ITC InfraMation - = March 2008

If you can't see the graphic version of this = message=20 please change your profile to receive text messages at=20 {{user("unsubaddr")}}
and view this message on the web at = http://www.itcnews= letter.com/2008/2008-03.htm

March=20 2008

Your intelligence = brief on infrared=20 thermography =

Volume 9, Issue = 3

In This=20 Issue:=20

Welcome

Getting Closer - Advantages of using a Telescopic = Lens

IR News you can Use

ITC Message Board Posts

Brainteaser of the Month

Last Month's Brainteaser

Course Calendars

About the ITC

Visit our Web = Store

Google=20 Translate

Call=20 for Papers

Hello {{user("firstname")}},

We had only one correct guess for last month's = brainteaser.=20 Check out what the thermograms were really about below.

Also this month we have a story from Bob Rogers on = how=20 important spatial resolution can be to even find, let alone = measure,=20 thermal anomalies.

The Call for Papers for InfraMation 2008 ends = April 1.=20 If you are interested in sharing your IR application with others, = please=20 click the link at left and fill in the online abstract = form.

As usual we have our Message board posts, = News items, and our = monthly Brainteaser for you to=20 solve.

As with all images in this = newsletter,=20 click an image=20 to see a larger version.

See you next month,

Gary Orlove,
Editor and=20 Publisher

=20 Getting Closer=20 - Advantages of using a Telescopic = Lens

by Bob Rogers
Infrared Training = Center
ASNT NDT=20 Level III TIR

While I was conducting a Level II = certification class=20 in Costa Rica I thermographically scan everything as usual. There = was a=20 high voltage electrical tower about a half-mile (800m) from where = I was=20 standing. I was interested to see if I could detect anything with = the FLIR=20 P60 thermal imaging system I was using to conduct the class. = Looking at=20 the tower with the infrared camera at this distance, I could not = see any=20 thermal anomalies present.

Tower =BD mile (800m) away=20 visual	Tower with the standard 24=BA = lens,=20 Physically and optically =BD mile = (800m)
Tower with the 12=BA lens = (optically 1/4th=20 mile 400m) Thermally tuned image showing a small hot spot = on the=20 lower right far connection on the tower.	Close-up view of the thermal=20 anomaly.

Adding the = telescopic 2x=20 lens (12=BA lens) and thermally tuning the image, I noticed a = faint thermal=20 signature on the far lower phase of the tower. Using this 12=BA = lens, the=20 optical distance is now =BC mile (400m) to the target. The = distance of 800m=20 was correctly entered into the camera along with the relative = humidity and=20 atmospheric temperature. Notice that with the addition of the = 12=BA lens, no=20 distance correction/modification is required as the camera is = still=20 looking through =BD mile (800m) of atmosphere. I decided to get a = closer=20 look and walked over to the base of the tower. The image shown = close-up is=20 also with the 12=BA (2x) lens. It is so important to obtain = thermal images=20 without any uncertainty, which is why the 12=BA lens makes a great = general=20 purpose lens for those hard-to-get-to thermal images. This cancels = any=20 degree (pardon the pun) of=20 uncertainty.

IR News you can=20 Use

Straight from the World Wide = Web, here is=20 what's going on in the world of infrared thermography.

Medicine/veterinary

Taking infrared thermography off-road
SA = Instrumentation and Control=20 - Feb 29, 2008
Having seen the = advantages of IR=20 thermography in industry, R&C Instrumentation decided = to=20 investigate its usefulness in tracking down elusive=20 night-time...
Alternative Detection Method for = Breast=20 Cancer
Gather.com, MA - Feb 25,=20 2008
Known as Thermography, the technique = measures heat=20 differences in the tissue and can detect these rapid growth = cells nearly=20 10 years before it becomes = large...

Buildings/energy/infrastructure

Energy = Goes Up In=20 Smoke
Newsweek - Mar=20 8, 2008
They then walk around the house with = smoke=20 sticks to locate the spots near windows, doors, electrical = outlets and=20 trim where smoke blows = sideways...
Infrared scanning can handle two=20 jobs
London = Free=20 Press, Canada - Feb 17, 2008
It = seems=20 both could benefit from examination by an infrared = camera. With=20 your house, the infrared images can show heat loss or = overheating=20 electrical...
Current Cover Story|
Philadelphia=20 citypaper.net, PA - Feb 20, = 2008
Haven=20 will also use an infrared camera (which is freaking cool) = to find=20 which spots on your wall have the least insulation. These spots = are=20 generally the...

ITC Message Board = Posts=20

Here is a = selection of=20 recent new threads by IR Community members. Feel free to click the = links,=20 see the responses, and post your own response if you = like.

