Infrared Procedure for Monitoring Long-term Thermal Stresses of Electrical Equipment

Abstract

The paper's aim is to highlight the procedure of monitoring the thermal stresses of electrical equipment through the infrared thermography. In order to obtain satisfactory results for the thermal stresses estimation, a good definition of the correction parameters along with the selection of the optimum conditions for performing the infrared investigations must be accomplished. The paper describes a procedure for determining the thermal stress of a busbar system made of two branches of different electrical loads, with the use of infrared monitoring. Also, the proper way of interpreting the thermal images will be presented. The laboratory experiment is intended to exemplify how to apply the infrared monitoring procedure over the performed infrared investigation. After applying this procedure, the temperature values extracted from the thermal images were accordingly adjusted, and thus a correct interpretation of the identified thermal fault will be achieved.