historian tags and alarm priorities should be defined during the control-system design stage.

The TS724DV-PT uses a substation-hardened camera enclosure and an IP66 stainless-steel junction box, with an optional heater supporting ambient operation from -40 to 60°C. The fixed TS724 is supplied in a weatherised enclosure and uses the same stated ambient range when the optional heater is fitted. ThermalSpection CVM uses a sealed housing with an infrared-transparent window, internal cooling and positive-pressure purging to limit the entry of dirt or flammable gas. CVM field hardware is available in ATEX or Class I, Division 2 housings, with either a vortex air cooler or thermostat-controlled heater. Site engineers must still confirm the required area classification, purge utilities, cable entries and local installation rules before specification.

Accurate radiometric measurement depends on entering settings that reflect the target surface and the material between the target and camera. The thermal cameras provide emissivity correction from 0.1 to 1.0, while the CVM configuration also provides transmittance adjustment from 0.1 to 1.0 and ambient or background compensation. Low-emissivity bare metals can reflect surrounding heat and may not produce a representative surface-temperature reading without surface treatment or a validated correction method. Windows, steam, dust and process gases can also attenuate infrared energy and introduce additional uncertainty. Commissioning should therefore include comparison with a suitable reference, verification under normal process conditions and locked configuration control for critical measurement zones.

Current LumaSpec RT packages support simultaneous connection of up to 24 cameras, with the permitted number determined by the purchased software package. A legacy ThermalSpection 724 controller configuration lists up to six cameras at a substation, so the controller generation, licence and workstation specification should be confirmed when upgrading or extending an installation. Each camera supports up to 32 regions of interest, allowing separate minimum, maximum and average temperature calculations for different assets. The 724 auto-tour function supports up to 255 tour stops, with camera and region settings assigned to each stop. Network capacity, storage volume, tour cycle time and alarm response requirements should be calculated for the complete multi-camera system.

ThermalSpection 724 can be expanded with fixed TS724 imagers and IN 210 point pyrometers, while CVM supports auxiliary pyrometers for locations hidden from the main camera. The IN 210 measures from -32 to 900°C over an 8 to 14 µm spectral range and has an adjustable 120 ms response time. A standard 724 pyrometer kit contains five sensors, an IP66 stainless-steel junction box and five 30 m cables. Point sensors are useful for narrow gaps or obstructed components but do not provide the full temperature distribution available from a thermal image. Sensor placement should account for target size, emissivity, field of view, cable routing and maintenance access.

Calibration should be treated as part of the monitoring system’s maintenance plan rather than replaced by software correction alone. Available service levels include a standard two-point calibration and a certified calibration using five points or more with NIST certification. Between calibrations, maintenance should include inspection of infrared windows, enclosure seals, purge or cooling services, cables, junction boxes and camera alignment. Emissivity changes, dirty windows and altered transmission paths can resemble instrument drift, so a stable reference check is useful after cleaning or mechanical work. The calibration interval should be selected from process criticality, operating environment, drift history and the site’s quality procedures.