Commercial Property Inspection-First = Time
I have a commercial property that I need to look at = for air=20 infiltration and water intrusion. I have never performed this = before on=20 a commercial property and I'm just looking for some suggestions. = The=20 place is in Boston, right now (it's cold) One building is 7 = stories tall=20 and one is 10 stories. I'm not sure if it's only exterior shots = or both.=20 Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Information on fly overs
I = have a=20 customer that I have serviced for the last 10 or 12 years doing=20 electrical inspections. As part of the inspection I inspect his = power=20 lines (14,400). The line is 30KM long and I use either a = snowmobile or=20 an ATV and do it in the winter. The area is very rugged with = lots of=20 streams and woods and no roads. I have a friend who offered his = plane=20 (fixed wing) if I wanted to use it. Because I haven't done an = inspection=20 this way before I would like to give it a try for my own=20 self-satisfaction . Here is the problem - I am using a Flir = P65HS camera=20 with a normal 36mm lens. I know that I can get my flight speed = down to=20 around 60KM/Hr and a height of 400-600 feet but will that work? = Since=20 this is probably a 1 shot deal and the system I use now works = OK, I=20 really don't want to spend a lot of money to gear up. Any = comments would=20 be appreciated.
in= frared=20 and Earthquake .. advice..
Question, is anybody here had = made=20 some infrared test or any ideas how to use infrared in order to = detect=20 road bridges or buildings abnormalities after an earthquake?. = Maybe i=20 will need to have images right away before the next seismic = activity and=20 then compare with images taken few minutes later or asap after = quake,=20 taking care of weather, wind etc.
water intrusion inspection
I have to=20 do an inspection of water intrusion for a house. However, the = house is=20 attaching to the other house so that the IR images can only be = taken=20 inside the house instead of taking outside. It is not possible = to use=20 the temperature difference created by the sun from outside since = the=20 house is attaching to the others. Moreover, the house does not = have air=20 conditioner. What should be done in order to find out the water=20 intrusion area of the house in this case?
In= surance
Can=20 someone please help me. I can't find professional liability = insurance=20 anywhere. Nobody wants to write it because of potential mold = litigation=20 when performing moisture surveys. Are the rest of you insured or = just=20 going without? Where is a source to find it?
Si= ngle=20 Tank 3 phase Oil brkr 23Kv
I am concerned that I may be = misdiagnosing an OCB.=20
I have some temperature in the head area where all six = bushing pass=20 into the tank. I have an temperature gradient that goes from top = to=20 bottom. Oil analysis says that there are no abnormalities. At = the time I=20 shot this there was 650 Amps going thru a 2000 amp breaker. I am = wondering if the CT's in the head of the breaker could be = generating=20 enough heat that the gradient I am observing is conduction thru = the=20 metal to metal contact of the breaker tank to the breaker dome.=20

And of course if YOU have a question or want = to start=20 a discussion on a topic, we would love to hear from you. Just post = a new=20 thread on a mes= sage=20 board.

Brainteaser of the Month =20

Here is = this month's=20 brainteaser. Readers who email us a correct identification or = explanation=20 are entered into a drawing to win a prize. Please put = "Brainteaser"=20 as the subject of the message.

Click=20 here to email your guess

Do you have an interesting image = that you think=20 would challenge other thermographers? If so please email me your image = (preferably=20 in native .img, .jpg, .tif, .tgw, or .tmw format) with an = accompanying=20 visible photo and explanation. If your image is used, you receive = a gift=20 as = well.

Last Month's=20 Brainteaser

We had 85 guesses = and only 1=20 correct answer for last month's image. Most of you thought these=20 images were a piece of toast. Read on for = the truth=20 from our contributor, John Druga from = Veolia=20 Water North=20 America Central LLC.

"One particular project my = company=20 operates combines dewatered sludge from municipal = wastewater=20 treatment plants with shredded wood/pallets and a few other = amendments to=20 produce a high nutrient quality compost mulch. The process = involves a 21=20 day compost period where temperature is monitored and controlled = by=20 providing forced air oxygen and daily turning of the crib. Each = day=20 several tons of the mixture starts the process at one end of the = crib and=20 the same volume is removed from the opposite end for sale. Two of = the=20 images are at the end of the pile where a shear wall is exposed by = the=20 machine that turns the pile. I was performing some predictive = maintenance=20 on the mechanical equipment at this facility and just happened to = look at=20 the compost in the crib while walking by. The temperature of the = center of=20 the pile is critical not the surface. But I thought it looked like = magma=20 thru the lens so I took a few shots."

Congratulations = to our=20 Bryan Rapp also of Veolia Water North America (different location = though),=20 our winner this month. Both Bryan and John win an ITC low e coffee = mug.

Course Calendars =

Click the = links below to see=20 our latest course schedules (in local language).

Americas

Eurasia

Deutschland

France

Italia

United=20 = Kingdom

About = the=20 Infrared Training Center =20

The Infrared Training Center offers training and = certification in=20 all aspects of infrared thermography use. Our world-class training = headquarters are located near Boston, Massachusetts, USA and = Stockholm,=20 Sweden and have the world's most extensive hands on laboratories = for=20 infrared applications. In addition, we have training centers = around the=20 world. Please join us in exploring the fascinating world of the = infrared!=20

Your comments and suggestions about this newsletter are = welcomed=20 and encouraged. If you have an interesting application or case = study to=20 share, we encourage you to submit it for publication. Published = articles earn credit towards IR = recertification.

Please e-mail Gary = Orlove or=20 send regular mail to the Americas office.

Visit our website:

ITC Americas, = BOSTON

25 Esquire Road
N. Billerica, MA 01862, = USA

Tel: +1-978-901-8405
Toll free:=20 = +1-866-TRAINIR
&= nbsp; =20 (866-872-4647)
Fax: +1.978-901-8832
E-mail: mailto:info_us@infraredtraining.com

ITC Eurasia, = SWEDEN

Rinkebyv=E4gen 19
SE-182 11 Danderyd, = Sweden

Tel: +46 (0) 8 753 25 00
Fax: +46 (0) 8 753 26 = 01
E-mail:=20 mailto:itc@flir.se

THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL = PURPOSES ONLY.=20 INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT = WARRANTY=20 OF ANY KIND. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy = and the=20 use of this document. The Infrared Training Center newsletter may = be=20 copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1. All = text=20 and images must be copied without modification and all pages must = be=20 included; 2. All copies must contain the Infrared Training Center=20 copyright notice and any other notices provided therein;
3. = This=20 document may not be distributed for profit

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