Infrared Thermography: Definition and Applications

Infrared thermography inspection of electrical installations involves measuring the operating temperature of control, switching, protection, and monitoring devices, as well as the various components of an electrical installation in an industrial environment. Abnormal overheating, resulting from overloads, short circuits, mini-electric arcs, or poor connections that could lead to a fire, can thus be detected.

Excerpt from the Practical Treatise on Fire Safety 

Infrared thermography is a diagnostic technique that operates by detecting the infrared radiation emitted by objects. Each object, depending on its temperature, emits a specific amount of infrared radiation. Thermal cameras capture this radiation and convert it into thermal images, where different temperatures appear as various colors. This allows for the visualization and measurement of temperature variations across a surface. 

Used in various fields such as building inspection, industrial maintenance, and medicine, infrared thermography helps identify thermal anomalies, such as heat loss, leaks, overheating, and hot spots. This non-contact technology is particularly valuable for quickly and efficiently identifying problems invisible to the naked eye, thereby helping to prevent failures and optimize performance.